Senate Leader Harry Reid Confesses It Was Obama's Light Skin And "Non-Negro" Dialect That Won Him Over!

Dirty Harry Gets Put On Blast

Embattled Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid of Nevada apologized today for making stupid, idiotic remarks about Barack Obama during the presidential campaign. And you thought only Republicans say ignorant things.

Journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann reported the disparaging remarks in their new book "Game Change," which is scheduled to be in bookstores Tuesday.

The authors quote Reid as saying privately that Obama, as a black candidate, could be successful thanks, in part, to his "light-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

"He [Reid] was wowed by Obama's oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama -- a 'light-skinned' African American 'with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,' " Halperin and Heilemann say.

"Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination," they write.

In a statement to CNN, Reid said, "I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words."

"I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments.

"I was a proud and enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama during the campaign and have worked as hard as I can to advance President Obama's legislative agenda," the senator from Nevada said.

Reid pointed to his efforts to integrate the Las Vegas Strip and the gaming industry, among other legislation favored by African-American voters.

"I have worked hard to advance issues important to the African American community."

Reid, who waited to formally endorse Obama until after the tough presidential primary battle ended in 2008, is facing an uphill re-election fight this year in his home state.

Source

Looks Like Congressman Harold Ford Jr. Is Determined To Be A U.S. Senator, Even If He Has To Represent New York

Black Pol From Southern Red State Exploring Options

Talk about an "Empire State of Mind." First it was the Sex And The City sequel movie trailer. Now, after losing a race for the U.S. Senate in Tennessee, Harold Ford Jr. is eyeing a similar race in New York.

Ford, an African-American Blue Dog Democrat with a family deeply rooted in Tennessee politics, lost a hard-fought campaign to Bob Corker in 2006. Now, he's considering running against incumbent Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand in this fall’s Democratic primary.

Having moved to New York only three years ago, the 39-year-old former House member has told friends that he will decide in the next 45 days whether to run, the NY Times is reporting.

Ford is being encouraged by a group of very influential New York Democrats (as well as Republican New York City Mayor Michael Bloomberg) who are dissatisfied with Gillibrand. Governor David Patterson appointed Gillibrand last year to fill the seat vacated by Hillary Clinton when she became Secretary of State.

Ford’s namesake, Harold Ford Sr., represented the 9th Congressional District for 22 years. Fresh out of law school, Ford Jr. was then elected to the same seat, serving from 1997 to 2007 before bowing out to run for the Senate. Despite the Ford family having its share of scandals and controversies, they remain very much beloved by the African American community -- particularly in Memphis.

The Senate race against Corker was particularly testy, with both campaigns battling to the end. Corker won by 49,935 votes in a race in which more than 1.8 million were cast.

Since that loss, Ford has taken a job as a vice chairman of Merrill Lynch; served as a television commentator; served as chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, a Democratic think tank; and, in 2008, married Emily Threlkeld, a public relations specialist.

Rep. Steve Cohen, who holds Ford’s old seat, said anyone with Memphis roots who gets elected to Congress can benefit the city.

“I wish him nothing but the best,” said Cohen, who has tangled with members of the Ford family over the years. “I think it’d be great if he was successful. He knows Memphis, loves Memphis. As a senator from New York who had Memphis ties, it’d be good for Memphis.”

According to the Times, Gillibrand has already raised at least $5.5 million, and will likely raise tens of millions more.

Ford raised about $20million during his last run, one-quarter of which came from New York, the Times reported.

“Senator Gillibrand is a voracious fundraiser. That’s something she’s well known for,” Cohen said. “She’s raised a lot of money and she’s got a lot of the establishment on her side. She’ll be a formidable opponent and a difficult opponent to beat.”

Cohen said Ford’s chances are aided by New Yorkers’ history of electing political outsiders to represent the state.

“New York has welcomed Robert Kennedy, who had limited contacts with (the state), Hillary Clinton and others over the years,” he said. “It’s kind of a melting-pot state. I think it’s up to the people of New York.”

The House Set to Apologize to African Americans

By Jayar Jackson

The U.S House of Representatives is poised Tuesday to pass a resolution apologizing to Black Americans for slavery and the era of Jim Crow laws. Rep. Steve Cohen, who represents a prominently Black district in Memphis, has introduced the bill.

Once the resolution passes, as expected, the House will also acknowledge the injustice, cruelty, brutality, and inhumanity of slavery and Jim Crow laws that segregated Blacks from Whites, providing an unequal life for Black Americans.

