Obama Ducks State of the Black Union Forum

by Taylor Marsh

Yep, Barack Obama is doing it again, this time on his own community. He's ducking the State of the Black Union forum in New Orleans, as is John McCain. Hillary Clinton will be there.

I've been a Hillary Clinton partisan since last fall. This is not one of those posts. Because contrary to everyone's belief, not everything I write has to do with Hillary Clinton. Criticism of Barack Obama can actually be just about the type of politician he is, having nothing to do with Hillary Clinton. This is one of those posts.

Today we find Barack Obama skipping out again. You know, like he did on Kyl-Lieberman, as well as the vote on MoveOn.org when they were taking fire on their General Petraeus ad. He's skipping the annual State of the Black Union forum in New Orleans so he can campaign. Besides, why should Mr. Obama feel pressured to attend a forum about his own community, especially when he believes there will be no consequences. After all, he ducked out on MoveOn.org when they needed him, but they endorsed him anyway. African Americans have helped Mr. Obama get this far to the Democratic nomination, so why should he feel compelled to actually speak to the annual State of the Black Union forum in New Orleans?

Meanwhile, Tavis Smiley is registering minor criticism of Obama for his decision, so what's happening? His family is getting besieged by Obama supporters, people who will not allow any criticism of their candidate.

But Smiley's criticism has also prompted many people to come to Obama's defense. The talk show host told The Washington Post he has been inundated with angry e-mails and even death threats.

"I have family in Indianapolis. They are harassing my momma, harassing my brother. It's getting to be crazy," Smiley told the newspaper.

He will be busy despite Obama's absence. Some of the nation's top black activists and politicians attend the State of the Black Union. ... ..

Obama takes heat for skipping State of the Black Union

The threats and hate mail comes as no surprise to me, because I've been receiving them for months and months. But Obama ducking this forum will come as a surprise to some. Not to me and I'm not alone.

Follow Taylor Marsh on Twitter: www.twitter.com/taylormarsh

Comments

[SherryIndianapolis]

Now come on Taylor,
No one here believes that you give a good care about anyone who attended the forum over the weekend (or honestly, black people in general? Come on....). But for the mention of this so-called controversy, you probably had no idea it even existed.
Believe it or not, no one in the black community (or any other community, might I say) put Tavis Smiley in charge of who gets to be where and why, least of all Senator Obama, who really did have something better to do this weekend. Good for him.

[allhailmary]

Go Taylor!!!!!

[6thVenom]

Wow Taylor,one would think that you are a Hillary supporter. (That's sarcasm by the way). And you are once again way off base with your criticism.

1). Obama was not "ducking" the SOTBU. He was doing a little something called running for the democratic nomination. It wasn't like he was vacationing in Cancun. He wrote and apologized to Tavis and asked if Michelle could take his place and Tavis said no. You didn't know about that Taylor, or did you choose to leave that part out?
2). Obama has been on Tavis' talk show several times and has discussed many topics that were and have been covered at the SOTBU.
3). The SOTBU has now been taken over by corporate interests and has become a springboard for Tavis and his books, Tavis and his show, and Tavis for his speaking engagements. In the beginning, the SOTBU was sponsored by the Urban League and other civic organizations, now the main sponsors are WellsFargo, MacDonalds, and Exxon Mobile. Also, year after year,the panel is filled with talking heads like Sharpton (who didn't have a problem with Obama not being there), and Jesse Jackson (who also didn't have a problem with Obama not being there and took Tavis to task for stirring up this rather non-issue). Rarely if ever are there new faces to bring a fresh perspective to the real state of the black union. The regular cast of characters in my opinion are spewing the same stale rhetoric.
3). Golf claps to Hillary for showing up. But where was she last year? Or the year before that? And where was Tavis' indignation at McCain or Huckabee not showing up? With their refusals, you heard nary a peep from him and yet other conservatives have shown up. And if Hillary had decided to show up this year, would you have even wrote about this? I highly doubt that.

[unitron]

I'm sure that Sharpton and Jackson didn't mind Obama not being there and taking all of the attention away from them.

[maggieb]

And believe me they did!!!

[Nommo]

Geez, I was looking for you all over the place.
With all that hair on your head, you could hardly be missed...

[doschi]

That's her hair?

I thought she borrowed a giant fur hat from Jay Kay from Jamiroquai.

