Scott McClelland in Wonderland?

Although I have no intentions of reading his new book, former White House Press Secretary Scott McClelland finally admits that he was mislead about Iraq by President Bush, Dick Cheney, Scooter Libby and Karl Rove. Well, I've got news for McClelland, he wasn't the only one. Bush and his band of merry men, deceived the American people.

I know McClelland (and the rest of the media) isn't going to call President Bush a liar, but I will. Why are people are afraid to hold the president accountable for his lies? Obviously no one because rarely do you see anyone challenging his shifty position on Iraq or anything for that matter. When Bill Clinton was president, everybody called him a liar and an adulterer. President Bush certainly has more blood on his hands than President Clinton; his lies have cost many people their lives in Iraq, Afghanistan and even Louisiana.

In excerpts from his upcoming book, What Happened, McClelland comes off like a naive, idealistic sap but I'm not buying his carefully, crafted naivete; he's just trying to sell some books. One of the funniest quotes in the book is about the outing of Valerie Plame as a C.I.A. agent to the press. When questioned about the source of the leak, he says:

I've known Karl for a long time, and I didn't even need to go ask Karl, because I know the kind of person that he is, and he is someone that is committed to the highest standards of conduct.

Not only was Rove involved but so was the President, Vice President and Scooter Libby. If I recall, President Bush promised to hunt down the blabbermouth and have their head on a stick or something like that. If what McClelland said is true, we need to start with the deceitful, duplicitous President first. I'm tired of his lies and hypocrisy. He's played us (the American people) like a bunch of bobble-headed saps with his $4.00 a gallon gasoline, phony patriotism and unhealthy obsession with all things O.J.

The countdown to the 2008 Presidential elections has begun, at least for me anyway.

Talk to You Later, Buckwheat

Buckwheat

When is it ever appropriate to address a black person as Buckwheat? Evidently, Louisiana State Representative Carolyn Dartez thought it was okay to do so. According to news reports, Dartez had called the mother of the NAACP's local president, to thank her for driving voters to polls and ended the conversation with "Talk to you later, Buckwheat."

Of course, Dartez has apologized for her insensitive remark (though she probably didn't think she said anything wrong) and wants everyone to know that she has a record of helping the black community. As a black woman, I have never at any point thought it was okay to call anyone Buckwheat especially not an elderly black woman whose son is the president of the local NAACP.

For those of you not familiar with Buckwheat, he was the black child on the 1930's television show, "Our Gang". He was dark, had eyes like saucers and had this nappy hair that stood on end and was the embodiment of all things black during this era. Stereotypes about black people haven't changed very much over the years particularly with regard to the entertainment industry, black people are still around to entertain, shuck, jive, dance, etc. Buckwheat is not a black character that any of us remembers fondly.

I bet someone has already given her the telephone number of Al Sharpton and/or Jesse Jackson to help her out. As of late, Rev Al has been the sole representative for black people everywhere and is one of the few blacks who has the power to pardon Dartez in the court of black public opinion. I look for either him or Jesse to fly down to Louisiana and do a prayer meeting, appear on 'Larry King Live' and/or have a town hall meeting in Morgan City because we all know Dartez is not a racist. Rev Al has had a busy year absolving white folks of their sins and representing all 30 million black folks, I hope he gets to have a vacation and straightens this Dartez woman out.

Mugabe Digs His Hole Deeper

Zimbabwe is a mess. Mired in hyperinflation and totalitarian rule, the country continues its downward spiral into the political and economic abyss. The blockheaded President Robert Mugabe is just as obstinate and ornery today as he was last year. South African President Thabo Mbeki has spent most of the year on quiet diplomacy in an attempt to persuade Mugabe to loosen the reins on power and negotiate with the opposition but there hasn't been any progress. So much for African solutions to African problems.

Mugabe is quick to blame the west for all of Zimbabwe's woes; he's partially right but like any good tyrant, his country's problems were created by someone else. Whether he wants to believe it or not, the blame for Zimbabwe's demise rests squarely on his shoulders. No matter how high the inflation rate gets or how many people flee the country for better opportunity in South Africa and elsewhere, Mugabe never waivers.

In sub-Saharan Africa, a fraternity of insolent, callous and greedy leaders have mollycoddled Mugabe through his ongoing crises. Preferring solidarity to candor, not one leader wants to remind Mugabe that his time has come and gone. Zimbabwe has one of the world's lowest life expectancy rate at age 38 and it's difficult to overlook the country's inflation rate which hovered near 8,000% in September. With these distinctions also comes high unemployment, food shortages and of course, tyrannical rule.

Mugabe has always rested on his African nationalist credentials but refuses to pay deference to two African leaders who could offer him some much needed advice. Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan and former South African President Nelson Mandela have both made attempts to meet with Mugabe but he has ignored them. If neither of these men can meet with Mugabe, the worst is yet to come.

