Scott Lee Cohen and Barack Obama's Office Space

February 7, 2010 - I was just looking at video about Scott Lee Cohen, the duly elected Democrat candidate for Illinois Lt. Governor who was shamefully forced off the ticket. Cohen resigned tonight, but that's not what this post is about. As I looked at the video, shots of the interior of Cohen's campaign office looked very familiar. The top photo here is a frame from an ABC7 report. The photo underneath is was taken by me in the same office space on Sept. 20, 2008. Notice the wood of the pillar. I felt as if I'd been there before, and a search of my photographs confirmed that I had - when I visited Barack Obama's volunteer center in September, 2008. Yep, same ceiling, same wood pillars, same wall. Same space, same address, in the basement of 566 W. Lake Street, Chicago. A June 3, 2008 press release from Cohen: "While other candidates are positioning themselves and evaluating the playing field, Scott Lee Cohen, a Democratic candidate for Lt. Governor, will host a job fair on Thursday, June 4th from10am – 4pm at 566 W. Lake Street in Chicago. Cohen is taking a break from the campaign trail to transform his campaign office into a job resource center for Chicagoland residents." Of course, this means nothing. It's just one of those weird moments, a sort of deja vu ... and the fervent hope that the same political fate will befall a previous tenant. RELATED: Rep Jan Schakowsky advising Scott Lee Cohen on the mud slung in politics - Bill Baar Leave a Comment * Conservative T-Shirts * Follow CNB on Twitter * RSS Feed

Ready to Storm Obama's Playing Field

There was much made - and is still being made - of Barack Obama's links to Muslims and Islamic entities during the recent presidential election. Some people were/are concerned with his father's Muslim beliefs. Some were/are concerned with his history in Pakistan. All were/are still concerned about the huge amounts of donations from foreign nationals in Muslim nations. The Bench also wrote about some of Obama's connections to Islam, but strove to do so in a way that examined facts, not conjecture or rumor. The Bench passed on a number of "stories" that readers sent to us, because after we cross checked them we found that they were false myth or perilously devoid of hard facts. Then there were those driven by anti-Muslim bigotry, and while The Bench does not run from calling an Islamic terrorist an "Islamic terrorist," we also acknowledge that the vast majority of Muslims are not terrorists. Five weeks after Obama won the election, The Bench still gets such letters. The Internet still throbs with such items. Let us stress that bigotry against Barack Obama for any past or present Muslim influence in his personal life is no more acceptable than the hateful bigotry thrown at Republican contender Mitt Romney. Romney, a Mormon from a long line of Mormons, was savaged by bigots in both the Democrat Party as well as his own. Perhaps one day we can judge a person by the content of his character and not by the flavor of his religious beliefs. (That said, I confess that I would be a bit nervous about a candidate for any office who was known to be a Satanist.) A recent letter came to The Bench, in which the well-meaning author expressed concern about Obama's intention to deliver a major speech in the capital of "a Muslim nation" shortly after his upcoming inauguration. That, the reader wrote, as well as his Muslim campaign donors, is supposed to be a signal that Obama is really some kind of stealth Islamist. She stopped short of speculating that Obama owns a closet full of suicide bomber belts, but she might as well have written that, too. My response to her, and my advice to people who are still all worked up about Obama's Muslim ties, follows: Dear Reader: As for Obama and the Muslims: First, take a deep breath, hold it for ten seconds, then... let ... it ... out slowly. Now then, let me play Devil's advocate: Proceed with caution on this, because we do not know absolutely that he is a Muslim. In fact, overwhelming evidence is that he's not a Muslim. Think about it: The drug use years ago. The way Michelle dresses (like an average Western woman). The fact that he does not bow down five times daily to pray or attend mosque services as a worshipper. For argument's sake, let's agree that he was born to a Muslim father. So what? My dad was Jewish, my mother was non-denominational Protestant. I grew up agnostic but converted to Christianity after a personal epiphany, but have never prayed in a church. I pray at the beach or under a tree or wherever I want (because God hears all, everywhere, anytime). What does that mean? It means nothing, and it means everything: We are all unique, and one of the great things about the US, and the West in general, is freedom of choice and freedom from familial bondage to any particular religion or set of customs. So, is Barack Obama secretly Muslim? Only he knows, but I seriously doubt it. If he's some kind of sleeper agent or Manchurian candidate, well, we can't know that yet. In the meantime, I have to go with the overwhelming evidence (of his actions) that he is not Muslim. Is he sympathetic to the Muslims? No doubt he is. Is that, in and of itself, a bad thing? It depends upon the degree to which he sympathizes with them. Does he have the right to feel an affinity for Muslims? Yes. Does he have a right to make a speech in any city he chooses? Yes, he does, and I think the reason that he is making an announcement in "an Islamic capital" is that the subject of his speech will relate directly to Muslim and/or Arab concerns and affairs. That should not be suspicious, necessarily. We are, after all, engaged in friendly diplomatic relations with many of the Arab nations. We have invaded two Muslim nations recently. We import a huge portion of our petroleum from that region. We need to strengthen relations with them, not by appeasing, but through mutual cooperation in matters of security and military coordination, as well as a broad range of mutual concerns with all things economic. I could go on and on, but I think you see where I'm going with all of this. Just because he has Muslim contributors is not necessarily an indictment of his character or intentions, either. Any candidate who runs an election campaign for any office higher than dog catcher is likely to receive contributions from unsavory characters or controversial entities. I guarantee you that every Republican got contributions from neo-Nazis or Klan members. Does that make the Republican politicians Nazis or Klansmen? Of course not. Pedophiles, litterers, jaywalkers and all kinds of people donate to both parties. So, a large number of Muslims donated to Obama. What does that mean, really, except that they are anti-White, anti-Western and/or see Obama as somebody who might take us in a direction more favorable to Muslim countries. That, by the way, does not necessitate an anti-Israel stance. We cannot assume, and we cannot know, how many of the tens of thousand of Muslims who donated to Obama's campaigns (IL Senate, US Senate, President) are disloyal Americans or in favor of driving Israel into the sea, or may be terrorist sympathizers. My guess (and there is no way for anybody to measure this) is that the vast majority of them are average people who donated to a particular candidate (Obama, in this case) for average reasons: Ethnicity, their personal religious orientation, liberal political orientation, socio-economic history and status, and on and on and on. Let's sit back and enjoy the show. We, you and I, are spectators for the moment. Let's let the referees on the field officiate the game. If there is foul play down there, we trust that the referees will throw a flag down and issue the appropriate penalties. Like British soccer fans, however, we hold in reserve the option of storming the field if the referees don't do their job. RELATED: Obama Mulls Speech in Muslim Capital (The Washington Independent) Obama Reveals Plans To Reach Out To Muslim World (Huffington Post) Right Truth: Obama's World Apology Tour (RightTruth) Plans major speech in Muslim capital to 'reboot' America's image (WorldNet Daily) Here comes the Great Man complex (American Thinker) A Cairo speech? (Politico)