Although this is the first time a branch of the federal government will apologize for slavery, I’ve always wondered what the reasons behind these types of resolutions are. Considering the fact that the U.S. doesn’t foolishly deny these heinous acts took place in its past, one can only assume Rep. Cohen is attempting to show his constituents that he understands the severity and repercussions these institutions have had on today’s society.

This resolution is the House of Representatives’ formal agreement with many Americans that have a guilty conscience for what their ancestors did to Black Americans. In my opinion, this resolution is not necessary; no one is rejecting the idea that slavery happened, no one in today’s Congress has been saying that Jim Crow Laws created this false utopia of “separate but equal.”

Some White Americans feel that Black Americans want them to “feel guilty” for what occurred, so a quick, “I’m sorry your ancestors, grandparents, and parents went through such horrible experiences in their own country” isn’t necessary. How can someone apologize for something they didn’t personally do?

I don’t want you to feel sorry for me or my parents. I don’t want you to simply hear my frustrations and hope everything is better now. Discussing race is so taboo in this country, we just want to get it over with, apologize for reasons unknown to us, and get out of the uncomfortable conversation. Listening, internalizing, and actually understanding what was wrong with this country will provide many with the mindset to change the way they think about other races and therefore change the way we still treat each other.

Comparatively, Congress’ simple apology for the past isn’t going to be what continues to move this country forward, either. Learning from the country’s past and the mistakes we made is what is necessary to continue to fight against future instances of human rights violations, a commitment Cohen included. If we label human rights violations as something this country can only do to Black Americans, quickly apologize for it, and then forget about it, we’ll easily overlook the fact that we can violate the rights of Muslims, Middle Easterners, and gay Americans.

The resolution blatantly states, “African-Americans continue to suffer from the consequences of slavery and Jim Crow -- long after both systems were formally abolished -- through enormous damage and loss, both tangible and intangible, including the loss of human dignity and liberty, the frustration of careers and professional lives, and the long-term loss of income and opportunity.” My Bad!!

Obama Not The Only Rising Star, Congrats' To Donna Edwards, Maryland's First Black Woman Elected To Congress

Yes, let breathe and take a break before the coronation of King Barack Obama and let's pay a little tribute to other African Americans breaking down barriers.

Lawyer and nonprofit executive Donna Edwards won a special election Tuesday for Maryland’s 4th Congressional District, becoming the state’s first black woman to be elected to Congress. Edwards, a Democrat, beat...

Republican Peter James in the race to serve the remainder of former Congressman Albert Wynn’s term. Wynn left office on May 31 to take a lobbying job in the capital after losing to Edwards in the February Democratic primary by 22 percentage points.

Edwards, 49, will hold the seat for the rest of the year. James also won his party’s primary in February, meaning he and Edwards will face each other again in November’s general election to determine who will serve when the next Congress begins in early 2009.

Black California Congresswoman Laura Richardson Fights Bad Press Over Home Foreclosure Debacle

(2007 photo of Richardson running for Congress, courtesy 3BAAS)

Biracial California Rep. Laura Richardson, who recently replaced deceased Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald, claimed Friday that her Sacramento home she purchased after winning a seat in the California Assembly was sold into foreclosure without her knowledge and contrary to an agreement with her lender.

Richardson said she is like any other American suffering in the mortgage crisis and wants to testify to Congress about her experience as lawmakers craft a foreclosure-prevention bill.

In a lengthy interview Friday night with The Associated Press, the Southern California Democrat struck back against several days of negative publicity over reports she defaulted on her mortgage, allowing the house to be sold at auction.

Richardson, someone I've known for over 10 years who has always tried to do the right thing since first winning a contentious seat on the Long Beach City Council, acknowledged turmoil in her life in the months after Millender-McDonald's death in April opened up her Los Angeles - area House seat.

Richardson used her money to finance her campaign and fell behind in mortgage payments. But now, Richardson said, she has renegotiated her loan and promised to fully pay it off, along with $9,000 in delinquent property taxes.

She insisted she's not getting special terms because she's a congresswoman.

"I'm Laura Richardson. I'm an American, I'm a single woman who had four employment changes in less than four months," Richardson said. "I had to figure out just like every other American how I could restructure the obligations that I had with the income I had."

Richardson bought the 1,600-square-foot home in Sacramento's desirable Curtis Park neighborhood for $535,500 in January 2007. It was sold at auction earlier this month to a Sacramento mortgage lender who paid $388,000, according to the Sacramento County Recorder's Office.

A default notice sent to Richardson in March put her unpaid balance at $578,384.

