The latest from The Full Feed from HuffingtonPost.com
- Rob Richie: Post political reporters need to fix gubernatorial election analysis
- James Warren: This Week in Magazines: The "Capitalist Tool" Says Angelina Tops Oprah
- New Orleans Mayor Quarantined In China: Ray Nagin And His Wife Were On Plane With Passenger Showing Flu-Like Symptoms
- Shannyn Moore: VIDEO: Palin's "Lifted" Speech
- 'Up' And 'Hangover' Have Big Weekends, Ferrell Tanks
- Byron Williams: A Prisoner of Hope for 50 years and Still Going!
- Bruce Wilson: VIDEO: Christian Martyr Movement Head Blesses Huckabee & Gingrich
- 2009 French Open Winner: Roger Federer Beats Soderling To Tie Sampras' Record
| Rob Richie: Post political reporters need to fix gubernatorial election analysis | Top |
| The Washington Post has a history of some of the nation's strongest political reporting, but its 2009 analysis of the politics of upcoming gubernatorial elections has a troubling pattern. The Fix reporter Chris Cillizza and long-time stalwart Dan Balz certainly know their politics, but too often assess upcoming gubernatorial elections through the lens of recent presidential elections. A mountain of hard numbers show how virtually irrelevant presidential elections can be for projecting results in gubernatorial elections. Here are examples of recent Post political coverage. In today's article on the 2009 elections for governor in Virginia and New Jersey, Balz writes that "... both states went for Barack Obama last November. But Democratic leaders expect difficult races." Later he observes "New Jersey has become a reliably Democratic state in presidential races, and Democrats hold a huge advantage in party registration, but the incumbent's problems give Republicans hope" (perhaps the same hope Republicans had in winning 1993 and 1997 gubernatorial races in the state despite those same Democratic advantages). As to Virginia , Balz writes "But it was Obama's victory last November that changed Virginia's national hue from red to purple. Nevertheless, early polls show McDonnell leading all three of his potential rivals." On May 29th, Chris Cillizza's reviewed upcoming gubernatorial elections in detail in his always entertaining column The Fix. In picking the 10 states most likely to change hands, he regularly weaves in references to the presidential election results, such as: - Oklahoma: "It's hard to see the state that gave Obama his lowest percentage in the 2008 putting a Democrat in as its next governor" -- even though that's exactly what happened in 2002 and 2006 - Hawaii: Likely to go Democratic in part because the "simple fact is that Hawaii is among the most Democratic states in the country' -- as it was when Republicans won in 2002 and 2006 - On California's Democratic lean, "Whitman's willingness to spends gobs of her own money make her someone to be taken seriously even though California is a state that heavily favors Democrats at the statewide level" -- yet Republicans have held the governor's office for more than 21 of the past 26 years - On Michigan, "Republicans desperately need to show viability in a Midwestern, manufacturing-heavy state if they want to have any chance in 2012 against President Obama, and, today, Michigan looks like their best chance" -- although a victory in a governor's race in Michigan in 2002 might be hardly more prophetic for 2004 than eight Democratic pickups in governor's races in 2001-3 in states carried by George Bush in 2004 The truth is that presidential elections are not an accurate way to assess gubernatorial elections. Although an amazingly powerful predictor of other federal races, especially open U.S. House races and future presidential elections, it is almost meaningless when looking at races for governor. Here's one way to look at it. Out of our 50 states 35 have had governors from more than one party this decade even as only ten states (Colorado, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Nevada New Hampshire, New Mexico , North Carolina, Ohio and Virgina) have been won by both political parties in presidential elections. Among the states that have flipped between parties in elections for governor this decade are most of the heavily partisan states in presidential races. Consider the ten most Democratic states in the 2008 presidential election (all of which were solidly Democratic in the 2000-2008 presidential races). Five of those states have Republican governors, and only one (Delaware) has only had a Democratic governor throughout the decade. In fact, two states (Rhode Island and Connecticut) have only had Republican governors since the mid-1990s. Meanwhile, of the 13 most heavily Republican states in the 2008 presidential election (all won by Republican presidential candidates in 2000-2008), seven have Democratic governors, including the single most Republican state (Wyoming) and the third most Republican state (Oklahoma). Let's get into more detail. The 10 Most Democratic Presidential States - Five GOP Governors, including the Top Three Following are the ten most Democratic states in order of partisanship, with states' Democratic partisanship in presidential races (which represents the difference between the national popular vote results in 2008 and the results in that state) and what's been going on in gubernatorial elections. 