Obama Ditches Oil Tax, Breaks Campaign Promise

Not even sworn into office yet, Obama is already breaking a campaign pledge to raise taxes on oil companies. Now, people are asking whether Obama is in the pocket of Big Oil. (Is that the "change" you voted for?) During the campaign, Mr Obama repeatedly promised to submit oil and gas companies to a profits windfall tax, citing the disparity between their huge profits and the struggles of ordinary Americans. More at Telegraph.co.uk...

Lower Your Obama Expectations, Europe

Obama is not the man that Europe thinks he is. In fact, he's not the man that many of his supporters thought he was. Ask liberal Democrats who voted for him in the US and many will tell you how disappointed they are Obama for choosing so many leftover politicians for his high posts: Hillary Clinton pegged for Secretary of State, holding onto Bush's Secretary of Defense Robert Gates, and so on. Europe will be disappointed for reasons other than his appointments, however. Once Europeans realized that Obama is an American first, not some borderless citizen of the world, the gloss will be a bit dimmer in their eyes. Obama is not the Messiah, of course, and although he'd like to, he has not, will not and cannot bring peace to the planet or miraculously cure diseases, and people will not suddenly stop hating each other when he becomes the president on January 20. I'm not criticizing him for being human; I've written that we should give Obama a chance before we rush to judge him on a job that is, officially, not even his yet. Swissinfo.ch has a very interesting article about Professor Stephen Monsma of the Henry Institute in Michigan. Prof. Monsma, writes Swissinfo, "warns Europeans against having unrealistic expectations: Obama might be more liberal than Bush but he would continue to put Americans first when he takes office." This is music to my conservative ears. He will "continue to put America first?" God bless him if that is so. William Ayers must be having fits over this, but it pleases me to no end. Prof. Monsma believes that many Europeans think Obama would brush America aside for some internationalist agenda. Wrong, says Prof. Monsma. "He will be a very tough negotiator," he told Swissinfo. No doubt, we know he can be and he was impressive in the campaign. But will Obama use his powers for Truth, Justice and the American Way? "There is so much enthusiasm for Obama in Europe," Prof. Monsma told Swissinfo, "even among the French. I'm sure that America's Nato allies are soon going to feel some pressure from the Obama government to send more troops to Afghanistan and we will see how excited the French are about that." RELATED: Obama and Europe: How long a love-fest? DJ Nozem: Obama and Europe More `dirty tricks' tipped From George Bush to Barack Obama