Richardson provided the AP with an April letter, which appears to be from Washington Mutual Home Loans, telling her there was a hold on foreclosure sales on her property until June 4. She also provided an e-mail dated Thursday, which she said was from Washington Mutual, that appeared to acknowledge an agreement "to facilitate the recission of foreclosure sale" but gave no financial details.

A Washington Mutual spokeswoman, Sara Gaugl, told the AP earlier Friday that the company had "not received consent from Ms. Richardson that would allow us to discuss her loan situation." Washington Mutual did not respond to a later request for comment on Richardson's claims.

Not long after getting to Congress, Richardson voted in favor of a mortgage debt forgiveness bill which subsequently became law. She was absent earlier this month for votes on a foreclosure prevention bill, which she said was because of her father's funeral. The House is expected to bring the package back up in June once agreement is reached in the Senate.

Congressional ethics rules don't prevent lawmakers from voting on legislation that might affect them economically. Rather than shy away from voting on mortgage-related bills, Richardson said her experiences could help her craft legislation to make sure others don't experience what she did. For example, she sees a need to add steps to inform property owners before their property can be sold.

"We have to ensure that lenders and lendees have the tools with proper timing to resolve this," she said.

Indiana Black Congresswoman Julia Carson Succumbs To Lung Cancer

First African American And Woman Representing Indianapolis Dies at 69

Rising from childhood poverty and segregation, Julia Carson truly personafied the American dream. That dream was laid to rest Saturday after the five-term politico died after a courageous battle with lung cancer.

First elected to Congress in 1996, the lifelong Democrat championed children's issues, women's rights and efforts to reduce homelessness, and was a staunch opponent of the war in Iraq. "Julia Carson overcame much and accomplished much, and devoted her life to helping other people do the same,"

Carson opposed the war in Iraq and told hundreds of people at a rally in downtown Indianapolis just weeks before the 2003 invasion that it was an act of aggression only to protect U.S. oil interests. "Truly, it is all in the name of greed and truly in the name of war," she said. "We should have learned by the Vietnam War, but we did not."

Carson was born to a single mother who worked as a housekeeper. She began her political career in the 1960s when then-Rep. Andy Jacobs Jr. hired her to work in his office. Jacobs encouraged Carson to run for the Indiana Legislature in 1972 — the first of more than two dozen victories in local, legislative and congressional elections. She ran for Congress in 1996 after Jacobs retired.

"Throughout her decade of service in the U.S. House of Representatives and her nearly 20 years in the Indiana General Assembly, Representative Carson served her constituents in Indianapolis with passion and commitment," President Bush said in a statement.

During her years in Congress, Carson's highest-profile action came in 1999, when she pushed for the legislation granting the Congressional Gold Medal to Rosa Parks, the black woman who refused to give up her seat on a segregated city bus in Montgomery, Ala., and was arrested for her defiance.

Carson had persevered through major heart surgery and years of health problems before revealing her illness cancer last month, saying she would not seek election in 2008 to a seventh term.

Job done Congresswoman. You've been promoted! (AP)

Legitimately Kicked To The Curb Or Another Case Of White Cops Tripping: Chicago Area Congressman Danny Davis Claims He's Victim Of Driving While Black

It's Not Always The Case, But Sometimes It's Us Family!

"I hope that this was some kind of isolated instance, but I know in my heart of hearts, I know that it's not," said Chicago Congressman Danny Davis ((D-7th District). The African American House of Reps member claims he was driving three friends home early Monday morning when two White Chicago police officers pulled him over and said he had swerved over the center line before making a left turn. Now you know brother Davis let these White boys know he was big pimpin', so if anyone was going to be given the benefit of the doubt, it would be him.

Speaking of Black Congressmen, More Bribery Charges Alleged Against Louisiana's William "Dollar Bill" Jefferson

But you know how we is. Slammed with a $75 ticket and a date in traffic court on Dec. 28, the 66-year-old congressman with a few past missteps of his own ain't havin' it. "There was just no reason I could conjure up other than the fact that there were four black people in a car," he said. With traffic court matters only heard by a judge, Davis may just want to pay up, sit his butt in a 1 day traffic school class, and call it a day. That's not to say that 59 percent of African-Americans believing they've been racially profiled in traffic stops by police is not a legitimate beef. But in this case, maybe Davis should just get a slice of humble pie to go along with his turkey dinner. [Source]

TSA Gets a Failing Grade, So Travelers Need to Bus It for the Holidays

The holidays are here and this is a hell of a time to hear how unsafe airport security is. A Congressional Subcommittee just released a report on the TSA and how they are doing to protect the airways. The news isn’t good. Several major Airports were recently given a surprise test, where secret individuals carried on fake bombs and fake tickets and I.D. that had been tampered with. TSA officials flunked the surprise test at a rate of 60%; 75% here in Los Angeles!!!

