I'm not that pleased with Obama these days, but also I do not have a problem with the races of his picks. He has 4 blacks, 3 Latinos, 2 Asians, original Americans finally running the Indian Affairs departments, a large percentage of women and I think there were two gays being considered. I do not know whether they were ultimately chosen. At this point, with the degree of diversity in the cabinet, I'm more concerned about the policies of the people selected than their races. With Latino's having as large a representation as Blacks and women also being an important constituency, and whites still being is a majority position in this country, I'm not sure if it is realistic to expect that the cabinet be dominated by Blacks.
I'm not that happy about many of the picks, but the race of the picks is not at issue for me. I think a diverse cabinet is appropriate From: Cinque3000 [mailto:cinque3...@verizon.net] Sent: Wednesday, December 24, 2008 10:59 AM To: 'Albert Fields'; 'Michael Gordon'; 'Keith Johnson' Cc: 'Tracey de Morsella'; scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com; juliai...@yahoo.it; larg...@yahoo.com; afrikanm...@hotmail.com; bettil...@msn.com; 'Cleo'; dorothyh...@sbcglobal.net; duva...@hotmail.com; fis...@bellsouth.net; 'Kai Pettaway'; kalpub...@aol.com; 'Kera'; kimbe...@luftworld.com; rs...@yahoo.com; 'Seku Brathwaite'; 'Valery Jean'; 'Wendell Theophilus Smith'; 'Whitney J Evans'; williamsf...@speakeasy.net Subject: RE: Didja Catch The Lovefest Yesterday? Well the CBC is annoyed with Obama according to Howard University paper http://thehill.com/leading-the-news/black-lawmakers-irked-by-obamas-diverse- cabinet-2008-12-22.html _____ From: Albert Fields [mailto:cbilmarket...@yahoo.com] Sent: Saturday, November 08, 2008 11:27 PM To: Michael Gordon; Keith Johnson Cc: Tracey de Morsella; scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com; juliai...@yahoo.it; larg...@yahoo.com; afrikanm...@hotmail.com; bettil...@msn.com; CINQUE; Cleo; dorothyh...@sbcglobal.net; duva...@hotmail.com; fis...@bellsouth.net; Kai Pettaway; kalpub...@aol.com; Kera; kimbe...@luftworld.com; rs...@yahoo.com; Seku Brathwaite; Valery Jean; Wendell Theophilus Smith; Whitney J Evans; williamsf...@speakeasy.net Subject: Re: Didja Catch The Lovefest Yesterday? MIchael On the Bill Marr show on friday, he projected that the repubs and media was going to wait and jump Obama after became official. He likened it to the bill clinton era and asked/pleaded that they work with obama rather than sniping at him. I hope enough of the press heard this show that they will take heed. On another note, i wonder if the Black Congressional Congress or Black Social Leaders gonna make an appointment to meet with obama to lay out some suggestions/plans that they want? I saw an article that made the point that this is the first time in modern era where the black leadership did not go make demands to the democratic party/candidate for black agenda. Do you think the BCC/Black Leadership should be SO POLITE that they cannot make demands because it will look like he is attacking a brother? albert "El mundo es tuyo" _____ From: Michael Gordon <michael.v.w.gor...@gmail.com> To: Keith Johnson <keithbjohn...@comcast.net> Cc: Tracey de Morsella <tdemorse...@multiculturaladvantage.com>; scifinoir2@yahoogroups.com; juliai...@yahoo.it; larg...@yahoo.com; afrikanm...@hotmail.com; Albert Fields <cbilmarket...@yahoo.com>; bettil...@msn.com; CINQUE <cinque3...@verizon.net>; Cleo <cleo.wad...@aliefisd.net>; dorothyh...@sbcglobal.net; duva...@hotmail.com; fis...@bellsouth.net; Kai Pettaway <killa...@gmail.com>; kalpub...@aol.com; Kera <imke...@gmail.com>; kimbe...@luftworld.com; rs...@yahoo.com; Seku Brathwaite <everything...@nyc.rr.com>; Valery Jean <valeryjea...@yahoo.com>; Wendell Theophilus Smith <wendellsmit...@gmail.com>; Whitney J Evans <sonofafieldne...@sbcglobal.net>; williamsf...@speakeasy.net Sent: Saturday, November 8, 2008 10:14:00 PM Subject: Re: Didja Catch The Lovefest Yesterday? Dear Keith, How thoughtfully and beautifully stated. Thank you. That is how I felt too but didn't have the grace that you have in describing that the way you did. Michael On Sat, Nov 8, 2008 at 7:44 PM, Keith Johnson <keithbjohn...@comcast.net> wrote: Man, did you see this press conference yesterday? I swear, I haven't seen the members of the press so happy in years. They were positively giddy! Every single person called on was beaming, and they were so respectful: "Thank you for taking my question, Mr. President-elect!" I could tell they were struggling not to go ahead and call him Mr. Prez. And Obama was oh-so-smooth as always, of course calling everyone by name, doing that slight frown of concentration that's his hallmark, that makes you feel like you're the most important person to him at that moment. The funniest moment to me was when a reporter with her arm in a sling stood up, and Obama said "What happened to your arm?", to which she replied breathlessly, "I hurt it running to get to your acceptance speech, Mr. President-elect!" Obama then made some joke about that being the only major incident on Election Day, and gave his cool laugh, to which everyone in the room l aughed gaily. I found out later from Tracey that this selfsame reporter had a history of trashing the man, but I sure couldn't tell with her schoolgirl crush behaviour! They even chuckled delightedly when he called himself a "mutt". Guess I can't blame the press for being so excited though. After eight years of Bush silence, media blackouts, misdirections, and reporters being shut out of conferences at the White House, Obama's new attitude must seem like a breath of very fresh