Writing Again

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I’ve spent the last few months evaluating whether I would continue this blog and if I did what format it would take. I’ve decided to press forward whether there is an audience or not and to write about the Congressional Black Caucus.  At the height of their power, their influence on policy or lack there of is noteworthy.  Of special interest is Maxine Waters, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, Terri Sewell, and Hank Johnson.  Stay tuned for more.

39 thoughts on “Writing Again”

  2. Skeptical Brotha, interesting things have happened since you were gone:

    1. US Rep. Artur Davis (D-AL) getting his ass handed to him by Alabama Agriculture Commissioner Ron Sparks (D) in the Democratic primary for Governor last month in a blowout.

    2. San Francisco District Attorney Kamala Harris (D) becoming the Democratic nominee for California State Attorney General in her bid to become the Golden State’s first female, first Indian-American and first African American law enforcement chief, but her opponent in the November general election, LA County DA Steve Cooley (R) is going to be DIFFICULT to beat though and Harris has a not-so-good track record in SF.

    3. Damon Dunn (R) becomes the GOP nominee for California Secretary of State.

    4. The race for Texas Governor is interesting and getting wild and nastier, with a recent debate without incumbent Governor Rick Perry (R), who is saving his firepower for August when everyone returns to school.

  4. Franko, Jerry Brown is in big trouble with Meg Whitman quickly closing the gap in a recent poll showing him leading 44-43 and cutting his lead among Latinos by 11 points.

  5. Skeptical Brotha, you should also write about the other political news in statewide campaigns like Deval Patrick (likely winning a 2nd term as MA governor due to Cahill and Baker split the anti-Patrick vote), Kamala Harris, Kendrick Meek (who is FINISHED in FL Senate race), etc.,

  6. Keep one eye on..

    …Joe Watkins. Is an RNC Chair run in 2011 on his mind? This bio keeps cropping up. It’s based on his recently ended run for Pa Lt. Gov. It’s now a rallying piece for a band of people around the country who apparently want him to run for RNC Honcho. He’s had to have seen this by now and has not knocked down the rumors.

  11. Angie, Rikyrah, and everyone else: primary election results in Georgia:
    http://www.myfoxatlanta.com/

    Governor (Open) Democratic primary
    Former GA Governor Roy Barnes (D): 41 percent
    GA State Attorney General Thurbert Baker (D): 24 percent

    Republican primary
    GA Insurance Commissioner John Oxendine (R): 35 percent
    State Senator Eric Johnson (R-Savannah): 27 percent
    Former GA Secretary of State Karen Handel (R): 15 percent
    Former US Rep. Nathan Deal (R-GA): 14 percent

    In the Senate race, 3-term GA Labor Commissioner Mike Thurmond (D) has all but easily won the Democratic nomination, but is likely to LOSE to incumbent United States Senator Johnny Isakson (R-GA).

  14. Burroughston Broch

    I don’t know where Blue Dogs got his information about the Georgia primaries, but part of it is wrong.
    Roy Barnes won the Democratic primary for Governor without a run-off, getting 64% of the vote.
    Karen Handel and Nathan Deal are in a run-off on the Republican side (33% Handel, 23% Deal).
    Michael Thurmond won the Democratic primary for US Senate without a run-off, getting 84% of the vote.
    Twice as many Republicans voted as Democrats.

    Other updates – Roy Barnes is avoiding President Obama during his upcoming trip to Georgia.
    Michael Thurmond is given no chance of prevailing against incumbent US Senator Johnny Isakson.

    • I’m confident that Barnes will take back the Georgia Executive Mansion this fall and he’s doing the right thing in avoiding Obama, who is DAMAGED GOODS all over the country.

      Barbara Boxer on the other hand in CA’s Senate race is in big trouble.

      • Burroughston Broch

        We’ll see whether in November if your confidence is well placed.

        I have had the opportunity to do some (non-political) consulting for the State of Georgia since 1988 and Roy Barnes was the most difficult governor I experienced. During his term he was arrogant, conceited, and a know-it-all who knew nothing. Most of the people in the Capitol were glad to see him go. The State Democratic Party sees him as their only hope of regaining some control in state government.

  15. Burroughston Broch,

    Public Policy Polling has California state Attorney General Jerry Brown (D) leading Meg Whitman (R): 46-40 with Brown leading among Independents by a margin of 16 points: 47-31, but the Democratic numbers scare me: Brown only gets 63 percent of Democratic voters.

  16. TripLBee

    Blue Dogs,

    You are going to go zero for three in your California predictions. Kamala Harris was the DA in San Francisco during the largest drop in crime in the city’s history. And she is a rock star around the state. She will easily beat Cooley, who is barely known in LA, his home city. And while Jerry Brown himself has turned into a Blue Dog, he will whip Whitman. He is an exceptional politician and he will toy with her from now until November. She stands no chance of winning. And while Republicans seem excited about Fiorina’s chances,she is a rookie going up against another superbly skilled politician in Boxer. And Fiorina’s corporate legacy is abysmal. I worked at HP during her reign of terror. She is widely regarded as the worst CEO in that firm’s history. She will be easy to beat.

    Write me back in November.

    • Burroughston Broch

      TripLBee, I read that a recent California poll revealed that 1 in 5 say they have mental health issues and need care. Is the political situation in CA a result?