And here’s the kicker, they were tipped off before-hand that the “surprise” test were coming. Yes that’s right, the surprise test wasn’t a surprise, because the central office of the TSA sent memos to all the airports detailing when the test were coming and how the “test individuals” would be trying to trip them up. TSA wanted to deny getting a “heads up” before the secret testing, but what could they say when the “Smoking Memo” detailing the tip off was entered into evidence during Capitol Hill subcommittee hearings.

So to recap; TSA took a test. They were given the answers and still only got 40% right on the test. What would they have scored if they had not been given the answers prior? Folks this is scary. And so the song you should be singing is, “There is nothing like keeping your butt, right where you are for the holidays.”

Let's go back to 1980 when air travel was much simpler and a lot funnier. This is the trailer to AIRPLANE the movie.

Folks Who Get It: California's First Black Congressman Augustus Hawkins Goes On To Higher Office

The Honorable Hawkins Lived To Be 100 Years Old!

California's first Black congressman Augustus Hawkins died Saturday at Suburban Hospital in Bethesda, Md., of symptoms related to old age. A life-long Democrat, the extremely fair-skinned icon from Louisiana represented South Los Angeles for more than half a century, first starting off in the state Legislature in 1935 and then getting elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in 1962.

Black politicians called Hawkins an inspiration and mentor. "It was Gus Hawkins who gave us the credibility," said Rep. Diane Watson, D-Los Angeles. "It was Gus Hawkins who gave us the ideas. . . . He has left a sterling legacy." Rep. Maxine Waters, D-Los Angeles, who holds Hawkins' former seat, said in a statement that he was "the author of some of the most significant legislation ever passed in the House . . . particularly in the areas of education and labor. He cared about poor and working people."

Hawkins sponsored the equal employment section of the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act that created the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission. He helped create the Congressional Black Caucus in 1971. Hawkins also co-wrote the Humphrey-Hawkins Act of 1978 that was designed to reduce unemployment and inflation.

Hawkins retired in 1990 and lived in the Washington, D.C., area. He was director of the Hawkins Family Memorial Foundation of Educational Research and Development, which he founded in 1969 to give college scholarships to young women in his district.

Hawkins' first wife, Pegga Adeline Smith, a concert singer, died in 1966. His second wife, Elsie, whom he married in 1977, died two months ago.

You've been promoted Congressman. Job well done!

THE JENA SIX NOOSE: CONGRESS AND SHARPTON TRY ON THE NEW FASHION STATEMENT

Civil rights activist Al Sharpton says Congress should expand hate crime laws to deal more forcefully with noose-hanging incidents like the one in the Jena Six case in order to squelch what he called a sharp rise in racism.

If Sharpton sees nooses as a symbol of racism, others obviously don't agree. Why else would we see nooses; hanging from trees, hanging around the necks of entertainers, in gym bags, and as jewelry? Has America now come to accept nooses just like tattoos, ipods and leather leggings (see article below), as a "throw back", "in vogue" and a part of the American landscape.

(Katt Williams: Purple suit and a noose???)

Today, Tuesday,the Reverend Al Sharpton, will testify before the House Judiciary Committee about the case of six black teenagers in the small Louisiana town of Jena charged with the beating of a white student. The incident happened after nooses were hung from a tree on a high school campus there — a symbol of the violence of the segregation era. But for sure today's pow-pow with Congress, will center on the "fashion must-have" of the year ... nooses.

Since the Jena case began attracting national attention, there have been a number of other nooses found in high-profile incidents around the country — in a black Coast Guard cadet's bag, on a Maryland college campus, and, last week, on the office door of a black professor at Columbia University in New York.
"Nooses, the 'n' word, a Klansman's hood, and the burning cross are the clearest symbols of hate for black America," Sharpton said in remarks prepared for delivery to the committee.

Normally Sharptons testimony would be pin pointed at the unbalanced of justice received by defendants of the Jena Six case, but all the defendants are out of jail except for Mychal Bell,
who last week was sentenced to 18 months in jail after a judge determined he violated the terms of his probation for a previous conviction.

Racial tensions began rising in Jena in August 2006 after a black student sat under a tree known as a gathering spot for white students. Three white students later hung nooses from the tree. They were suspended but not prosecuted.
More than 20,000 demonstrators gathered recently in Jena to protest what they perceive as differences in how black and white suspects are treated.

But today on capital hill they will be separating the emotions and hyperbola and focus on the symbol that started this whole barn a blaze ... nooses.

