Guess what? Gas is expensive. Expensive gas impacts almost everything in Americans’ day-to-day lives by making almost everything we do or consume more costly. One of the large contributors to the high cost of fuel is speculation, which in simple terms means to buy something you have no purpose for other than to make money off of its unstable price.

Well, the argument against excessive speculation, especially on commodities like oil, has brought together groups of citizens, organizations, and companies that oftentimes are at odds with one another. The Stop Oil Speculation Now effort has caused many to join in a call for smarter, more responsible government regulation and an end to one of the major drivers if high gas prices.

The Young and Conservative Blog at The Washington Times had an interesting response to The New Yorker cover called "The New Yorker and Archie Bunker". The gist of their analysis is the following:

Wlady Plesczynski, longtime editorial director of The American Spectator, blogged that the cover was "too clever by half, taking some generally known unserious tropes and having a field day with them, as if at some level the magazine actually thought such a caricature had some basis in fact." That is exactly right. If the cover were an attempt to pre-empt and ridicule conservative attacks on Obama, two things went terribly wrong in that thinking:

1. This will only embolden - it certainly won't scare - conservatives. Now that a liberal publication has fired the first salvo, one far worse than any that Republicans have conjured up to date, it's far more likely that we've entered Open Season than any chance of conservatives shying away from playing the race angle.
2. Most Americans are, in the words of a former colleague, "only negligibly literate." While the inside-the-Beltway types will see the cartoon for what it is - a poorly done jab at the right-wing - I doubt that the people in "Flag City, USA," many of whom actually do believe that Obama is, or was, a Muslim, will see the nuance. More likely they'll just take it as proof that see, I knew that Obama he was some kind of Muslim; my friends were right all along - even The New Yorker said so.

I agree with that this is satire done with the skill of dog writing poetry. However, I differ on the underlying reason why this article cartoon cover failed so miserably.

Cindy McCain said that her husband would not engage in "negative tactics" during the campaign against Obama [or Clinton]. This internet-only ad, produced by Floyd Palmer of Willie Horton fame is what most would consider to be...negative.

If McCain wants to hijack Obama's change rhetoric, he can start by denouncing the use of videos like this against his opponent by making a public demand that the ad be ceased taken down. Even though he is not directly connected to Palmer, a refusal to make a statement is an implicit endorsement of the tactics of hate. That's not leadership that anybody believes in.

The level of hatred in this country just can't get high enough, at least if Fox has their way. I wonder what they'll say about politicians kissing babies.

Wow.

One Love. One II.

(Update: According to TPM, E.D. Hill's show has been cancelled, though she remains with the network.)

A segment from the March 18, 2008 show, featuring a discussion of Rev. Jeremiah Wright's comments with Dr. R. L'Heureux Lewis of City College of New York.

Huckabee gives a surpisingly thoughtful and nuanced reaction to Obama's speech on race.

The nation that Barack Obama and many others feels can heal its racial wounds still has people that create images and craft messages of hatred and misunderstanding. With Kerry, it was patriotism. With Obama, it's Blackness.

This is the door that has been officially kicked open after Obama's "race speech." He could have locked the door permanently and thrown away the key had that speech been given earlier. Now, it is up to him and his supporters to overcome this mockery and mis-construction of the Black experience in this country and tell the story of a people who's hope and pride have made them the most resilient people on earth.

Also at The SuperSpade.

This union may never be perfect, but generation after generation has shown that it can always be perfected.

Barack Obama gave a speech on race this morning in Philadelphia that many consider to be his most direct campaign speech dealing with the "issue." Given the pretext of the speech, the talk seems to be one that was forced into necessity more by the media, Obama's supporters, and detractors than by Obama's desired to address race Blackness in this campaign and in this country head-on. I have always felt that had this been something that Obama wanted to do out of his own volition, he would have done so long ago, thus pre-empting the ignorant racial undertones of attacks made against him, and laying a foundation for healing in this nation that started with race and class, and grew to overcome the entire of spectrum of challenges this nation and this world face.

Nevertheless, the time has come for this conversation between Barack Obama and the Democratic American electorate. In this speech Barack Obama succeeded in opening the door to a legitimate, meaningful, and potentially productive dialogue of understanding, empathy, and unity among people from diverse backgrounds and experiences. By Barack Obama actually publicly acknowledging that not only is there a race issue, but one that must be dealt with, he is responsibly using his position and status and recognition to create an atmosphere of abundant possibility and environment of empirical hope that builds much needed problem-solving momentum in all areas that change must occur.

This video made my Black History Month.

Tavis Smiley hosts and annual event called the Black State of the Union. The 2008 version will be on February 23rd in New Orleans, LA.

Last year, a big question around this event was whether or not Barack Obama was going to attend the event. He did not, but he was doing something that was much bigger: deciding to and formally announcing his run for the Presidency. Now, one year later, in the midst of a very competitive primary season, Obama faces the same question: will he go? Should he go?

Obama is not attending. Tavis Smiley is on record saying that he's cool with that. Roland Martin at Essence Magazine thinks this was the right decision. His primary argument is that Obama must "look forward, not in the past" and that Obama "can't be defined as the Black candidate." He thinks that Obama should send his wife Michelle, and continue campaigning in Texas and Idaho.

I think that's a terrible move and completely wrong, and here's why.

Barack and Michelle Obama should both attend the Black State of the Union event. Any criticism of their attendance of this day, arguably the most important discussion of the state of this country's Black affairs, would not only by unfounded and irresponsible, but easily refutable.