1. Hawaii (69.5% Democratic): Republican governor first elected in 2002 even though a Republican presidential candidate hasn't won the state since the Reagan landslide in 1984 2. Vermont (64.5% D): Republican governor first elected in 2002 even though a Republican presidential candidate hasn't won the state since 1988. 3. Rhode Island ( 61.0% D): Republican governors since 1994 elections even though a Republican presidential candidate hasn't won the state since 1984. 4. New York (59.8% D): Democratic governor, but a Republican governor from 1995 to 2007 even though a Republican presidential candidate hasn't won the state since 1984. 5. Massachusetts (59.6% D): Democratic governor, but Republican governors from 1991 to 2007 even though last carried by a Republican presidential candidate in 1984. 6. Illinois (59.2%, D): Democratic governor, but Republican governors from 1977 to 2003 even though a Republican presidential candidate hasn't carried the state since 1988. 7. Delaware (58.9%, D): Democratic governors since 1993. Republican last won state in 1988, when Bush outpaced his national average in the state. 8. California (58.7%, D): A Republican governor, as has been the case in all but four years and ten months since 1983 even though a Republican presidential candidate hasn't carried the state since 1988. 9. Maryland (58.5%, D): A Democratic governor, but a Republican governor from 2003-2007. A Republican presidential candidate hasn't won Maryland since 1988. 10. Connecticut (57.7%, D): Only Republican governors since 1995 even though a Republican presidential candidate hasn't won the state since 1988. Seven Democratic Governors in the 13 Most Strongly Republican State s Here's a rundown of the 13 most Republican states in the 2008 presidential election and a review of their governors. 1. Wyoming (69.4% Republican): A Democratic governor since 2002 election even though a Democratic presidential candidate hasn't carried Wyoming since Lyndon Johnson's landslide in 1964. 2. Utah (68.8% R): Republican governors since 1984. A Democrat presidential candidate hasn't won Utah since 1964. 3. Oklahoma (67.5% R): A Democratic governor since 2002 election even though a Democratic presidential candidate hasn't carried the state since 1964. 4. Idaho (65.8% R): Republican governors since 1994 elections. A Democratic presidential candidate hasn't won Idaho since 1964. 5. Alaska (65.7% R): A Republican governor, but Democratic governor from 1995 to 2003 even though a Democratic presidential candidate hasn't won Alaska since 1964. 6. Alabama (63.9%, R): A Republican governor since 2002 elections, but previously a Democratic governor in a state not carried by a Democratic presidential candidate since 1960. 7. Arkansas (63.1%, R): A Democratic governor since 2006 elections in a state last won by a Democratic presidential candidate in 1996. 8. Louisiana (62.5%, R): Republican governor since 2007 elections, but previously a Democrat in a state last won by a Democratic presidential candidate in 1996. 9. Kentucky (61.3%, R): Democratic governor in a state that has changed parties twice this decade in a state last won by a Democratic presidential candidate in 1996. 10. Nebraska (61.2%, R): Republican governors since 1998 election in a state last carried by a Democratic presidential candidate in 1964. 11. Kansas (60.8%, R): Democratic governors since 2002 elections in a state last carried by a Democratic presidential candidate in 1964. 12. Tennessee (60.7%, R): Democratic governor since 2002 elections in a state last won by a Democratic presidential candidate in 1996. 13. West Virginia (60.0%, R): Democratic governors since 2000 election in a state last carried by a Democratic presidential candidate in 1996. Governor's Races in 2001-2003: Big Changes, Yet No Correlation to 2000 and 2004 Presidential Elections At the federal level in 2002, Republicans had a strong mid-term, picking up several U.S. Senate and House seats. But governor's races were all over the map, with far more than half of gubernatorial elections in 2001-2003 -- 25 in all - resulting in a shift in partisan control. But of those partisan shifts, only 12 went to a candidate of the same party as the presidential candidate who carried the state in 2000. Flipping a coin would be a better method prediction. And while the major parties may huff and puff about the 2009 races for governor in Virginia and New Jersey and what it might mean for the 2010 congressional elections and 2012 presidential elections, they certainly didn't predict much in 2001, when gains for Democrats in those states had no bearing on which party did better nationally in 2002 and 2004. Presidential elections matter in making predictions. But that consistency is generally confined to the federal level. Our top political reporters should know better. | |
| James Warren: This Week in Magazines: The "Capitalist Tool" Says Angelina Tops Oprah | Top |