Obviously the message, how Black people feel about nooses, is not getting out. Perhaps they are not teaching in school the significance of the noose in history.

Perhaps African Americans should roll back the clock like our Jewish and Armenian family members consistently do each year, and pick a time to remind the world of our atrocities and reflect.

Perhaps Sharpton and others are making too much of this, making it too complicated to understand. Perhaps we need to justify and clarify as we simplify. Simple enough, here are some pictures.

Former Black Georgia Congresswoman Cynthia McKinney Goes West For Gold, And Maybe Some Green

Cynthia McKinney, a former Democratic Congresswoman from Georgia, was in California last weekend to test the waters for a potential bid for the Green Party’s 2008 Presidential Nomination. Last month, she left the Democratic Party in the wake of its failure to end the War in Iraq and the many and sundry defeats it has sustained since taking back power on Capitol Hill this past January. McKinney, defeated for re-election last fall by a Black Democratic moderate who Blogger Skeptical Brotha labels a handkerchief head uncle tom, has been courted steadily since then to take up the Green banner and continue her progressive fight against the imperialistic Bush war machine.

Skeptical Brotha

Richardson Wins Congressional Seat: Biracial California Politico To Replace Millender-McDonald!

Black Assemblywoman's Win Caps "Remarkable Ascent" That's Been Years In The Making

Long Beach resident Laura Richardson easily won the election Tuesday to succeed the late Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald in Congress and we couldn't be happier.

But please, let's not make it sound like she just got lucky.

The daughter of a Black man and White labor union activist, Richardson has been working her butt off to be on the cusp of a new political movement spawning the likes of Newark, New Jersey Mayor Cory Booker, DC Mayor Adrian Fenty, former Tennessee Congressman Harold Ford, Massuchusetts Governor Deval Patrick, and most notably, 2008 presidential candidate Barack Obama.

Ranging from their late 30's to early 50's, these well-educated, attractive, tenacious and dare I say, articulate men and women of a lighter-skinned hue are clearly redefining the way we look at Black elected officials and their ability to represent a more diverse constituency.

Richardson, the Democratic nominee, held a 42-point advantage over her nearest competition, Republican John Kanaley, a police officer and an Iraq war veteran who was new to electoral politics. "We're breaking a record tonight, to have served on the council, then go to the Assembly, and now to Congress in less than a year," Richardson said, from a party at her Carson headquarters.

"I'm a hard worker, and I'm using my skills to advocate on behalf of the people I represent."

With all precincts reporting, Richardson held 67.1 percent of the vote to Kanaley's 25.2 percent. Green Party candidate Daniel Abraham Brezenoff came in third with 5.4 percent, followed by Libertarian Herb Peters, who won 2.3 percent. The 37th district covers Compton, Carson, Signal Hill and most of Long Beach.

"A lot of people were saying this was a done deal," Richardson said. "We needed people to stay focused and keep reaching out to voters. I'm just incredibly grateful."

As expected, turnout was low, at 8.6 percent. Tuesday's runoff was a bit anticlimactic after a bruising primary campaign in June between Richardson and state Sen. Jenny Oropeza, also a Democrat.

The primary election divided voters along ethnic lines, as Latinos tried to capitalize on growing population numbers and black voters tried to hang on to a traditionally black seat. Richardson bested Oropeza by 6 percentage points, preserving black political clout in Congress.

Richardson's move to Washington will set off a wide-open race for her 55th Assembly district seat, which covers Carson, Wilmington, Harbor City, Lakewood, and much of Long Beach.

The strongest candidate in the race and the one we're backing is African-American Carson City Councilman Mike Gipson.

His likely challengers: White Carson Mayor Don Dear, and former Los Angeles School Board Member Warren Furatani, of Asian descent.

Let the race begin!

THE GOP ON MELTDOWN: HI MY NAME IS DAVID VITTER, AND I'M A SEX ADDICT!

Original piece by Skeptical Brother

Conservative GOP Senator David Vitter's got some 'splaining to do. The family values politician and soon to be ex-Southern director for Rudy Giuliani's 2008 Presidential Campaign had to quickly assemble a press conference yesterday to answer charges of salicious activities he engaged in with... well, we'll let him tell you:

"Good afternoon. Last week, Wendy and I thought it was very important to have some time in seclusion until the firestorm that erupted over the blatant hypocrisy of preaching family values while I was bedding hookers on the dl died, so that’s what we did for a few days.

I want to, again, offer my deeply insincere apologies to all those I have let down and disappointed. I am so very, very sorry... I got caught. No matter how long ago it was, I know this has hurt the relationship of trust I’ve enjoyed, and never deserved, with so many of you. I will work every day to pander to the lowest common denominator to rebuild it.

