President Barack Obama previously drew criticism for his embrace of the controversial Al Sharpton in his re-election effort despite Sharpton’s history of race-baiting and alleged corruption. As if to make clear that his prior appearances with Sharpton were not fleeting mistakes, Obama invited Sharpton to a high-profile meeting on immigration reform and White House officials have pushed him to the forefront of supporters for the President. Putting aside the lack of responsibility shown in embracing a character like Sharpton, I am mystified (again) by the lack of political judgment by Obama and his aides. The President is already facing record low polls which so him as an increasing polarizing figure in American politics. The solution? The White House found one of the most polarizing figures in politics to stand by his side.
The Rev. Al Sharpton called the session with the President “a very healthy beginning” and said that the President wants to “give a central message: Immigration reform is something America needs and something that America must do together.”
Also attending the meeting were Mayor Bloomberg and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly. They, however, did not speak after the meeting. It was left to Sharpton to be the voice of the President’s efforts in this area.
The White House seems to think that political popularity works as a closed circle where if you are having trouble increasing your popularity, you can just rush in the opposite direction and emerge on the other side of unpopularity with Sharpton. As noted earlier, Sharpton has a long history of criminal investigations, civil lawsuits, and allegations of corruption and evasion. The use of Sharpton appears a continuation of the cynical brand of politics practiced by this Administration where the sole criteria is reelection rather than principle.
Source: NY Daily News
Brittanicus,
What a complete load of crap. No figures or stats to prove your claims. But here’s an excellent site for anyone interested in seeing the real economic picture in Arizona:
http://ebr.eller.arizona.edu/DataEntry/Forecast.aspx
As for the so called million plus numbers on your website … even if true, which is doubtful given the rest of the jibber-jabber in your post, that’s about what? … ah … 0.0035 percentage of the 2010 United States population. Yeah dude, you’re really a powerful group. Get back on your scooter and ride!
State of Arizona is thriving?
Seems a revelation has been born in the Great Canyon State of Arizona, as the Leftist Czars and open border zealots were completely wrong about their economy diving? The Obama administration immediately ran to the federal courts, and Judge Bolton issued an injunction, halting any hope of the SB 1070 policing law going into effect immediately, while the law was litigated and then jumping to the infamous 9th Circuit Court of Appeals. The screaming banshees from the Liberal indoctrinated cause, advocacy groups whose agenda is a commitment to no borders at all, swore blind that Arizona would suffer economic devastation? Its a one sided to me when the Dept of In-Justice throws the book at Arizona, but remains silent when Utah legislators are pushing for a unconstitutional Guest worker program. These included massive real estate foreclosures, home buyers would give the state a wide berth, with boycotts that would hurt the State and with a main objective that illegal alien families would flee the state, leaving economic uncertainty?
So the Liberal progressive couldn’t have been more wrong as Arizona is prospering. The 2010 Census has proved beyond any shadow of doubt, that unlike the illegal alien Sanctuary State of California, and equally opened to occupation Nevada, that Arizona is bristling with new arrivals. It seems that Canadian citizens frustrated with the inclement weather up North are pouring in to take advantage of the low priced homes and the depressed US dollar. Outside of Nevada, the newest illegal immigrant refuge State, Arizona is a rapidly growing in population. Lee McPheters, director of the J.P. Morgan Chase Economic Outlook Center has predicted that the State of Arizona’s population will increase by close to two percent this year.
What actually happened to retort the silly boycotts and other negative activity, thousands of patriotic citizens and permanent residence throughout the nation, disgusted with the Liberal agenda, decided to deliberately reserve Arizona as their vacation spot. The largest haven for illegal alien households, Los Angeles County issued a resolution against the financially hurting State of Arizona, which got in the craw of millions of Americans. Antonio Villaraigosa, a pro-illegal alien Mayor committed himself, to the boycott and then in retaliation Corporation Commissioner Gary Pierce sent a letter stating to the city managers, saying that he would “be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements so Los Angeles no longer receives any power from Arizona-based generation.” Los Angeles County gets 25 percent of its electricity from Arizona power plants.
On June 29, last year Governor Jan Brewer condemned the federal government for what she calls its “continued failure to secure our international border,” and announced the unveiling of a new web site for donating money to the cause. She pointed out at this time that signs have been posted on federal property in Southern Arizona to warn people about the dangerous border. Within weeks close to $4 million in donations was received from over 43,000 Americans countrywide, with more than enough to cover the $1.5 million in costs for attorneys and fees. Currently, in the Frontier State the economy has shown little difference in service industries where illegal immigrants work, such as landscaping, fast food, roofing, building, car washes, factories and the hotel industry. Although illegal immigrants are disappearing from the state, prices have barely increased; BUT WHERE ARE THEY GOING?
California would be my first guess? Nevada is for sure and also Utah? Colorado? These States are exhibiting naked ignorance of the war going on in America. While Arizona begins to thrive, California has to expect more crowded classrooms full of children of illegal immigrants and of course the health care emergency rooms being further clogged to its limits. If you live in these States or any State that is pandering to foreigners, they will not only see Democrat politicians scrambling to enact laws for higher taxes, but your State deficits will rise accordingly as these people look for another haven.