| It's been a tough week for Oprah. First a terrific Newsweek cover underscored her penchant to legitimize wacky medical claims on her show. Now June 22 Forbes dethrones her as the "most powerful celebrity." After a two-year reign, she slips to second, behind Angelina Jolie, despite estimated earnings of $275 million. This less-than-empirical analysis by the self-proclaimed "capitalist tool" of business magazines combines the elements of earnings and fame, with the latter of relevance to Jolie since she's a comparative piker on the income side, having supposedly taken in a mere $27 million. Ana Ivanovic is No. 90, which is notable since, if you know of her, you're watching too much ESPN and had best get a life (she's one of many interchangeable female Eastern European tennis players who've helped make the women's game an arguably snooze). Perhaps Forbes should include a separate list next year for our society's favorite new species, the reality show celebrity. They seem to be ascending the tabloid pantheon, outpacing those of any seeming achievement. Forbes also includes " The Extremely Male Brain ," a look at debate over the rise in autism diagnoses and theories as to why boys are more impacted. Along the way, this takes a whack at the theory linking autism to vaccinations for measles, mumps and rubella; come to think of it, a theory Oprah's audience associates with Oprah chum Jenny McCarthy, a proselytizer on such an alleged connection. This focuses on work by Britain's Simon Baron-Cohen (cousin of "Borat" star Sacha Baron Cohen), a professor of developmental psychopathology at Cambridge University, who ultimately says one can't look at any single factor as a cause right now. But he does posit the notion of "assortative mating," suggesting that strong systemizers (like computer engineers) are hooking up with one another more often. His autism research center previously concluded that fathers of autistic children seem to be disproportionately represented in certain fields, like engineering. In addition, he contends that the autistic brain "is basically an extreme version of the male brain," noting that those with autism tend to be better at actions for which men show more aptitude than women. It's a theory touching the politically incorrect area of whether there are indeed sex differences in the brain; the subject area whose mention essentially brought down Lawrence Summers, now President Obama's top economic aide, as Harvard president. ---Well, it appears that comedian Stephen Colbert, guest editor for the June 15 issue of the new and supposedly more analytical Newsweek , at least glanced at June 15 Time 's cover, " How Twitter Will Change the Way We Live ." His " Why I Took This Crummy Job " letter to Newsweek readers drolly informs that his (and the magazine's generally serious and able) focus on Iraq "meant cutting the cover story they had planned: "Hey, Have You Heard About This Thing Called 'Twitter?' " A mild ouch, if you're Time , given intimation that you're a tad late to proclaiming cultural change (even as Newsweek strains to look au courant by embracing the late-night comic, in the process maybe leaving a few wondering if its latest reinvention is admirably eclectic and complex or confused and disjointed). Regardless, Time makes a case that our lives will be altered, as tech entrepreneur-author Steven Johnson heralds Twitter's melding of social networks, live search and link-sharing. Ultimately, this isn't all that convincing even as Johnson finds that Twitter's mere existence bespeaks an impressive economic-creative resilience amid the current recession as "the engineers at Twitter headquarters are scrambling to keep the servers up, application developers are releasing their latest, builds, and ordinary users are figuring out all the ingenious ways to put these tools to us....Here we are, millions of us, sitting around trying to invent new ways to talk to one another." ---June 1 Modern Healthcare checks out " Land of Opportunity ," namely the hefty stimulus funds going to the Indian Health Service, with $227 million allocated for health facilities construction in just two states, Alaska and South Dakota. This has prompted a vigorous debate not just as to whether that allocation represents a boondoggle but whether the government's system of prioritizing Indian construction projects is "riddled with flaws and equity issues," as one critic here suggests. Is it based on a moth-eaten model of building big hospitals when smaller, ambulatory-care facilities are the increasing way to go? It may well be, but one also senses that the HIS deserves the budget hikes its getting, even if its disbursement strategy is debatable. ---June 8 Sports Illustrated 's " I Want My Body Back " inspects that unfortunate species of big, fat college football lineman who awake one day and realize their college career is over and there's no way they'll play in the pros. With most schools' athletic programs not employing nutritionists, many players end the grind of working out and just balloon in weight, winding up with serious health