[sarafina49]

As an African American woman who has watched every one of the State of the Black Union forums, Obama was wise to spend his time on the campaign trail. The agenda that Tavis is calling the "Black Agenda" is really what every American is concerned about - the economy, education, health care, an end to the war in Iraq, a return to common decency, and equal justice under the law. Obama is committed to improving all of the above and has expressed as much more than one time. Michelle was offered as a substitute and Tavis declined. Tavis needs to get over himself. No one has anointed him as spokesperson for Black people and hs is hurting himself. I noticed that attendance at this event was far below the attendance in previous years.

[Cedman]

What a crock of shit! Obama is in the middle of a heated campaign to win the nomination of his party. The primaries in Ohio and Texas are critical and will likely be the decisive votes. As an African American and supporter, I expect nothing less than his going all out to win these states. Hillary has lost the AA vote in dramatic fashion. She did not make a serious attempt to court the black vote in South Carolina (left that to Bill), Lousiana and other states. In fact, she has been somewhat dismissive of the AA vote in much the same way she has dismissed "small" states, caucuses and any other state where she has not won. She NEEDED to attend this summit in order to mend fences and it is no coincidence that she apologized for Bill's comments while she was there. Taylor, as a man I won't try to speak on behalf of women and and you would be wise not to become the conduit for the black community, particularly sense you are looking at things through rose-colored glasses.

[BUSHsurvivor]

Actually those rose-colored glasses are a hot item in the Obama camp...take them off and you just might find yet another inexperienced man in the mold of a second George W. Bush!

[mexamerican]

what's your problem? are you a complete and utter moron? comparing obama to bush? where the hell do you get off doing that? what proof or argument do you have for making such a half-baked comparison? truly idiotic.

[BUSHsurvivor]

Don't worry T! Farrakhan just gave Barack a glowing recommendation! Who needs experience when you have Louis!

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080225/ap_on_re_us/farrakhan_saviours__day;_ylt=AkLTqArZzwA6KNuF7Q2.U_.s0NUE

[mexamerican]

i guess that makes barack a follower of the black islam movement? is that your point? bush suggests that hillary would make a good prez. he mocks obama, so i guess that "endorsment" means hillary is a follower of w? your drivel is really stupid.

[Silpat]

Hillary and Bill didn't apologize after SC because at the time they felt they could win the nomination without the black vote. You see their strategy was to sacrifice the black vote to Obama, label him the "Black candidate", and win over the whites and Hispanics and sweep the Super Tuesday states.

Come time for the General election they thought, black voters would automatically "fall in line" and vote like the majority always do, for the Democratic nominee. Well as you can see it didn't work out as planned, so as a last resort Hillary has to humble herself and try to bring black voters back into her camp. So you see her attendance at this event and late apology is not so much about "black people" as it is about needing "black votes".

Hillary knows that "some people" are still easily manipulated.

[ginnypoo]

Did you forget or miss the part where Obama got busted on national TV at the debate following SC for playing the race card over and over against the Clinton campaign. All the people that came on and said the Clinton's said racist things "Worked" for the Obama campaign or were his supporters. Then even after being caught and apologizing for it and saying it wouldn't go on, his campaign had people on 2 days later saying they didn't do it.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LNNqvuizPBc

I guess Obama thinks you guys are easily gullible and have short attantion spans if you can't even remember he was caught on TV red-handed. You support that?

[bookerone]

Obama like Bush is all hat and no cattle. Come November when his kids have forgotten who he is, McCain will breeze to election. Obama is alienating the people who actually show up to vote when it counts.

[Jacee]

Obama has not alienated a single person that has gotten to know him, not one.

BTW...he beats Clinton in all voter categories now. Your smug 'kids' comment is ignorant.

[FreedomLoverX]

Not an odd comment, since it is identical to the one you keep posting over and over again. Shouldn't you be at all embarassed for making absurd comments with no facts to back them up? Bush, by the way, isn't even a hat - unless he wears it on his neck. Compare Buch to Obama? Can anyone take you seriously? And McCain "breezing" to election? He isn't like Bush - the lowest ranked president in our history, but Obama is? Too silly.

[joanndarc]

Obama is NOT Sharpton. He is NOT stuck on narrowminded "black issues" unlike "the good christian" Smiley. Barack Obama has no traditional "black" american roots and his mother is "white" american. One might call Clintons are more "black" then B. Obama.

