My grade on Obama's 1st 100 Days

-4/28/09 The Obama administration is asking Congress to close the big gap in prison sentences for dealing crack versus powdered cocaine, a law that critics say is unfair to blacks. Federal law now has what lawyers call a "100-to-1" ratio for cocaine sentences, in which a person selling five grams of crack faces the same five-year mandatory minimum sentence as someone selling 500 grams of powder cocaine. Critics of the law say it unfairly punishes black offenders, pointing to statistics showing 82 percent of federal crack cocaine convicts were black, while nine percent were white.President Barack Obama had called for such a change while campaigning for the White House as he also fought against many of these situations as a civil rights lawyer.

This alone just upped his chances of a good grade in my book.

I am an Obama fan. Had no hesitancies whatsoever voting for him. I believe he has good intentions, his heart is in the right place and he's intelligent as all hell, which puts him WAY ahead of the curve of our last President. Oh and I adore Michelle :-) With that said, I am no fool. A politican is a politician who will always be a politician. And politicians pander, they lie, they "misspeak", they make mistakes, they take stuff back, and they duck and dodge to miss the dripping shit that they helped throw towards the fan. Obama has and will do all of the above, just as McCain & Hillary would have. So completely setting aside his skin color, coolness, refreshing & sincere love for his family & his amazing wife (did I mention I love her?), my grade for President Obama's first 100 days in office remains PENDING.

He has made some smart moves that work well for him.

Out the gate, he signed the Ledbetter law into action, guaranteeing and protecting equal pay between women and men, also making sexual discrimination cases on behalf of victimized women easier to file and more strictly enforced.

His stem cell research initiative, reversing the ban imposed by Bush, gets a standing ovation from me.

His willingness to travel abroad and LISTEN instead of lecture, paying attention to the global issues with America, and his dedication towards working with foreign leaders in order to restore their trust in our country is an excellent sign. I'm definitely looking forward to climbing out of the Piece of Shit status we currently have with other countries thanks to G.W.B.

Closing Gitmo is still iffy for me. I do believe Guantanamo Bay was a bad look for us. And it seemed rather pointless. But I do wonder now, where in the world will the detainees go and what trickery will they become a part of? Is this a safe move?

The Economy. Whew lord. I kinda feel bad for the current administration cuz it's really not their fault that our economy has been driven into the fiery depths of hell. I would say drag Bush's ass back in to help sort out the mess he made but no, he wouldn't do anything but throw gas onto the fire, i'm sure. So it is what it is and President Obama has the grand job of dealing with it. I think lots of his brain power is being applied to this issue and I can respect his hustle and work ethics towards the matter. The stimulus plan is slowly but surely trickling in. Working for a school district, I have a 1st row seat (okay maybe like 3rd row) to watch how jobs are being terminated, funds are flying out of the window and lives are being destroyed because of our financial situation. It has not been a pleasant two years for education. Over this past week, with the onset of stimulus plan dollars, we have been able to restore over 60% of the jobs that were pink slipped last year. A "plan" is in the works to use more money to get back as many employees as possible while injecting funds back into the schools as well. Things are far from being okay, but they are looking up instead of digging deeper into the pile. The AIG fiasco was a mess and tainted Obama in my mind because um..hello...why did he give them more $$$ in the first place? Yeah so that sucked. Not a wise decision. So the jury is still out on the economy, and rightfully so. You can't judge anything of this magnitude in 100 days. Ask me again this time next yr.