Reports that SB 1070 is hurting the State economically has not taken into account the near deep recession. Since Arizona has been one of the highest growing in the Southwest, it now has one of the highest rates of home foreclosures. It has been hit harder by the recession than most of the rest of the country, except for Nevada. Arizona lost twice as many jobs as the average state during the economic decline of the past few years. Earlier last year the State of Arizona ranked 12th for job creation of the 50 states surveyed. My first wife who lives right now in Ohio, has decided to buy a home in Arizona. Not as a investor, but to live there. I have already warned her to stay well away from the border, but find a gated community.
If you want an upper hand to stop these innocuous “Political Correctness” of our immigration laws, forced on us by the Lib-Democrats and their (seeking more votes) or Elite Republicans (cheap labor) our only real alternative is the TEA PARTY. Its overall platform is less government interference, fair taxes, and national security. Their leader’s will halt the unresponsiveness of both parties to our 14 Trillion deficits and not allow the credit ceiling to rise without assurances that government expenditure will be cut, including fraud and waste in entitlements. That a double layer fence will separate America from drug cartels and the far reaching economic immigrants pouring into America. There will be no Immigration reforms, which include amnesties of any kind; currently that means the Dream Act, Sanctuary States, chain migration, that are stealth amnesties.Another very controversial issue, is the instant citizenship infant 14th Amendment law, that must be rescinded or altered, so at least one parent is a citizen.or naturalized citizen. The 1986 Reagan/Simpson/Mazzoli bill is not broken, it was ignored and not enforced.
We need to look after our own people, living in poverty, not the rest of the world. Low income Americans-residents of all race persuasions, are losing their jobs to discount labor. For decades now the manual workers have been replaced by people from overseas or across our borders who by being illegally hired for massive profits , places even more pressure on welfare, unemployment aid, workers compensation and public benefits. Speak-up, join the TEA PARTY and make this a central issue in coming elections. Attn: Unknown numbers of illegal aliens have been caught in different malleable States voting in our elections. If you believe that your Federal and State lawmakers are not listening to you, but catering to the open border lunatics, check out the pro-sovereignty million member plus NumbersUSA website.
My view is that Al Sharpton is the left’s version of Peter King. He is a man of limited vision, narrow views and unremarkable intelligence, enclosed in a bombastic ego. He does not elicit respect from his political opponents and poorly serves the interests of the Democratic Party beyond the confines of New York City.
MAMMYBLUE
1, April 20, 2011 at 11:37 am
doesn’t matter.period..obama won’t serve a second term..thank god
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I guess tea is a hallucinogen
Denny Crane?
The “Reverend” Al Sharpton. Now there’s a contradiction in terms.
I’ve lost count of how many Black medical professionals have told me over the years that they truly despise the man, for his negative impact on race relations.
I’ve always believed that if the wondrous day ever arrived, when we all wake up to see – stunningly – Black folks & White folks getting along with no animosity whatsoever, that Race-baiting cultural-variant prostitutes like Sharpton would be the only ones crying honest tears of despair.
So when it comes to Obama – I am reminded of something my Iowa farmer Dad used to say:
“That man acts determined to keep me from trusting him.”
I won,t go into right or wrong on this association with Al Sharpton
and the President but I will say,the White House IMHO sure is miss reading a lot of things that are going on in the country.
I know you can get a poll to say what ever you want but I don’t know if the immigration debate is at the top.
“The Rev. Al Sharpton called the session with the President “a very healthy beginning” and said that the President wants to “give a central message: Immigration reform is something America needs and something that America must do together.”
Timing is everything and this just dosen’t seem to fit the times that are we are facing right now.
doesn’t matter.period..obama won’t serve a second term..thank god
RE: “the sole criteria is reelection rather than principle”
What if the sole principle in use is maximizing possible reelection?
Might that be the principal principle?
James M. I don’t think it makes much difference. Fox News will bring back the Reverend Wright and play him all day like they did in 2008.
S. Mom,
I don’t think reaching out to Sharpton makes any sense — black voters will come back to Obama when they see an actual republican challenger, while Sharpton is a polarizing figure who may drive away white independent voters.
Swarthmore mom
1, April 20, 2011 at 10:29 am
Black support is at 85% down from 90%. White support is low. Al Sharpton does not seem to be unpopular with african americans so maybe it make sense. He is shoring up his base.
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Appears so
Swarthmore mom
1, April 20, 2011 at 10:37 am
frank, He will have bill Clinton on the campaign trail.
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Isn’t that funny. Obama will need him … big time.
frank, He will have bill Clinton on the campaign trail.
frank, Don’t think he can get away with that.
mom, can we expect a Sista Soldout moment from him next fall?
Black support is at 85% down from 90%. White support is low. Al Sharpton does not seem to be unpopular with african americans so maybe it make sense. He is shoring up his base.
RD –
Q1) At least half the party would be a better choice, progressives have some options.
Q2) Whatever wingnut, mouth-breathing, teabagger the Republican’s ran. That’s why we are stuck with crappy “Democrats”.
BHO would be a moderately decent Republican Senator in a sane world. Sadly, in the world we live in, he is the only choice in 2012. 2016 will be too late but maybe we can do better next time.
Is Obama getting his political advice from the Bush holdovers who want him to lose in 2012? It sure sounds that way.
Maybe the President doesn’t know many black people so he calls on the same one every time?
Bill Clinton was the first black President, I wonder how long we will have to wait to get a second black President.
What Obama has been doing makes no sense. The question is who would progressives support for president and who could win?