[LoveTruth]

If you knew anything about Barack Obama then you wouldn't have made such an ill-advised statement. The man identifies with the black experience and he also spent a lot of time trying to fight many of those so called narrowminded "black issues". I am black, me and the Clintons have nothing in common. No smart person would even refer to the Clintons as remotely "black".

[diamondprynzez]

"Today we find Barack Obama skipping out again. You know, like he did on Kyl-Lieberman..."

I think you've just proven yourself intellectually lazy. There are a number of reasons why Obama couldn't make it to vote on Kyl-Lieberman (which Hillary voted in favor of!), and you would know that if you've been paying attention.

And Clinton is no one to defend on skipping votes, either. Clinton was actually in Washington D.C. and was MIA on the FISA vote.

[ginnypoo]

This scares me
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D8V13IMO1&show_article=1
in light of this
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/01/14/AR2008011402083.html

[doschi]

Perhaps you should READ the articles you've posted.

FTA:
Said Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton: "Sen. Obama has been clear in his objections to Minister Farrakhan's past pronouncements and has not solicited the minister's support."

[OtayPanky]

Dear Taylor -

Thanks for sharing.

The likely probability is that Hillary will be done on March 4. Of course she MIGHT score landslide wins in both states, but I wouldn't bet the rent on it.

So...if she's done, what's next for you? Will you become a fulltime Obama-hater, just because your candidate got whumped completely?

If so, you might want to apply for a spot on Fox News. No doubt Roger Ailes will be looking for dis-affected dems to try to prop up McCain's candidacy.

Or, you might decide Obama's the lesser of two evils...or maybe even that he's not so evil after all.

Sincerely,

Your Friend OTAYPANKY

[itmaybetoolate]

Obama supporters, please explain to me what leadership role Obama took on the following issues:

impeachment or censure of bushie

restoring Constitutional rights

removing troops from Iraq

blocking funding for Iraq

filibustering the FISA bill

Please don't respond with a comment about Hillary. I know she didn't show any leadership either.

[cos1979]

Impeachment: What would be the point? Obama, like Hillary, Speaker Pelosi, and Majority Leader Harry Reid, didn't see any reason to make the party look bad with the independents and the moderates (it was a wise move, in my view. Look where impeachment got the GOP in '98)

Restoring Constitutional Rights: He began by voting against John Roberts and Sam Alito, voted no on the FISA renewal. Anything more would take him getting elected POTUS since most of Bush's behavior is beyond the purview of Congress. Ah, but the beauty of having an actually Constitutional scholar in the WH is that Obama will KNOW his limits, and he can choose the type of judges we need right now firsthand.

Removing troops: Again, where would his support be coming from? Was Hillary jumping on that band wagon? Nope.

Voted for the funding, but vowed he would not be voting for any other spending bills for Iraq.

Filibustering FISA bill: No, but he voted no, and that's saying far more than John McCain who suddenly thinks civil liberty is unnecessary.

"I know she didn't show leadership," so what is the point? Oh, attacking Obama is OK?

Look, I am a huge fan, but not an Obamamanic. I resent attacks, though, by your older folk who seems to assume because young people are fans that we're mentally unstable. Maybe, just maybe, we just believe in someone who is nutty enough to believe in America again. Have we grown so cynical that once someone who tells us we can achieve anything in this country and with an elegance and eloquence not seen in generations our first thought is to lose our minds? Gimmie a break!

Hillary is a classy lady, but she isn't what America needs. Her approach just will not do, and frankly, how can this lady fight for our future when as president Hillary will have to keep fighting the past? As we've seen, Bill Clinton is becoming like a senile uncle you keep in his room only to find him wandering in the street every now and again. Do we need that in the White House... again?

I want a president who can inspire Americans to see progressivism in the new light, the same way as Reagan somehow made people see conservatism differently. This moment only comes once in a lifetime, and we cannot skip this moment over for a "dependable" character from "Mad About You" but someone different.

Anyway, that's just my two cents.

[itmaybetoolate]

Why does my questioning Obama = attacking him? Isn't that what the republiscum have been doing for the last seven years -equating questioning bushie with hating and attacking him? And what would be the point of impeachment? Really!? How about making the point that no one, even the president, is above the law? How about sending a strong message to future presidents that this sort of behavior is unacceptable? How about congress acting like an equal arm of the government and carrying out their Constitutionally mandated responsibility?