Wendy and I dealt with this personally several years ago when she threatened to castrate me like John Bobbitt. I confronted it in “confession” and “marriage counseling,” while Wendy held a sharp instrument to my crotch. I believe I received forgiveness from God.

I know I did from Wendy because she didn’t castrate me, and we put it behind us - at least I thought we did until my nightmares and night sweats began.

Since then, I’ve gotten up every morning, checking my crotch and the bed only to be relieved that neither is saturated in a pool of blood. Everything I really believe in kinda centers in my crotch region.

Unfortunately, my admission has encouraged some long-time political enemies and those hoping to profit from the situation to spread falsehoods too, like those New Orleans stories in recent reporting. Those stories are not true-at least that’s what I’ve said in the past and I need to stick to that to cloud the issue.

Now, having said all of this..."

MORE>>>>

These (altered) remarks were the first public statements since Vitter, 46, was linked to the alleged D.C. Madam and a high-priced brothel in his hometown. His comments came a week after he first apologized and then went into seclusion following the revelation that his telephone number appeared on phone records of Pamela Martin and Associates, an escort service in Washington, D.C.

Federal prosecutors have accused Deborah Jeane Palfrey, who ran Pamela Martin and Associates, of racketeering.

The service netted more than $2 million in the 13 years since it opened in 1993. Palfrey contends that her escort service was a legitimate business offering sexual fantasies.

A judge ruled last week that Palfrey is permitted to release the records.

A day after the thousands of numbers were posted on her Web site, a former madam in New Orleans claimed the Louisiana senator frequented her establishment. Jeanette Maier said Vitter was once a client of the Canal Street brothel. She pleaded guilty to running the operation in 2002.

Vitter won his seat in the U.S. Senate in 2004.

FOX NEWS

ARE RUMOUS ABOUT POPULAR BLACK HARLEM CONGRESSMAN CHARLIE RANGEL TRUE?

First L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, Now Charlie?

Harlem congressman Charles Rangel and his wife, Alma, have been living apart for some time and divorce is likely, according to sources.

The separation, although not public, has been known in political circles for months, says a Washington insider.

The congressman spoke to me Friday and declined to comment about his relationship with his wife.

But he specifically denied a claim by a source that he had been dating other women.

"I work all the time, from 8 o'clock in the morning," he said. "I don't go out, I don't go to nightclubs. That is false."

The source had claimed that Rangel, 77, "has been keeping company - it's a midlife career embarrassment. He's running amok."

The source also claimed Rangel's elevation to chairman of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee had bolstered his romantic confidence.

Democrat Rangel, a Harlem native, has represented New York's 15th District since 1971.

IF RICHARDSON KEEPS 37TH CONGRESSIONAL SEAT BLACK, IS BROTHER GIBSON NEXT UP FOR HER 55TH ASSEMBLY SEAT?

Black Politics In California Is On And Crackin'

Assemblywoman Laura Richardson won a two-month sprint to succeed the late Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald on Tuesday, besting a better financed and more experienced opponent with the help of labor and Black leadership.

Richardson won 37.8 of the vote, to 31.3 percent for Latina state Sen. Jenny Oropeza. Millender-McDonald's daughter, Valerie McDonald, finished a distant third with 9.4 percent.

"I just thank God," Richardson said Tuesday night, from a party at the Home Depot Center's Stadium Club in Carson. "It's not just about money and it's not just about the number of years you've served. It's about what's in your heart."

Millender-McDonald, who represented her district for 11 years, died April 21 of colon cancer.

The top vote-getters from each party will face each other in a runoff on Aug. 21. Because Democrats hold such a strong advantage, Richardson is a shoo-in for the runoff election.

The race drew attention initially as a test of African-American political clout, as leaders worked to hold on to a congressional seat that has traditionally been held by someone Black, even as its Latino population has grown rapidly in the last decade.

The state Black Legislative Caucus rallied behind Richardson, who served on the Long Beach City Council for six years before being elected to the 55th Assembly District last fall.

But the membership of the Congressional Black Caucus was divided between those who supported the assemblywoman and those who backed the late congresswoman's daughter.

That divide may resurface very soon, as folks begin jockeying to run for Richardson's 55th Assembly seat.

While their are rumblings that city officials in Compton and Long Beach want the gig, we got five on Carson Councilman Mike Gipson.

He has had to deal with quite a bit over the last few years as Carson Mayor Jim Dear has continuously bumped heads with the up and coming brother.

A White city councilman who replaced former Black Mayor Darryl Sweeney (currently imprisoned for criminal misdeeds while in office), Dear has been mentioned as a candidate.