Nigeria: Rioting Kills At Least 300

Contested election results and religion-based hatred were the cause of rioting that has killed more than 300 so far. Fighting erupted over the results of a local election in the city of Jos in central Nigeria. This is not the first time this has happened in Nigeria. CNN notes that "More than 10,000 Nigerians have died in sectarian violence since civilian leaders took over from a former military junta in 1999. Political strife over local issues is common in Nigeria, where government offices control massive budgets stemming from the country's oil industry." Nigeria's religious demographics are Muslim 50%, Christian 40% and indigenous beliefs 10%. (CIA Word Factbook) BBC on the current mayhem in Nigeria: Police have imposed a 24-hour curfew and the army is patrolling the streets. They have been given orders to shoot on sight in an effort to quell the bloodshed, some of the most serious in Nigeria in recent years. The Nigerian Red Cross says at least 10,000 people have fled their homes. More at BBC News... A report from AFP: "I was at the central mosque this afternoon and I counted 378 dead bodies but just as I was about to leave, three more bodies were brought in," a correspondent for Radio France Internationale in Jos, Aminu Manu, told AFP, adding that families were coming forward to claim their dead relatives. "Hundreds of people have been killed in the last two days since the riots started. Remains of burned bodies litter some parts of the town; it is so terrible," Christian clergyman Yakumu Pam said. Full Story at AFP... It should be noted that more people have died in the current Nigerian situation than in Mumbai and all Wal-Marts combined this week. RELATED: Troops Deployed to Stop Fighting in Central Nigeria - VOA 28 Nov 2008 ZIMBABWE: Soldiers riot over cash shortage - IRIN 28 Nov 2008 Islam in Nigeria: Simmering tensions BBC, 2003 Christians Killed And Churches Burned In Nigerian Riots (2002) RTÉ News: 175 killed in Nigerian riots over beauty contest (2002) Religious hatred sparks Nigerian riots... (2001) BBC News AFRICA Murder charges after Nigerian riots (2000) Nigeria, Crime Timeline, 21st Century Nigeria Christian / Muslim Conflict

Breaking: Franken - Coleman STILL Tight

With Thanksgiving just hours away, one of the Minnesota US Senate races is still undecided. The recount has hit all kinds of speed bumps. Just hours ago, it was being reported that Al Franken (Democrat) would appeal a court decision that would not count approximately 12,000 absentee ballots, but a later report from The Hill says that he will not appeal the decision after all. Franken is hoping to unseat incumbent Norm Coleman (Republican). According to the Washington Independent, "With more than 80 percent of the 2.92-million ballots recounted, the incumbent clings to a roughly 200-vote lead — almost the exact margin he maintained when the process got underway on November 19. The outcome of this tight race will likely hinge on a few thorny issues still in play." See the full article...

Minnesota Recount: Coleman Holds Tight Lead Over Franken

UPDATE on the US Senate recount in Minnesota, where challenger Al Franken (Democrat) is now nipping at the heels of incumbent Norm Coleman (Republican). There's a lot of aspirin being consumed up there. According to the Star Tribune of Minneapolis, "Norm Coleman is hanging on to his whisker-thin lead over Al Franken. With 64 percent of the 2.9 million ballots recounted, Coleman is ahead by 120 votes."

FRANKEN-COLEMEN RECOUNT OFF?

BREAKING NEWS (5:20 PM Central Time, Nov. 21) The bizarre goings on in the Minnesota US Senate race just keep getting weirder: Minn. Senate campaigns reconsidering challenges - West Central Tribune, MN Officials for both Norm Coleman and Al Franken said Friday they'll review the hundreds of challenges they've made so far in their Senate race recount - and withdraw some - before the state Canvassing Board meets next month to consider them....