air! ****************************************** http://features.csmonitor.com/politics/2008/11/07/obama-urges-bush-congress- to-pass-a-stimulus-package/ Obama urges Bush, Congress to pass a stimulus package The president-elect also pushes for a $25 billion bailout of the auto industry before he takes office. Washington Barack Obama isn't president yet. He doesn't want to appear to be trying to usurp President Bush's authority. But he's still going to speak his mind - politely - about some things he thinks the government should do to jump-start the ailing US economy. That was the overall impression President-elect Obama appeared to be trying to give in his first public remarks following his election as the nation's 44th occupant of the Oval Office. In particular, Obama said that he believes that Congress should pass, and the current president should sign, some sort of broad government spending package as an attempt at economic stimulus. "I want to see a stimulus package sooner rather than later. If it does not get done in a lame-duck session, it will be the first thing I do as president of the United States," said Obama during a press conference held at Chicago's Hilton Hotel. Obama also urged the current administration to accelerate the provision of $25 billion in Energy Department loans for the auto industry. This money, already approved by both Congress and the White House, is intended to provide cash for hard-pressed US automakers to design and engineer new fuel-efficient vehicles. Assistance for state and local governments struggling from declining tax revenues will also be high on Obama's agenda in his initial days in office. "We are facing the greatest economic challenge of our lifetime and we're going to have to move swiftly to resolve it," he said. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D) of California has already called for a two-part economic stimulus package that would consist of a $100 billion package passed by a lame-duck session, followed by some sort of permanent tax cut after Obama's inauguration. The first stimulus installment would include some kind of government-funded public-works effort as well as an extension of unemployment benefits. Mr. Bush has said he is open to working with Congress on a stimulus package. But in the past he has opposed big US spending on new infrastructure, among other things. "We've long said that the package that [House Democrats] have put forward so far was not something that we thought that we could support," White House spokeswoman Dana Perino said on Nov. 6. The stagecraft of the initial press conference of the Obama executive era was clearly intended to send the message that dealing with the economy will be his administration's No. 1 job. Members of his economic transition advisory board filed out first, forming a large semicircle behind the podium from which the president-elect spoke. "Immediately after I become president I am going to confront this economic crisis head on," said Obama. Obama faces two conflicting imperatives regarding the nation's problems, according to presidential transition experts. On the one hand, he's being pressured to jump right in and begin to formulate policy. On the other, he does not want to become saddled with responsibility for policies that he does not yet have the power to design and implement as he sees fit. "He's taking office at a time of our most challenging transition since the Great Depression," said Darrell West, vice president of governance studies at the Brookings Institution, at a Nov. 7 post-election seminar. Perhaps Obama's biggest problem right now is unrealistic expectations, said Mr. West. To avoid a backlash of disappointment among voters, Obama may need to push at the beginning of his term for measures that can gain some bipartisan support and thus pass Congress relatively quickly. "He can do that with a stimulus package," said West. Obama is making the right move by assembling his White House team before moving on the cabinet, said Leon Panetta, who served in the White House as chief of staff under President Clinton. In his first personnel move, Obama named Illinois Rep. Rahm Emanuel his chief of staff. But his next step should be assembling his economic team, in particular, naming his secretary of the Treasury. "That's what America is looking for right now," said Mr. Panetta. Obama, for his part, declined at his press conference to be drawn into speculation about possible Treasury picks. He will make cabinet appointments in due time, he said. "I want to move with all deliberate haste. And I want to emphasize 'deliberate,' as well as 'haste,' " he said. Obama said that he had spoken with all living ex-presidents as well as the current president since Election Day. "They have all been very gracious," he said. The president-elect was cautious in discussing his response to a lengthy congratulatory letter from Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad. "Iran's development of a nuclear weapon is unacceptable.. I will be reviewing the letter and I will respond appropriately," said Obama. And the president-elect noted that the choice of a White House dog is a "major issue" in the Obama household. While he promised his daughters they could have a dog if he won, one of them is diagnosed as allergic to dogs, so the new pet must be a breed that is "hypoallergenic," Obama said. They would also like to get a shelter dog, but that may not be possible, given that most shelter dogs are "mutts like me," said Obama. -- Dr. MICHAEL V W GORDON Professor Emeritus Indiana University 10710 Nickleby Way #201 Raleigh, NC 27614 919..279.5495 (cell) 919.435.6162 (home) Skype ID: Michael_Gordon7417