Hizzoner may want to rethink that decision, however, given that a vocal group of angry residents, many of whom are Black, are currently organizing to recall him.

Former Los Angeles School Board Member Warren Furutani, who lost to Richardson in the Democratic primary last year, is also reportedly mulling another run.

A special primary election to fill the seat will likely be held toward the end of October or early in November.

Like the 37th Congressional seat, Democrats run it so any Republican in the district doesn't stand a chance!

SOURCE

LAURA RICHARDSON KEEPS CONGRESSIONAL SEAT BLACK IN WIN OVER LATINA STATE SENATOR

UPDATE: RICHARDSON WINS - CLICK HERE!!!

The BET Awards aired yesterday, topping off quite a year for actress/singer Jennifer Hudson.

The American Idol loser turned Dreamgirl pushed through adversity and is now at the top of her game.

Hudson was obviously stealing notes out of Laura Richardson's playbook.

Receiving 37.8% of the vote, the Democratic assemblymember won big last night and -- absent global warming killing us all -- will be the winner on August 21, 2007 in a runoff election.

Richardson will go up against the top Republican vote getter who received 7.6% of the vote and the Green Party and Libertarian candidates who received even a smaller proportion of the votes.

With her decisive victory over a dozen candidates in the Democratic primary --each vying to replace the late Congresswoman Juanita Millender-McDonald, Richardson has indeed landed her dream job.

I saw Laura Richardson last Friday and the first thing I noticed was that she had slimmed down.

"Hey you! It's been a long time." Laura said. "You look great," I retorted.

"I'm trying. I've been going to the gym."

By the looks of things, Laura's been hitting more than the weights. Over the last ten years, she has been relentless about serving the community in an elected capacity and living her life's purpose.

Having grown up in a Teamster household, Laura and I met in the late 1990's when she first launched a bid to get on the Los Angeles School Board. Lacking money, name recognition and the support of other Black elected officials, she lost. Big time!

Undeterred, she ran again for a different position. She lost.

Having accumulated fans and supporters who believed in her, Richardson made one last ditch effort to run for a seat on the city council in Long Beach.

To say the election was controversial was an understatement. Even after her narrow victory, the person she ran against demanded a recount - ultimately conceding that she was the rightful victor.

Laura went on to serve Snoop Dogg's old stomping ground faithfully, contributing to this port town and fifth largest city in California in such a way to help it become a vibrant, desirable place to live, shop and raise a family.

It was only a matter of time before this biracial, formerly married sister would ascend to the California State Assembly.

After winning an unprecedented three elections in Long Beach, this time she had back-up. With endorsements from the Black elite, and a proven track record, Richardson was sworn-in November 2006 to a seat her mentor has once held.


Prior to Congresswoman Juanita Millender McDonald representing the 37th Congressional District, she earned her political stripes by serving on the Carson City Council. McDonald then went on to win the assembly seat Richardson subsequently captured.

After former Compton Mayor Walter Tucker, pictured right, resigned his seat in Congress over corruptions charges that landed him in prison (Kappa brother Mervyn Dymally - the first Black Lieutenant Governor of California - previously held the seat), Juanita McDonald was ready for the national stage.

Beating out several challengers, including former Compton Mayor Omar Bradley, Juanita McDonald joined Maxine Waters, and later Diane Watson, as the representatives giving a much needed voice to Southern Californians in general, and the Black community in particular.

Stricken with cancer last year, Congresswoman McDonald left her mark on Washington and Southern California politics.

And Laura Richardson knows that the baton has now been passed on to her.

Under California law for special elections to Congress and other partisan offices, if no candidate receives an outright majority, the top vote getters from each party in the special election primary race face off in the special election general contest.

Richardson beat out Democratic State Senator Jenny Oropeza who received 31.3% of the vote in this heavily Democratic district.

With 18 candidates on the ballot, getting that majority now was difficult. Turnout was 11.2% despite the infusion of independent expenditures and a tug of war between tribal casino interests organized labor and between some Latinos and Blacks as to this seat.

Richardson, who is the Assistant Speaker pro Tem of the Assembly, despite being elected to that body just last November, will continue to serve in the Assembly. At age 45, even with demographic shifts in the district she will likely remain in the Congressional seat for many years.
Richardson will remain in the Assembly for another two months and Oropeza will continue to serve in the State Senate. Oropeza has wished her well.

There will be a special election for the 55th Assembly District seat, a Democratic stronghold, after the end of this year's regular session of the legislature and before the legislature reconvenes and the second year of the 2007-08 term begins in January.