issues. This profiles two recent Oregon linemen who got smart and quickly cut down dramatically, but relies on admittedly anecdotal evidence to suggest they're the exceptions proving a rule in which overweight ex-football players are far more likely to die earlier than slimmer teammates. ---June 15 The Nation juxtaposes what it deems positive and negative developments in the organized labor movement. First it finds positive ramifications of protests by workers at a suburban Chicago Hart Schaffner & Marx factor amid anxiety that Wells Fargo, the prime creditor of the bankrupt parent company, may force the clothier into liquidation. But it then again bemoans a rancorous internal dispute at UNITE HERE, created by the 2004 merger of textile and garment workers with the major restaurant and hotel workers union. It's a dispute also spotlighted in June 15 Business Week 's " No Solidarity for Labor ," which in part underscores frictions over congressional legislative strategy between two of the movement's brightest lights, Andrew Stern and John Wilhelm. The Nation contends that the Chicago protests, in which workers insist that Wells Fargo (a federal stimulus beneficiary) " balance social needs with financial imperatives ," may suggest "an opening for the social vision the garment unions" once symbolized. We'll see. ---June 5 The Week gives its "Briefing" page to the rise of cyberwarfare , with U.S. officials tending to blame Russians and Chinese for the increase and one Chinese academic here asserting that we steal the most secrets. This concedes that "computer scientists at the Pentagon and U.S. intelligence agencies developed some of the most advanced cyberwar technologies, including sensors that eavesdrop on computer keystrokes and viruses that use a computer's own camera and microphone to bug the user." ---July Bon Appetit 's barbecue issue is fat with advice and includes " Seoul Food ," a trek to a barbecue heaven, South Korea. As a firm believer that the best ribs in Chicago are found at a Korean-owned joint called Fat Willy's Rib Shack, I was drawn to this journey in the land of open-fire cooking, even if the Koreans get a bit too holistic and make claims for their cooking balancing and nourishing the body and soul (if only the food could satisfy their North Korean neighbors' craving for weapons). Check the recipe for Korean beef barbecue with toasted sesame salt, as well as those for other dishes (field greens, shrimp and green onion cakes, and white kimchi) we wouldn't normally associate with barbecue. ----Volume 65 of American Imago , a leading journal on psychoanalysis, has this week's journey to the obscure via "Ginsberg in Hospital," a look at the June 1949 psychiatric hospitalization in New York City of poet Allen Ginsberg, then 23. He wound up there as a result of a plea bargain in a case in which he was charged with riding in a car with stolen goods. Here, psychoanalyst Janet Hadda, having been allowed access to those hospital records by Ginsberg's estate, writes that, Traditionally, scholars have held that this hospitalization was, at best, a hiatus in Ginsberg's creativity and, at worst, led to an attempt by the doctors there to squelch his genius and suppress his homosexuality. Using unpublished hospital records, the present article argues that Ginsberg's time as a patient, while brief and unheralded, allowed him a safe and protected environment in which to experience the chaos that had always shadowed his existence. This period in Ginsberg's life, far from harming him, allowed him to decompensate, recover, and become the poet of 'Howl,'" his influential 1956 collection. She concludes: In the end, Ginsberg's poetry itself is testimony to his freedom. If 'Howl,' 'Kaddish,' and other works sometimes describe forms of mental illness--paranoia, hallucination, obsession, mania, and the like--the poet himself remained lucid and self-aware. Perhaps he was able to venture further than most people into an uncontrolled realm because he had lost his psychological integrity and suffered what others are terrified to experience. But then, unlike [his schizophrenic mother] Naomi, he returned to sanity and he knew that he was safe. What he most dreaded had already happened, and he could proceed--in his life and in his art--with enviable guts and brio. More on Twitter | |
| New Orleans Mayor Quarantined In China: Ray Nagin And His Wife Were On Plane With Passenger Showing Flu-Like Symptoms | Top |
| NEW ORLEANS — New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin and his wife have been quarantined in China after a passenger on their flight exhibited flu-like symptoms. Nagin's office said Sunday the couple and a security guard were quarantined in Shanghai as a precaution and were exhibiting no swine flu symptoms. There was no word on what flight it was, how many people were aboard or exactly where they're quarantined. His office says a passenger had "signs and symptoms of an influenza-like illness suspected to be of the H1N1 subtype." Spokeswoman Ceeon Quiett says people sitting near that passenger were quarantined. Nagin left Friday for an economic development trip. He was to travel next to Australia, where he'd planned to speak on climate change and sustainable building. More on Swine Flu | |