Other Obama supporters on huffpost have touted the fact that he is a Constitutional scholar. So, he should know best whether or not bushie's actions rise to the level of impeachable offenses. Since he has not called for impeachment, he must think that what bushie has done is acceptable behavior by the executive branch. Screw inspiration - give me someone with the courage to stand up for the Constitution.

And, finally, your post suggests that Obama agrees that whatever is politically expedient is the thing to do. That doesn't fill me with hope.

[timm0]

What the hell is the "State of the Black Union Forum?" I'm neither Black nor a national political figure, so I really don't expect an invitation. But seriously - where does this event fall in the ranks of all the events that any of these candidates have attended over the last year?

[rikyrah]

Not that I remotely believe you give a rat's heiney about the Black community. But, FYI, this was SETTLED in the Black community about 2 weeks ago across Black radio and the Black Blogosphere.

Tavis was called on the carpet, by the Black community, for his attacks on Barack Obama.

The Black community understands that Senator Obama is in the fight of his life for the nomination for the Democratic Nomination for President of the United States of America.

We know that the pattern for him seems to be, the more he can get in front of the people, the better he does.

He would benefit nothing from going to Tavis' event - it would take precious time out of his traveling schedules.

The Obama campaign offered to send Michelle as a representative, a fact that Tavis LIED about on CNN, as he took his whinefest to the MSM.

Tavis is now SUSPECT.

And he better start stepping correct, because pretending to be neutral, all the while you are a Clinton Shill, is a game Black folks are hip to.

Obama has lost no support by not capitulating to Tavis' temper tantrum.

[Runik]

I can see by this that Obama's true talent is drawing a clear line in the sand between white and black.....

[MsWrite]

Ummm...I'm black and I haven't "settled this." It's one thing for Obama to walk a tightrope as he tries not to appear too afrocentric for white voters, but name one thing he has done/said about issues in the African-American community in any of his speeches. I'm not interested in what his Web site may have written on it because most people don't see that.

I'm looking for one thing....

[plum]

You asked, so here's material from two sources, the Journal of Black Higher Education, and the excellent blog Think On These Things.

But before I give you the info, there's something else you should consider, and that's the endorsements from major unions and editorial boards. Recently, they have flooded to Obama, including most of the unions who endorsed Edwards. Do you think they were being delusional?

Anyways, here's the material. The Journal of Black High Education looked at the two candidates' respective platforms, and found Obama's to be the best. The key graphs:

"Obama has put a lot on the table, maybe too much. Nevertheless, announced here on the Obama Web site is an elaborate and unqualified proposal to use presidential power to deal with some of the most severe problems of African Americans and other minorities. There are no politically expedient bows to the hardships of America’s white middle class. In his declaration of a concrete program for blacks and others who have had a difficult time, there is no doublespeak or ambiguous language. Senator Obama deals with racial issues head on. He enters the arena of race with his six-shooters blazing.

"Senator Clinton, on the other hand, ducks, straddles, changes the subject, or remains silent. Her evasive strategy on issues of race was revealed in an early August appearance at a convention of African-American journalists. Hillary Clinton was asked whether she was “black enough” to hold the allegiance of African-American voters. Sidestepping the question, Clinton replied that she was proud of her party for having a black, a woman, and a Latino competing for its nomination."

http://www.jbhe.com/obamaprint.html

Now here's some info on what Obama has done for those hurt by Katrina:

Here is Barack Obama’s record on rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina.