WILL OLD WHITE LADIES YELLING"WHERE'S THE FENCE?" KILL IMMIGRATION REFORM?

Immigration Bill In Doubt After Vote - Racist Ads Aren't Helping

WASHINGTON (AP) - A fragile compromise that would legalize millions of illegal immigrants risks coming unraveled after the Senate voted 49-48 to place a five-year limit on a program meant to provide U.S. employers with 200,000 temporary foreign workers annually.
FYI - WHITE PEOPLE AREN'T THE ONLY ONES TICKED OFF ABOUT THIS!!!

The Bush White House, business interests, and their congressional allies, were already angry that the temporary worker program had been cut in half from its original 400,000-person-a-year target. A five-year sunset is believed to be another cause for the precarious bipartisan coalition to unravel.

An amendment by Sen. Barack Obama, D-Ill., ending a new point system for those seeking permanent resident "green cards" after five years rather than 14 years, received no takers.

Obama's amendment and others were seen as potentially fatal blows to a bill seeking to tighten borders, hike penalties for those who hire illegals and give many of the country's estimated 12 million illegal immigrants a pathway to legal status.

The Senate voted 51-46 to reject a proposal by Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, to bar criminals - including those ordered by judges to be deported - from gaining legal status.

Democrats siphoned support from Cornyn's proposal by winning adoption of a rival version that would bar a more limited set of criminals, including certain gang members and sex offenders, from gaining legalization.

Cornyn, however, prevailed on making it easier to locate and deport illegal immigrants whose visa applications are rejected. Cornyn said legal authorities should know if applicants have criminal records that would warrant their deportation.

The original bill would have barred law enforcement agencies from seeing applications for so-called Z visas, which can lead to citizenship if granted.

Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., alone among his party's presidential aspirants in backing the immigration measure, opposed Cornyn's bid and backed the Democratic alternative offered by Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass.

BLACK LOUISIANA CONGRESSMAN WITH CASH FOUND IN FREEZER INDICTED

After a longstanding FBI corruption probe, federal prosecutors today indicted Democratic Representative William J. Jefferson of Louisiana.

Anytime they have you on tape and find $90,000.00 in marked bills in your fridge, maybe it's time you pack-up your tent and go home. Right?

The 16 felony charges against Jefferson, 60, include allegations that he took bribes to promote high-tech business ventures in Africa. Read the full article.

Get all the indictment information here.

FOLKS WHO GET IT: CONGRESSIOANL BLACK CAUCUS FOUNDER DIES

Champion of Civil Rights, The Honorable Parren J. Mitchell Dies From Complications With Pneumonia.

Mitchell, 85, was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives from Baltimore in 1970 and was Maryland's first Black congressman.

The Democrat served eight terms before stepping down in 1986 to be the running mate to former attorney general Stephen Sach in his unsuccessful bid for governor.

Mitchell was a member of one of the country's prominent civil rights families. His brother Clarence Mitchell Jr. helped shepherd the major civil rights legislation of the late 1950s and 1960s as the NAACP's principal lobbyist, and was known as the 101st Senator. Parren Mitchell's sister-in-law, Juanita Jackson Mitchell, was the long-time head and legal counsel of the Maryland NAACP.

He gained notoriety during the Wedtech scandal in the 1980s, initiating the congressional investigation that eventually ensnared state Sens. Clarence Mitchell III and Michael Mitchell. While Parren Mitchell was never accused of wrongdoing in the case, his two nephews were sentenced to federal prison for their part in the scandal, which involved bribes to obtain no-bid military contracts.

Born in Baltimore in 1922, Parren Mitchell was a graduate of Morgan State College and earned a Master's degree from the University of Maryland. He served as a commissioned officer in the U.S. Army during World War II, and received the Purple Heart.

As a congressman, he fought for legislation requiring local governments to set aside 10 percent of federal grants to hire minority contractors.

Rep. Elijah E. Cummings, a Democrat who now holds the 7th District seat, said that Mitchell, "Was a true servant leader, never concerning himself about fame or fortune but, rather, devoting himself entirely to uplifting the people he represented."

Job well done congressman - Bravo!

WISH I HAD SAID THAT! ... KEITH OLBERMANN

"And you thought that big statue of Saddam Hussein fell over quickly, and symbolically and with surreptitious help ... well right up there with the fall of Baghdad you can now add the fall of the Democratic Congress, for agreeing to fund the conflict in Iraq without any time lines for withdrawal; with mere benchmarks the President can just wave off. All this, after Democrats spent weeks of refusing to back down to the White House and promising to hold President Bush accountable."

DETAILS HERE