| Shannyn Moore: VIDEO: Palin's "Lifted" Speech | Top |
| Part One & Two: Geoffry Dunn's take on Palin's " lifted speech ." Mudflats take on attending and transcript Shannyn Moore's take on attending . More on Sarah Palin | |
| 'Up' And 'Hangover' Have Big Weekends, Ferrell Tanks | Top |
| LOS ANGELES — Two live-action comedies were unable to bring down the animated adventure "Up." Disney and Pixar Animation's "Up" reeled in $44.2 million to remain on top of the box office for the second weekend in a row, according to studio estimates Sunday. The Warner Bros. bachelor-bash comedy "The Hangover" came in a close second with a $43.3 million debut. Will Ferrell's action comedy for Universal, "Land of the Lost," had to settle for a distant third with a $19.5 million opening. "Up" was the first movie of Hollywood's busy summer season to take the No. 1 spot for two straight weekends. But overall revenues fell for the second weekend in a row, putting the brakes on what has been shaping up as a record revenue year for the movie business. The top 12 movies took in $164 million, down 6 percent from the same weekend last year, when "Kung Fu Panda" opened on top with $60.2 million, according to box-office figures compiled by Hollywood.com. For the year, Hollywood has taken in $4.3 billion, up 12.5 percent from 2008 revenues. But studios have been unable to maintain the red-hot pace of the year's first four months. "Definitely, things have slowed," said Paul Dergarabedian, box-office analyst for Hollywood.com. "But there are some potential saviors on the horizon." Three big sequels _ "Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen," "Ice Age: Dawn of the Dinosaurs" and "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" _ open within three weeks of one another starting June 24. With $137.3 million in the bank after just 10 days, "Up" is streaking toward the $200 million mark achieved by such previous Pixar hits as "WALL-E," "Ratatouille," "Cars" and "Toy Story 2." Revenues for most big movies typically drop 50 percent or more in the second weekend, but the audience for "Up" was down only 35 percent from its opening. That puts it in line with "Finding Nemo," the top-grossing Disney-Pixar animated tale, said Chuck Viane, head of distribution for Disney. "Up" likely will finish in the top three among Pixar flicks, Viane said. Leading the Pixar slate now are "Finding Nemo" with $339.7 million, "The Incredibles" with $261.4 million and "Monsters, Inc." with $255.8 million. "The Hangover" features Bradley Cooper, Ed Helms and Zach Galifianakis as pals on a wild Las Vegas bachelor party, during which they misplace the groom (Justin Bartha) and run into all manner of misadventures. Warner Bros. had expected "The Hangover" to finish at No. 3 behind "Up" and "Land of the Lost." But the movie found a broad audience split almost evenly between men and women and those over and under 25, said Dan Fellman, Warner head of distribution. "Sunday's always good for a hangover," Fellman said. "The Hangover" was directed by Todd Phillips, whose 2003 comedy "Old School" featured a breakout role for Ferrell. Yet Ferrell had one of his weaker openings with "Land of the Lost," inspired by the 1970s children's TV show about adventurers hurled back to an age of dinosaurs. Ferrell's new twist generally was trashed by critics as a crude update. Sony's "Angels & Demons" took in $6.5 million domestically and $22.3 million overseas to hit $409 million overall, the first 2009 release to cross the $400 million mark worldwide. In narrower release, Fox Searchlight's romantic comedy "My Life in Ruins" had a so-so debut of $3.2 million, coming in at No. 9. The movie stars Nia Vardalos ("My Big Fat Greek Wedding") as a discontented tour guide in Greece who unexpectedly finds love. Focus Features' road-trip romp "Away We Go" had a strong opening in limited release, pulling in $143,260 in four theaters for a healthy average of $35,815 a cinema. That compares to an average of $11,588 in 3,818 theaters for "Up," $13,238 in 3,269 cinemas for "The Hangover," $5,545 in 3,521 locations for "Land of the Lost" and $2,771 in 1,164 theaters for "My Life in Ruins." "Away We Go," starring John Krasinski and Maya Rudolph as a couple searching out the best place in North America to raise a family, was directed by Sam Mendes ("American Beauty"). The film expands to more theaters Friday. Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Hollywood.com. Final figures will be released Monday. 1. "Up," $44.2 million. 2. "The Hangover," $43.3 million. 3. "Land of the Lost," $19.5 million. 4. "Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian," $14.7 million. 5. "Star Trek," $8.4 million. 6. "Terminator Salvation," $8.2 million. 7. "Drag Me to Hell," $7.3 million. 8. "Angels & Demons," $6.5 million. 9. "My Life in Ruins," $3.2 million. 