  17. TripLBee, the GOP is likely to get back the California Lieutenant Governor’s office this fall (for the first time since 1978) with Abel Maldonado (R) defeating SF Mayor Gavin Newsome (D), who is too liberal to win statewide in the eyes of moderate-conservative voters including Independents.

    In the race for Texas Governor, half of those who backed US Senator Kay Bailey Hutchison (R-TX)are signaling their support for former Houston mayor Bill White (D) over incumbent Governor Rick Perry (R), I think half of the KBH supporters are still BITTER how Perry destroyed KBH on March 2nd in a landslide.

  18. TripLBee

    Blue Dogs,

    Abel Maldonado may indeed win, even though the office is purely ceremonial. Maldonado has fashioned himself as a moderate Republican. And while Newsome is not particularly liberal by California standards, his position on gay marriage has been used to portray him as some sort of radical. That label has stuck to him, so it is certainly plausible that he could lose. But per usual, the GOP will get wiped out in California. This is a blue state.

  19. Chuck

    Cool! What’s your take on Reps. Rangel and Waters? It appears to be a sad state of affairs; but, then again, isn’t it time for some CBC cleansing? I mean – not to belittle their almost lifelong service and contributions – assuming justice and/or pragmatism run their courses, the currennt events may open the way for some dynamic Californian and New Yorker.

  21. Chuck, I just got a feeling that Rangel’s arrogance is gonna cost Democrats their majority in the House of Representatives once the GOP regains the House, but you also have keep an eye on the Senate because Democrats are likely to lose the following Senate seats on Nov. 2nd:
    1. Delaware
    2. North Dakota
    3. Indiana
    4. Arkansas: Lincoln is damaged goods and her flip-flops on Obama’s agenda didn’t help either and you can bet Gov. Mike Beebe (D)’s coattails (he’s got re-election in the bag) will NOT save her.

  25. Chuck

    @Blue Dogs: Whether you can characterize Rep. Rangel as arrogant or not, if Dems lose the House, it will not be his fault. Even if the Dems fail to describe in sound bites digestible by the short-attention-spanned electorate that they were the only tribe that worked to turn the country around, they still will keep the House. But if they lose, the fault will lie on the entire party’s failure to succinctly tell the story that differentiates their tough work ethic from the Republican’s loser mentaility to surrender until they win back the majority.

    It is so clear that the Republicans are acting like children. They lost and then said “we’re not playing anymore!”, then picked up their toys and left. They dropped their weapons, took off their armour, and left the field. Losers! The Dems failure – so far – to tell the story in 30 seconds as graphically as they can to show that they were the only ones governing the country since 1/09 is almost reckless.

    I honor Rangel’s choice, whether it is to exercise his right to gut it out or whether it is to take one for the team.

  26. Chuck, I’m hearing speculation that former DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe (D) will likely seek the Virginia governorship again in 2013 when KKK McDonnell is term-limited and I betcha Virginians are regretting electing the segregationist to the governor’s mansion last year.

    New Jersey Governor Chris Christie (R) is taking a page out of the Ross Barnett playbook by declaring open season on minorities: he’s already announced he’s getting rid of Judge John Wallace, the only African American on the New Jersey Supreme Court and there’s speculation that the only Latino judge on the NJ Supreme Court could be next on the chopping block.

    I’ve already stated earlier that Christie is a ONE-TERM governor in 3 years, because reports are that US Rep. Robert Andrews (D-NJ) or maybe Newark Mayor Corey Booker (D) could challenge Christie.

  27. Mark

    Skep

    You said something about writing on the congressional black caucus. Looks like you’ve got some news on that front with Rangel and now Waters being called out.

    Somewhat related, the President seems to be shooting from the hip lately. A very little bit of patience would serve him well.

  31. Credulous Brotha

    Credulous Brotha should be the name of the blog. You actually believe that the “brothas” in power now are there to help you, and you are doing your sorry best to help them “help” you. Sorry to see, since you seem intelligent. Skeptical, though, is a word I’d not use to describe what I’m reading here.

    • You should read more of what I’ve written about Obama and Harold Ford Jr. I understand why you might think i’m more credulous than skeptical, but I try to balance skepticism with practicality. A pure Black Nationalist would have a difficult time getting and staying elected in the “post-racial” age of Obama. I’d settle for the brand of leader that Shirley Chisholm was. Thanks for taking the time to state an opinion. I enjoyed reading it. Please come back.

  32. Credulous Brothas

    identity politics are SOOOO unbelievably exploitative, not to mention over a half century out of date.

    i can’t claim to know too much about chisolm, but isn’t one of the vestiges of black nationalism the depressing panoply of social programs which has decimated a demographic that 45 years ago had so much promise? and identity political leaders keep feeding y’all more of the same. what’s it gotten ya? a dwindling, poorly educated population that, when kids manage to make it out of the womb, are more likely to be raised by one parent than two.

    similar trends exist in other demographics, but not nearly to the same extent.

    isn’t it time to ask your leadership “what have you done for me lately?”

  33. Credulous Brothas

    “what have you done for me lately” being a rhetorical question, the next step becomes finding leadership who will do something for me OTHER than keep my people addicted to free handouts and government programs. the notion that we NEED those things to compete is beyond insulting. our people need to begin to ween themselves off of the government teat, and from the other end, smart govt. leaders need to ween themselves from the political payoff of delivering handouts to constituencies so as to maintain their possession of certain blocs of people as rubber stamp campaign supporters and voters.

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