Education. Okay so i'm a broke college student. As are many of you. I'm looking for HELP from the gov't who claims to want to bolster the amount of US college graduates every yr. We cant graduate if we can't pay for school. We cant pay for school if yall dont give us any money. Duh. Education seems to be fairly important to our Pres and if the economy wasn't a ball of horse doo doo he would probably be doing more to strengthen that area. So far, I know he's pushing to lessen the amount of unsubsidized student loans offered and replacing them with more federal grants and gov't subsidized loans. Well halleleujah. UNsubsidized=UNcalled for high interest rates that I will have to pay back and it's UNlikely that i'll have the money to do so. Therefore, grants are GOOD. I also know he's pumping upwards of 5 billion dollars into Head Start programs, which of course, is a great thing. Education starts early, people. You can't expect little Johnny to graduate from college if he didn't even learn his ABC's until the 4th grade. Pre school is fundamental (oh and so is reading;-)

The costly, bloody, senseless wars are still raging. And to point out the fact brought up by my girlfriend, we're in a NEW war now with the damn pirates of the caribbean! Wtf. I swear its like a huge joke or something. But its really not funny. I understand that protecting our country is necessary & if our safety is being threatened, yeah, handle that. But it's time to let Iraq go. Sorry. Its time. Afghanistan too. Its pointless. Removal from Iraq needs to begin sooner than later. YES it should be done cautiously, I get that. But we gotta start somewhere. I'll give Obama an A+ times two if retrieval begins in early 2010.

It has been one helluva 100 days. Everyone else's 1st 100 seems like a Cinco de Mayo cake walk. So for the amount of pressure he's dealing with, i'm willing to ebb & flow with Obama for now. That's why im holding out on grading him. He's done a lot of good & he's made some questionable moves. I'm just sitting back & waiting. Eyes & ears open, trust. I know everything wont be resolved to my liking,nor to his because he does have the senate and house to work with [damn republicans]. But I do believe in his abilities. Let's just hope he comes through.

Bush's final letter to Obama

HA!!!

I thought Obama would get me laid

If you haven't already done so, please click HERE because this is some funny shit. Not too sure if the site owner is smokin that ooo weee, has too much time on his or her hands, or a combination of both...either way, it's classic.

I'm not even gonna ruin it and tell u what the premise is cuz like I said, that would ruin it. Just go. Then come back and tell me what u think.


I will give a slight spoiler and say that I, for one, am not one of those Obama supporters who believe that he can part the red sea while turning water into Hennesy as he increases our pay rate by 50%. Nope. Most people thought Clinton saved the world for good after he got into office...hmm. Guess that didn't work out too well. So no. I'm not delusional. But President Obama has got to be better than genius up there. And if he's not...lord help us all.

So Obama won the election...now what?

November 4th has come and gone, creating waves of oceanic hues in states that historically have had absolutely nothing to do with blue, perhaps with the exception of worshipping Elvis' Blue Suede Shoes. Yes, North Carolina and Virginia, I truly am proud of you. The best contender won, the other guy is back in Arizona and unfortunately that woman (i'm tired of her name so I opt out of typing it) is slowly (very slooowly) making the trek back to her palatial igloo. Happy days are somewhere close by enough to be here again and most of us are ecstatic about it.

But what do we do now?

I, like, many others, have been painfully addicted to this potent 'blue magic' crack rock known as the 2008 election cycle. My name is Chanel, and i'm an election junkie. I wrote about it, argued over it, cried over it, got pissed throughout it, screamed for joy at the high points, pouted like a baby at the low points, and well...life has definitely made way for politics this year. It was like this never ending soap opera with these characters that you either hated from the pits of your soul or loved with all your heart. We all had our favorite moments, favorite catch-phrases, favorite irritating soundbites and most painful fall from grace moments. (John Edwards anyone?) And the media? HA! Talk about finding their personal cash cows. I've never watched as much CNN and MSNBC as I have over the past year and I doubt it will ever happen again. Why? Because that's all folks. Soap Opera cancelled. My favorite character won the Emmy and I can breathe easy.

So since the show's over, guess I can check myself into rehab and allow normal life to take over again....