10. "Dance Flick," $2 million. ___ On the Net: http://www.hollywood.com/boxoffice ___ Universal Pictures and Focus Features are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.; Sony Pictures, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; Paramount and Paramount Vantage are divisions of Viacom Inc.; Disney's parent is The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is a division of The Walt Disney Co.; 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox Atomic are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros. and New Line are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a consortium of Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp., Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group; Lionsgate is owned by Lions Gate Entertainment Corp.; IFC Films is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp.; Rogue Pictures is owned by Relativity Media LLC; Overture Films is a subsidiary of Liberty Media Corp. More on Will Ferrell | |
| Byron Williams: A Prisoner of Hope for 50 years and Still Going! | Top |
| Jack O'Dell is truly one of the unsung heroes of the Civil Rights Movement and, thus, one of America's unsung heroes. In a career spanning more than 50 years, he organized labor unions, wrote the first anti-Vietnam War editorial in a black periodical, and played critical roles in numerous civil rights campaigns, including Birmingham, Ala. He also served as the director of voter registration for the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (SCLC) until he was forced to resign because of communist ties in 1963. I recently spoke with O'Dell from his home in Vancouver, British Columbia. At 86, he still possesses the same erudition that assisted Martin Luther King plan the Birmingham campaign in late 1962. Birmingham, made famous by the photos of police dogs and high-powered fire hoses, became the lasting symbol of segregation, revealing globally the incongruence between the democratic values America espouse and its praxis. The movement, having been stung by the public perception of failure in its previous campaign to desegregate Albany, Ga., planned to move toward Birmingham with the knowledge that it needed a victory to sustain its efforts. But O'Dell takes issue with the perception that Albany was a failure. He argues that Albany was part of a systematic strategy that would lead into Birmingham and to the March on Washington in August 1963. For O'Dell, classifying Albany as a defeat is a superficial assessment that is often made by those evaluating movements in which they are not actively involved. The lessons of Albany would be the fuel for Birmingham. Recounting the meetings that led to the Birmingham campaign, O'Dell spoke glowingly of King's leadership style. "Many leaders aren't good listeners because they have already made up their minds," he said. "But Dr. King wasn't that type of leader -- he was a good listener." The result of the meeting was detailed strategy known as Project C (for confrontation), calling for a combination of targeted sit-ins, economic boycotts of the downtown business section with larger protests; and massive demonstrations designed to give attention to the boycotts as well as fill the jails. Finally, the plan would call on those outside of Birmingham to descend on the city, increasing the attention on the boycotts by overcrowding the jails. King needed assurances from O'Dell that there was a plan in place to ensure the necessary resources were available to carry out the strategy. The movement could ill-afford to fill Birmingham's jail, but be unable to make bail. After O'Dell convinced King that an effective direct-mail fundraising campaign was in place, Project C commenced on April 3, 1963. Project C would prove that the hatred of police dogs and fire hoses was no match for the commitment to the ideals that the nation was founded upon. But O'Dell, who had been a valuable member of the SCLC team, would later that year become a source of controversy. In 1963 communism was the fear du jour. FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover hardly sympathetic to the movement's cause, labeled O'Dell and fellow SCLC member Stanley Levison, as dangerous communist operatives. Neither Levison nor O'Dell made their affiliation with the Communist Party a secret; and they were hardly dangerous as Hoover alleged. Moreover, their affiliation with the Communist Party had broken no U.S. laws. Unfortunately, the price the Kennedy administration would demand from King for supporting civil rights legislation would be the removal of O'Dell from his SCLC position. It was a cruel irony of history in that a group of citizens put the elasticity of Jeffersonian democracy to the test, and the only way the federal government would support their noble cause would be to dictate who could openly participate in their movement. What ultimately happened to O'Dell remains with us today. The Cold War fears of communism have been replaced by 21st century fears of terrorism. Each day we bear witness to the paralyzing impact fear has on our democracy. But O'Dell is not bitter; he remains the same prisoner of hope today that he was in 1963, which ultimately led to the nation moving closer to its own democratic values. For those who wish to listen to my interview with O'Dell, you can find it at: www.blogtalkradio.com/Byronspeakscom/2009/05/29/Birmingham-1963. Byron Williams is an Oakland pastor and syndicated columnist and blog-talk radio host. He is the author of Strip Mall Patriotism: Moral Reflections of the Iraq War. E-mail him at byron@byronspeaks.com or visit his website: byronspeaks.com | |