Comedian Al Franken Decries "Frivolous" Challenger

Democrat Al Franken is running for the US Senate in Minnesota, where he is locked into a recount mess with Republican incumbent Norm Coleman. Franken, a violent man with an evil temper, has a failed career as a comedian. It failed because he really wasn't very funny, but now, ironically, he's funnier than ever. To wit, the Minnesota Tribune reports this today (emphasis added): Al Franken’s campaign believes it’s spotted a pattern of frivolity in their opponent’s ballot challenges. “And that pattern is that if you vote for John McCain, it is inconceivable — inconceivable — that you didn’t also intend to vote for Norm Coleman,” said Marc Elias, the Franken team’s lead recount attorney, wielding a stack of 10 challenged ballots at a press conference today. “I think it’s clear now, at least in some instances, there are challenges being lodged that are clearly frivolous.” (Source) Franken-lawyer Marc Elias just can't believe that people who voted for McCain, the Republican presidential candidate, would also vote in 99 percent of all cases for Coleman, the Republican senatorial candidate. This is funny because Democrats just assume that their voters will always behave that way. A current example is the way people voted in California for Proposition 8, which bans homosexual marriage (but did not diminish civil unions). In the case of Prop 8, African-Americans and Hispanic-Americans - who tend to vote overwhelmingly for Democrats - actually voted overwhelmingly for Prop 8, which was viciously challenged by the Democrat Party. It is fact that 90 to 95 percent African-Americans vote for Democrat candidates in every election at every level. Yet, it is also fact that African-Americans tend to vote against a number of "liberal" issues such as homosexual marriage. In other words, many Black people around the US who \voted for Obama may well have voted (locally) against traditionally "liberal" items on the same ballot. This is not outlandish or hard to believe, yet Franken's lawyer would have us believe it is so. To draw from this, why is it hard to believe that "if you vote for John McCain, it is inconceivable...that you didn’t also intend to vote for Norm Coleman," as Franken-lawyer said. No, it would be inconceivable that people voting for McCain (or against Obama, as it were) would vote for Al Franken, a nutjob lunatic uber-Liberal. Seriously: It's not as though Franken is a moderate, easy to like Democrat that Republicans could embrace and vote for. Rather, Franken has offered nothing more than dishonest mockery of conservative values for decades now. Franken is well known to be a mean, hot tempered man. To turn Franken-lawyer's phrase around, if you vote for Barack Obama, it is inconceivable — inconceivable — that you didn’t also intend to vote for Al Franken, because even though he's known to be a raving asshole, he's a Democrat and party trumps character for Democrats. Don't believe me? Voters in Illinois need only remember Democrats of low character that hold elected office, such as Cook County Board President Todd Stroger, Governor Rod Blagojevich, virtually the entire Chicago City Council, and countless others that voters have long known are shady - but voted for them anyway. Party trumps quality almost every time. (Remember John Kerry?) Ironically, Democrat voters, who chanted "Change" with glassy-eyed conformity, largely voted the way they have for decades. Doesn't sound like "change" to me. RELATED READING: Washington Times - Blacks, Hispanics nixed gay marriage The Bench: Most Blacks, Latinos Voted For Proposition 8 Proposition 8 Exit Poll: Whites oppose, blacks support, Latinos ... 70% of African Americans backed Prop. 8, exit poll finds L.A. ... Anti-gay bias puts blacks in bad company Prop 8 Sparks Gay-Black Divide Just how shallow are Democrat voters? Extreme Wisdom Just Who Did Democrat Voters Elect? - HUMAN EVENTS Pitts: In historic election, blacks embrace discrimination ... CURE Blacks should try to see real point of liberal politics Video: Why change is rare in black communities

RECOUNT: FRANKEN - COLEMAN STILL UNDECIDED: 2.9 MILLION VOTES TO COUNT (AGAIN)

Minnesota STILL does not have a decision in the Franken-Coleman race for US Senate. With Coleman tentatively leading Franken by a miniscule 215 votes, a recount has been ordered, forcing election officials to undertake a massive task. A judge ruled that Franken could have access to information about absentee ballots that were disqualified. Election workers must now sift through some 2,900,000 votes between now and December 5th. They started yesterday, and will have to count about more than 25,000 votes per day. City and county workers across Minnesota began a laborious recount yesterday of 2.9 million ballots in the tight Senate contest between Republican incumbent Norm Coleman and Democrat Al Franken. The state's first look at recount figures showed that nearly 16 percent of ballots were recounted by the end of the day, with 221 challenges statewide. Election workers have until Dec. 5 to complete the recount. MORE at the Philadelphia Enquirer... RELATED: Franken to get rejected absentee info Count-a-thon off to smooth start Franken Makes Gains In First Day Of Recount, But It's Far From Over