Or, I can continue feeding this ever-growing need to be in the know of what's going on around me in the world that I live in. I can take advantage of my newfound interest in politics,maybe venturing into a community reform/service project here or there, and start making a difference somehow. Maybe I can start writing letters to my congressmen and legislature about causes that have become near and dear to my heart. (Please be prepared for a Prop 8 blog soon to come) Maybe I can brainstorm ideas to initiate some sense of unity and outreach within my community. Maybe I can revel in this idea that my little contributions really aren't all that little when considering that every major revolution had to begin with one single person...

Maybe this election cycle hasn't been so pointless afterall. I have work to do if i'm truly gonna do my part in making our society a better place to thrive in. I'm sure you do too. So let's get to it.

Senator McCain, I am not stupid

Dear John McCain

As I come down off my high fueled by my nominee's brilliant acceptance speech last night, I have to deal with being slapped in the face by you and your "strategic pick" of Palin as VP. I would just like to let you know how and why you have just made the biggest and most costly mistake of your poorly ran campaign.

Let me begin by asking you why you chose a woman, Senator? Was it out of respect? Admiration? A sincere passion to elect a woman into the White House?

Maybe your answer is yes to all of the above. But background checking and past actions of your disgusting misogynistic ways including an overall disregard of women's rights raise red flags all over the place for me, Senator.

Palin is not your gleam of hope for equality between women and men. She is not proof of your inherent desire to grant a woman power. Palin is not your testimony to what you bbelieve women CAN do. She is your shiny new token that you will now manipulate to cash in votes from what you still view as the weaker sex.

And I am disgusted by this. I am outraged by you. I am completely turned off to your entire platform (not as if I wasn't already), but now, Senator, it is personal. While I may have failed to see eye to eye with many Hillary supporters during the primaries, I am still a WOMAN and i refuse to sit back and tolerate you milking my counterparts dry who are still undecided between you and Barack. You are not an option. And your V.P pick does not dust you off and make you more appealing. While Palin may very well be intelligent and experienced...well one out of two isn't bad. So even though she may be intelligent, she is not enough. She can not erase your many mistakes or make up for your disasterous plans for our country. And WE will not be blinded by your pandering.

No way. No how. NO MCCAIN/PALIN.

Since when does Hillary speak for ALL women?

I never asked for her assistance on my behalf. Not one time. And I have a good reason for that.

I CAN SPEAK FOR MY DAMN SELF.

There's an article HEREthat suggests women are defending Hillary because

"she speaks for all women and should stay in the Democratic primary race to the bitter end."

This frame of thinking defies a large portion of logic for me.

Another significantly smaller portion of me can understand that yes, Hillary's campaign is extremely important and historic for a plethora of reasons. But this acknowledgment has been greatly tainted by the fact that her campaign has royally sucked...also for a plethora of reasons.

Now i'm not touting a tough feminist banner here or anything. But i'm not naive either. I know our struggle and I am fully aware of the societal issues that have caused severely disproportioned power & privilege to befall on the non-fairer sex, leaving women behind with a 90 degree uphill climb. I know the issues because i've lived through some of them, my mother has fought through many of them and my grandmother made it one of her points in life to tell me all of the strife she went through due to her gender. And i'm sorry to tell anyone who thinks so, but Barack Obama's presidential candidacy ain't one of these issues.

His bid has not in ANY form halted the woman's movement. If anything, it has strengthened it. Due to this primary season, I believe there are many women who now realize there are certain attributes WE DO NOT NEED NOR WANT in order to get ahead in the game. No disrespect to Senator Clinton, I know she has fought for many noble causes. I hope she continues to take such a strong stand. But as a woman who has never grown complacent in my own social/career/academic status, I know it's possible to make your point without lying, manipulating, scapegoating, finger-pointing, denying and race-baiting (or allowing others to do it for you).

Therefore, I take great offense to statements such as Hillary Clinton Speaks for ALL Women. I have my own voice. And I know it does not have to pattern after a certain candidate SOLELY because she's a woman also. That has never been the cause for women pioneers to fight for other causes.