| Bruce Wilson: VIDEO: Christian Martyr Movement Head Blesses Huckabee & Gingrich | Top |
| On Friday, June 5, 2009, at an event featuring aspiring politicians Mike Huckabee and Newt Gingrich that was broadcast over the global media networks of GodTV, a rising leader in the rapidly reconfiguring Christian right who has publicly called for acts of Christian martyrdom prayed over and blessed Huckabee and Gingrich: TheCall founder Lou Engle. The June 5, 2009, Rock Church event has received some media notice but coverage -which has noted Newt Gingrich declared Americans are "surrounded by paganism" , and that he and Mike Huckabee made stump speeches calling for Christian conservatives to become more involved in electoral politics- has almost wholly missed the significance. Leaders on the Christian right have been giving such speeches for decades, but the two-day Rock Church conference was not business as usual. Rather, it showcased the rapid reconfiguration of the Christian right around the rising, highly militant but poorly understood charismatic wing of the new Christian right, a movement which includes both Ted Haggard and Sarah Palin .) One point of the spear for the new Christian right is an intense, raspy-voiced man who presided over the June 5, 2009 Rock Church event, layed hands on Mike Huckabee, and pledged the commitment of his prayer warriors to Huckabee and Gingrich was Lou Engle, founder of TheCall - which played a significant role in the push to pass the anti-gay marriage Proposition Eight in the lead up to the November 4, 2008 presidential election. Only days before Huckabee and Gingrich received Lou Engle's endorsement at Rock Church, on Sunday May 31, 2009, late-term abortion doctor George Tiller was gunned down in the lobby of his Wichita, Kansas church. The next morning CBS's Jeff Glor reported, "We did speak with the accused shooters' ex-wife yesterday. She said she was not surprised this happened and that she believed Roeder wanted to be a martyr for the cause." The November 1, 2008 TheCall San Diego event was the capstone event for the pro-Proposition Eight, anti-gay marriage push in California prior to the November 4, 2008 presidential election. Towards the end of the event, which attracted an estimated 30,000 attendees to San Diego's Qualcomm Stadium despite sweltering heat, TheCall founder Lou Engle, and his disciple Eddie Brown, as captured in footage taken at TheCall San Diego by documentary film-maker Michael W. Wilson made calls, from onstage before thousands of impassioned followers, for acts of Christian martyrdom. Engle has in the recent past declared that decades of legalized abortion since Roe v. Wade have incurred a blood debt which demands to be paid in blood. [ more on Gingrich, Huckabee and Engle ] | |
| 2009 French Open Winner: Roger Federer Beats Soderling To Tie Sampras' Record | Top |
| PARIS — Oh, how Roger Federer savored every moment with his first French Open trophy. He raised it overhead. He cradled it in the crook of his elbow. He closed his eyes and kissed it. He examined the names of other champions etched on its base. Even in a downpour on Court Philippe Chatrier, as heavy, gray clouds blocked any shred of sunlight Sunday, that silver trophy sure seemed to glisten. Finally, the lone major championship that had eluded Federer was his. With his latest masterful performance, Federer tied Pete Sampras' record of 14 major singles titles and became the sixth man to complete a career Grand Slam. History was at stake, and Federer was at his best, completely outplaying No. 23-seeded Robin Soderling of Sweden en route to a 6-1, 7-6 (1), 6-4 victory in a French Open final that lacked suspense but not significance. "Maybe my greatest victory _ or certainly the one that takes the most pressure off my shoulders," Federer said in French, moments after dropping to his knees, caking them with clay, as his 127 mph service winner ended the match. "I think that now, and until the end of my career, I can really play with my mind at peace and no longer hear that I've never won at Roland Garros." Federer came heartbreakingly close in the past, losing the previous three French Open finals, so there certainly was something poetic about his tying Sampras' Grand Slam mark at this particular tournament, on this particular court. "Now that he's won in Paris, I think it just more solidifies his place in history as the greatest player that played the game," Sampras told The Associated Press. "If there's anyone that deserves it, it's Roger," Sampras said. "He's come so close _ lost to one guy who's going to go down as probably the greatest clay-courter of all time." That would be Rafael Nadal, the