* Sept. 2, 2005: Obama holds press conference urging Illinoisans to contribute to the Hurricane Katrina relief efforts.
* Sept. 5, 2005: Obama goes to Houston to visit evacuees with Presidents Clinton and Bush.
* Sept. 7, 2005: Obama introduces bill to create a national emergency family locator system
* Sept. 8, 2005: Obama introduces bill to create a National Emergency Volunteers Corps.
* Sept. 8, 2005: Obama co-sponsors the Katrina Emergency Relief Act of 2005 introduced by Senator Harry Reid
* Sept. 8, 2005: Obama co-sponsors the Hurricane Katrina Bankruptcy Relief and Community Protection Act of 2005 introduced by Senator Russ Feingold
* Sept. 12, 2005: Obama introduces legislation requiring states to create an emergency evacuation plan for society’s most vulnerable
* Sept. 15, 2005: Obama issues public response to President Bush’s speech about Gulf Coast rebuilding.
* Sept. 21, 2005: Obama co-sponsors bill to establish a Katrina commission to investigate response to the disaster introduced by Hillary Clinton
* Sept. 21, 2005: Obama appears on NPR to discuss the role of poverty in Hurricane Katrina.
* Sept. 22, 2005: Obama and Coburn’s Hurricane Katrina financial oversight bill unanimously passes Senate committee.
* Sept. 22, 2005: Obama’s amendment requiring evacuation plans unanimously passes Senate committee.
* Sept. 28, 2005: Obama and Coburn issue statement about the need for a Chief Financial Officer to oversee the financial mismanagement and suspicious contracts occurring in the reconstruction process
* Sept. 29, 2005: Obama and Coburn investigate possible FEMA refusal of free cruise ship offer
* Oct. 6, 2005: Obama and Coburn issue statement on FEMA Decision to re-bid Katrina contracts
* Oct. 6, 2005: Obama co-sponsors Gulf Coast Infrastructure Redevelopment and Recovery Act of 2005.
* Oct. 21, 2005: Obama releases statement decrying the extension of FEMA director, Michael “Brownie” Brown’s contract. Obama calls Brown’s contract extension, “unconscionable.”
* Nov. 17, 2005: Obama and Coburn introduce legislation asking FEMA to immediately re-bid all Katrina reconstruction contracts.
* Feb. 1, 2006: Obama gives Senate floor speech on his legislation to help children affected by Hurricane Katrina
* Feb. 2, 2006: Obama introduces legislation to help low-income children affected by Hurricane Katrina
* Feb. 23, 2006: Obama issues statement responding to a White House report on Hurricane Katrina. Obama noted that the top two recommendations that the report had for the federal government were initiatives he had been working on since immediately after the storm hit. Obama called the administration’s response “delinquent.”
* May 2, 2006: Obama gives speech about no-bid contracts in Hurricane Katrina reconstruction
* May 4, 2006: Obama’s legislation to end no-bid contracts for Hurricane Katrina reconstruction passed the Senate.
* June 15, 2006: Obama and Coburn announce legislation to require amendment to create competitive bidding for Hurricane Katrina reconstruction for federal contracts over $500,000. Although it passed previously, the language was stripped in conference.
* June 15, 2006: Obama releases podcast about his pending Katrina reconstruction legislation in the Senate.
* June 16, 2006: Obama and Coburn get no-bid Hurricane Katrina reconstruction amendment into Department of Defense authorization bill.
* July 14, 2006: Obama and Coburn’s legislation to end abuse of no-bid contracts passes senate as amendment to Department of Defense authorization bill.
* August 11, 2006: Obama visits Xavier University in New Orleans to give Commencement address
* August 14, 2006: Obama and Coburn ask FEMA to address ballooning no-bid contracts for Gulf Coast reconstruction
* Sept. 29, 2006: Obama and Coburn legislation to prevent abuse of no-bid contracts in the wake of disaster passes Senate to be sent to President’s desk to become law.
* Feb. 2007-Present: As Obama begins his Presidential campaign he references Katrina as a part of his stump speech as he travels around the country in his familiar line, “That we are not a country which preaches compassion and justice to others while we allow bodies to float down the streets of a major American city. That is not who we are.”
* June 20, 2007: Obama co-sponsors Gulf Coast Housing Recovery Act of 2007 introduced by Senator Chris Dodd.
* July 27, 2007: Obama and colleagues get a measure in the Homeland Security bill that will investigate FEMA trailers that may contain the toxic chemical, formaldehyde.
* Aug. 26, 2007: Obama outlines a detailed Hurricane Katrina recovery plan.
* December 18, 2007: Obama calls on President Bush to protect affordable housing in New Orleans
* February 16, 2008: Obama releases statement on toxic Gulf Coast trailers

+++

Hope this helps you make up your mind.

[SCMagnolia]

Ummm...I'm Black and I had nothing to do with the settling either. And by the way, we're not a monolith, remember? Black radio and the Black Blogosphere do not speak for us all on everything. Sometimes we agree and sometimes we don't.

[LoveTruth]

Big up to rikyrah for keeping it real for Taylor Marsh's ignorance. She thinks its new. Its already been debated!! Lets move on.

Shotouts to Jack & Jill Politics...I read it everyday!!!!