Women should have the right to vote because we're women!
Women should be able to serve in the military because we're women!
Women should be able to attend any university of our choice because we're women!
Women should be able to start & run businesses because we're women!
Women should vote for Hillary because she's a woman!


Wrong. And stupid.

Women should be able to do all of the above and then some because we are equipped with the knowledge, the skills, the common sense, the integrity, the strength, the RIGHT JUDGEMENT, and the strong sense of character to get the job done.

I want a president who rides higher than gender, color or age. I will not place my vote for anyone on either of these characteristics. And I reject and denounce any woman who attempts to make me feel like a traitor simply because I have found my hope in Barack Obama.

I try REALLY hard to get along with Hillary supporters

Honestly, I do. If i encounter them on the street and someone stops to ask about my Obama button (happened twice), and then proceed to tell me why they LOVE LOVE LOVE Hillary....I listen. I listen and smile and nod. Because i'm just as passionate about MY candidate, whom by the way, showed out last night. I have never once cut off a Hillary supporter in rude disregard. I am more than aware that to win this thing in November, we need ALL of the dems. Not just staunch Obama backers. We need the support of those who preferred Clinton but will have the insight and the common sense to support Barack once he gets the nomination. So i'm ready to be in FULL kiss and make up mode.

Until I read crap like this.

I'm one of the many Clinton supporters who won't vote for Obama if he's the nominee. I'd be tempted to vote for McCain except for the judges issue, therefore I'd likely stay home. People don't get that the reason so many Clinton supporters won't vote for Obama is because they don't think he's ready to be president. Personally I don't think he's got the mental fortitude for the job, that he'd be another George Bush who just frays at the seams. The stress of the presidency requires fortitude: mental, physical and spiritual, and I think Obama's lacking on more than one front.
And this is not over. Black voters didn't take Obama for granted but women voters failed Clinton. I think women may be waking up to this fact, hopefully in time to make a difference. Posted on HuffingtonPost Read it HERE

It's this crock of ish that gets under my skin and makes it a tad bit harder for me to grin and bear it. I understand that ignorance is running rampant during silly season. I get it. But dammit my tolerance level for those who can form there lips to compare Obama to the absentee status of George Bush's mental fortitude is slim to NONE. Not only is it evident just in LOOKING at both of them who is the intellect and who is the air bubble, but the history of judgment and effectiveness while in political office speaks on its own. And as far as the "mental frays" and stress of the Presidency being beyond Obama's grasp, spare me on that one too. All I have to say is Wright, Muslim, Wright, Un-patriotic, Delusional hope-mongrel and Wright. Through all of the vetting and attempted slander, Barack Obama is still standing and his campaign is stronger than ever.

So please Hillary supporters. I'm trying. I want to work with you. I want to help dispel the anger, hurt and every other negative feeling that these primaries have encouraged for BOTH camps. But you have to give me something to work with. If you're gonna voice your opinion against Barack, please let it be of sound judgment and preferably containing FACTS, and I will listen and try to sort everything out. But all other tyrannical, idiotic rants will get you dismissed as someone who truly doesn't care about the democratic party in the long run and would rather vote McCain by not voting at all.

The 'N' Word in Politics....

"So maybe the H-word is more like the N-word: you can say it, but only if you are an initiate. Blacks can use the N-word; Obama supporters can use the H-word."- NATHAN THORNBURGH (TIME Reporter)http://news.yahoo.com/s/time/20080229/us_time/whyisobamasmiddlenametaboo

Oh yea....I'm all over this one.

~Key Questions to pose:

*When did the African-American race admit to embracing the 'N' word? (maybe I missed the memo)

*Who made 'Hussein' so taboo? and for WHAT?

*Is this guy really trying to make me swallow this garbage?

*An "Initiate"? As in the 1st to use/or propose it? Ummm....I'm all confused here.

Now, to begin, allow me to pardon myself for any harsh offenses anyone might take from this (my first:-) post. I am a democrat and i love my political party as much as the next democrat BUT i'm a little tired of the dramatics of this entire Democratic Nominee free-for-all. And when I see things in the media such as the above hogwash, I get even more antsy for it all to just be OVER. I feel like picketing or something.