man who beat Federer at Roland Garros in the 2006-08 finals and the 2005 semifinals, too. But Nadal's 31-match French Open winning streak ended this year with a fourth-round loss to the hard-hitting Soderling. "I knew the day Rafa won't be in the finals, I will be there, and I will win. I always knew that, and I believed in it. That's exactly what happened," the second-seeded Federer said. "It's funny. I didn't hope for it. But I believed in it." Only 7-13 against Nadal, Federer entered Sunday 9-0 against Soderling and, other than the threat of postponement because of rain, there was never any doubt that would become 10-0 by day's end. That's because Federer showed off the athleticism and artistry that carried him to five championships at Wimbledon, the last five at the U.S. Open and three at the Australian Open. Federer hit more aces than Soderling, 16-2. He broke Soderling four times. He won 40 of the first 47 points on his serve. He won five points with delicate drop shots. Federer was outstanding at the start, taking a 4-0 lead, and close to perfect in the tiebreaker. That was Soderling's chance to get into the match, but Federer wouldn't allow it: The Swiss star served four points _ and all four were aces, ranging from 118 mph to 132 mph. Federer called it "one of the greatest tiebreakers in my career." Soderling never really stood a chance, not against Federer, not on this day, not on this stage. "You really gave me a lesson in how to play tennis," Soderling told Federer. This was Federer's 19th Grand Slam final, equaling Ivan Lendl's record, and Soderling's first. Soderling not only shocked Nadal _ and the entire tennis world _ but also beat No. 10 Nikolay Davydenko, No. 12 Fernando Gonzalez and No. 14 David Ferrer. "Every time I played Roger, after the match, I always said, 'I played so bad today.' Now I learned that it's not that I played bad," Soderling said. "He makes me play bad." For only two moments was Federer the least bit shaken: As the last few points were played _ victory tantalizingly close _ and during a bizarre and worrisome episode when a man jumped over the photographer's pit and ran on the court. It happened after the first point at 2-1 in the second set, and the intruder went right up to Federer and tried to put a red hat on him. Federer brushed the man aside before security guards even got close enough to intervene. After hopping the net, the man was tackled and jailed for questioning. "A touch scary," Federer said, lamenting he didn't ask for a chance to gather himself. "It definitely felt uncomfortable once he came close to me. Looking back, it definitely threw me out of my rhythm a little bit." Federer looked up at his pregnant wife, Mirka, and adjusted his headband, but soon was playing again. He lost that game at love, then quickly settled back into a groove. Until, that is, the countdown to a championship had gone from matches to sets to games to points. Waiting in his changeover chair at 5-4 in the third set, Federer shook his legs to stay loose and took a few sips of water, then wiped his face with a towel. Stepping back on court to try to serve out the match, he was churning inside. "You can imagine how difficult that game was," Federer said. "It was almost unplayable for me." He put a forehand into the net. He sailed a backhand long. He shanked a swinging forehand volley 3 feet beyond the baseline to give Soderling a break point. "My mind was always wondering, 'What if? What if I win this tournament?'" Federer said. He gathered himself, of course, and won the next three points _ the last three points of a tournament that meant so much to Federer. For the next 40 minutes, he stayed on that court, relishing it instead of dreading it. Federer accepted the trophy from Andre Agassi, whose 1999 French Open title made him the last man with a full set of Grand Slam trophies. "I'm so happy for you, man," Agassi told Federer. Later, Agassi said: "Roger has earned his place, his rightful place, in the game, and winning here was just something that would have been a bit of a crime if he never did." Federer won three major titles each in 2004, 2006 and 2007, but 2008 was a struggle by his _ and only his _ lofty standards. Slowed by mononucleosis, he lost in last year's Australian Open semifinals _ the only one of the past 16 Grand Slam tournaments at which Federer didn't reach the final. He absorbed the most lopsided Grand Slam loss of his career in the 2008 French Open final against Nadal, then lost to Nadal again in the Wimbledon final, 9-7 in the fifth set. He also lost the No. 1 ranking to Nadal, before winning the U.S. Open in September. Then came another five-set setback against Nadal in this year's Australian Open final, and Federer's anguish was there for the world to see when he wept during the postmatch ceremony. Four months later, on Sunday, Federer cried on court again. When the Swiss national anthem played for the first time after a French Open men's final, tears rolled down Federer's cheeks, that silver trophy nestled in his arms. More on Sports | |
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