And Benny Hinn Shall Heal Them All

The Senate is scheduled to investigate the business practices of some popular Christian ministries. Although they really should be investigating more serious matters like all that lying by the Bush administration about the invasion of Iraq , those lucrative no bid contracts for Haliburton and immunity for the Blackwater mercenaries, but this skulduggery should be investigated nevertheless.

Why has Benny Hinn been allowed to go unchecked on television for all these years and is just now being investigated? With all of the healing and miracles the man has done, you mean to tell me his charlatanry hasn't aroused any suspicion until now? I'm surprised he hasn't been sued by any of those people he has healed on television.

Some of the ministers being investigated live the lifestyles of the rich and famous because they are rich and famous. When given the choice between a modest lifestyle and an extravagant one, most have chosen the latter. Tithes from their loyal congregation and donations from their television ministries probably account for the majority of their incomes. Private jets, vacation homes and expensive automobiles make it much easier to do the lord's work. Prosperity is one thing, but greed and gluttony are two of the seven deadly sins.

Creflo Dollar attempts to justify his lifestyle by saying that his Rolls Royce was given to him by members of his church. He didn't say anything about returning it for something less expensive or ostentatious though. He's no fool, he's got to have a nice whip parked outside his Atlanta mansion somehow, a Toyota Camry wouldn't look quite right parked in the driveway. I know God wants to personally insure that Creflo and Taffi live a comfortable life so a mansion in Atlanta, a high rise penthouse in New York City and a Rolls Royce are imperative.

In the meantime, I would advise holding onto your tithes and donations and give to the truly needy. Benny, Creflo and the rest of those ministers truly don't need your money.

Dictator, Version 2.0

General Pervez Musharraf has declared a state of emergency in Pakistan and suspended the country's constitution, all in a desperate attempt to maintain his grip on power. Since declaring a state of emergency, more than 400 people have been arrested and thrown in jail. Sad thing is, these "suspects" get to stay in jail indefinitely, have absolutely no rights or access to lawyers. Sounds eerily like those alleged enemy combatants who are whisked away to secret CIA prisons in Ethiopia and Guantanamo to me. Whether you want to believe it or not, the US has more in common with Musharraf than we're willing to admit.

Musharraf must have seen the handwriting on the wall. The country's judiciary branch was most certainly going to declare him ineligible to run for president while also being army chief. Rather than risk this, he just declares a state of emergency which will push the country's presidential elections out to 2009. Talk about fledgling democracy, Muslim terrorists-militants-extremists have become a convenient scapegoat for not only the Bush administration but also for allies like Pakistan. Any excuse to stifle civil rights, restrict the judicial branch and abolish free speech.

While the US and Britain mull over their aid commitments to Pakistan, they shouldn't be surprised by anything Musharraf does; regardless of how unpopular he may be. He didn't just become a tyrant, he has always been a tyrant. Anyone who seizes power by coup d'etat can hardly be characterized as a champion of democracy no matter how many billions of dollars we rain on him. Musharraf is no exception. In this situation, he's putting his best interests ahead of those of his country and his people by declaring a state of emergency, he's just buying himself some more time.

Tyrants like Musharraf never know when to walk away, instead they clutch, claw and murder their way into office and never want to leave when their time is up. If this were Hugo Chavez of Venezuela, Fidel or Raul Castro of Cuba or Mahmoud Ahmadinejad of Iran, we'd have an excuse to launch an invasion and overthrow those dictators but because Musharraf is an ally, he gets a pass.

Let Rev Al Bless Him

That "I'm Not A Racist" playbook is getting a workout this year. The latest victim caught on tape dropping the 'N-bomb' is A&E's scruffy and scuzzy Dog the Bounty Hunter (aka Duane Chapman). Of course he wants you to know he's not a racist, he's already apologized and is seeking spiritual advisement from his black pastor, Rev Tim Storey. Seems like Dog has a problem with his son's black girlfriend and not with soap and water as I had previously suspected.

Just like others caught dropping the 'N-bomb' before him, he's reached out to the one and only, Reverend Al Sharpton (Note from "I'm Not A Racist" playbook: an apology to Rev Al is an apology to ALL black people). Rev Al's phone has been ringing off the hook this year, he's O'Reilly's "go-to" negro and must be on the speed dial of every white man who thinks he may slip up and call someone a NIGGER.

Instead of apologizing to a group of people who could care less, why doesn't Dog apologize to his son and his girlfriend Monique instead? I don't care who he wants to call a nigger but I do care that he expects to maintain the spoils of celebrity, like keeping his show on A&E. A&E was smart to pull the plug on Dog's show and it didn't take a letter-writing campaign and days of indecision for them to do it. Now if someone could pull the plug on Rev Al, I'd really be pleased.