"HELL NO WE WONT GO for 3 more months of this damn race when OBVIOUSLY the people have spoken and SOMEONE needs to bow out gracefully"

That's what my large banner would say. Hey I'm a bay-area girl. Close to Berkeley. U know we love to protest.

Anyway...so yea. Onto the questions I posed. So this reporter guy, Thornburgh, has suggested that Barack's middle name (Hussein, for those of you who might live at the bottom of the sea) is equally 'off-limits' to some as the 'N' word is. (I hate that term by the way. What am I, 4 ? The 'F' word. The'B' word. The 'N' word. Blah.) If Thornburgh was sitting in front of me right now, first I'd dare him to say that dreadful, awful 'N' word to me (just to watch him sweat), then I'd give him my own personal dose of a reality check. And it goes a little sumthin like this:

Senator Obama's middle name is just that, a name. Given to him at birth by a young and no doubt heavily sedated mother who probably thought the name had a certain ummph to it. (i won't question her judgment here ONLY because she's not around to answer it, God rest her soul) Barack did not grow up and adopt the name for his devious alter-ego who preys on white women and the rest of America's "precious goods". He did not ask for it. He did not hope, wish and pray for Saddam Hussein's namesake because he thought he was a really cool guy. The name just HAPPENED. And while he was innocently teased about it throughout his childhood, unfortunately in his adult public life, it's biting a healthy chunk out of his ass.

Now let's look at the 'N' word. God, I can't do it any more. (DISCLAIMER:to all the sensitive self-righteous people, look away from your screen cuz i'm about to let it rip) Let's examine the word Nigger. The 1st documented use of nigger in its current form was during the Revolutionary War. A long ass time ago. And it has stood the test of time as being one of the most vile, vindictive, evil and degrading words forced upon the black race in attempts to "keep em in their place" and impose feelings of inferiority. WE did not "initiate" the use of the term. WE did not say yessir, please trash my name given to me at birth and call me Nigger cuz that's what I is! In recent years, certain subcultures of our society have remixed the word, dropped the -er, threw in the letter -a and BAM!!! it's a term of endearment. *yawn* Miss me with that one because I will NEVER refer to myself or anyone else, friend or foe, as a nigga, nigger, niggo, niggy, niggette, or any other variation. For myself, the word is still a granade waiting to go off, it still symbolizes the despicable nature of human society at its worse and it still undercuts the growth blacks have made in EVERY aspect.

So, going back to Senator Obama's middle name and attempting to compare it to Nigger....ummm [ trying really hard here].... not seeing equal playing fields in the slightest. That knocks out Thornburgh's point that the 2 words may equally evoke as much anger, resentment and need for defense. I dont buy it. It could be giftwrapped, lined with 20 dollar bills and on clearance at Macy's and i still wouldn't buy it.

Who what when where and why is Barack's middle name on trial? And who what when where and why did reporter guy Thornburgh think it was relevant to compare & contrast the man's name to a racial slur? WHY you ask? Because he's a journalist. The media gets an A+++ for finding the pettiest, most ludicrous, marginal points of interest for the world to ignorantly salivate over. Yes, i blame us, the people, as well. Because if we all had enough common sense, we would sit back and think u know what, the guy didn't name himself and if he doesn't have a problem with his name, why the hell should I? I mean, some of us are walking around with some God-awful names ourselves and dont have to go through public crucifixion. I just find it sad that amid an election which will hopefully appoint someone who has the opportunity to re-route the road to hell that the U.S. is travelling on right now.... all media, republicans and other gullible losers have to do with their spare time is pick apart a NAME. Lord help this country cuz they all need to GET A LIFE & a hobby and move on.

[ I reserve the right to my own opinions, verbage, slants, biases and feelings because...well, I wrote it! ]