Arab Americans Attack Sen. Lieberman

Right after Barack Obama and the Democrats reached out and made nice with Senator Joe Lieberman, a Democrat who supported McCain, a Muslim group is demanding that he be removed as the chairman of the Homeland Security and Government Affairs Committee. As noted today at Jihad Watch, "Lieberman is accused by Muslims of being, in essence, an Islamophobe." Specifically, he's being attacked by The Arab American Institute. Why? Well, because he believes that certain Muslim groups should be watched since 9/11, because he has some weird fantasy that maybe, just maybe, some of them want to kill you and me. Weird, huh? What a nut, that Joe Lieberman. Imagine, people wanting to hurt this country? Isn't that just crazy? RELATED: Arab Americans want Lieberman to lose chair Lieberman to Remain Head of Key US Senate Committee Lawmakers choosing GOP, Democratic leaders for '09 BBC NEWS Americas Lieberman heckled at Arab forum The Arab American Institute

FRANKEN, COLEMAN: STILL TOO CLOSE

THE LATEST ON THE ONGOING U.S. SENATE RACE IN MINNESOTA: Twin Cities, Minnesota - NOV. 15 - Senator Norm Coleman’s lead over Al Franken shrunk again from 206 to an even 200 votes after counties from all over Minnesota turned in their audits Friday. The hand count audits were only of 3 to 5 precincts in any given county and are done after every election in Minnesota to check the accuracy of the voting machines. Full Story....

COLEMAN NOW AHEAD OF FRANKEN IN TIGHT MINNESOTA SENATE RACE

THIS DAMNED STORY KEEPS CHANGING. I posted the item below last night, and today it has changed - again. The Bench recommends a Google news search on "Al Franken" to keep up with the very latest on this story, which seems to change by the hour. IT AIN'T OVER YET: The Coleman-Franken contest for US Senate in Minnesota drags on. It's like the NYSE. Up, down, up, down. Norm Coleman was ahead of Al Franken, then Franken challenged and pulled ahead by some 200 votes (see Al Franken Stealing Election In Minnesota). Now, late tonight, comes word that Coleman has pulled ahead of Franken! Why? Because of a lot of hard work by attorneys for both sides in a drama that will be written about for years to come: Hundreds of lawyers from both parties have volunteered to help fight the continuing Minnesota Senate race, where Republican Sen. Norm Coleman now leads Democrat Al Franken by roughly 200 votes, of 2.9 million cast, after an initial count. The razor-thin margin will trigger an automatic recount. Full Story at WSJ...

FLASH: OBAMA TO QUIT SENATE ON SUNDAY

CHICAGO - Obama will officially leave the US Senate this coming Sunday, Nov. 16. Obama needs time, you see, to get ready for his new job - even though he told us before the election that he'd be ready "on day one." He just couldn't wait another week. If he had waited until, say, Nov. 23, he would have been able to get involved with next week's big Senate session to deal with the current economic crisis. But no, Obama is too busy for that stuff. He's getting ready for Day One, even though he promised us he was already ready for Day One. But here's the really fun part: In Chicago, the local Democrat Machine (of which Obama is/was a part) will now go into fits of hyperventilation as jerk after jerk jockeys for a good position from which to thrust himself/herself into Obama's vacated Senate seat. (More at Reuters...)

Exclusive: The Scene at Obama's Press Conference

CHICAGO, Nov. 8, 2008 (The Bench) - Barack Obama held a press conference at 1:30 p.m. yesterday (Friday, Nov. 7, 2008), his first since becoming the president-elect. The event was held in the Continental Ballroom of the Hilton Chicago at 720 South Michigan Avenue. The hotel is across the street from Grant Park, where on Tuesday night about 250,000 Obama supporters gathered on an unseasonably warm November evening to wait for the election results.

The Bench was there and presents exclusive photos of the scene, inside and outside of the Hilton Chicago. News media and excited Obama admirers waited patiently to catch a glimpse or get a photograph of Obama and his team. See the exclusive slide show here (or click on this link): The weather on Friday, in contrast, was chilly with scattered sleet and rain. Even with the more seasonal weather, however, the small size of the crowd that gathered outside of the Hilton to catch a glimpse of Obama was a surprise. The Bench estimates the crowd at approximately 250, scattered around the block that the hotel fully occupies. The few who were hanging around, however, were all smiles and excited to be there. It was a well-dressed crowd that seemed to be mostly under 40 years old, and nearly everybody had a camera. Some people had expensive, professional grade cameras. Most held up camera phones. Obama’s press conference started late. It was scheduled for 1:30 p.m., but did not get underway until about 1:50 p.m. Television crews outside were unhappy about it, but shrugged their shoulders. After all, Obama has a reputation for being late to Senate hearings and other meetings, so why not his first post-election press conference, too? (See: The Late Mister Obama ) The Hilton Chicago has a lot of history inside and outside of its walls. It has hosted presidents and dignitaries from around the world. During the 1968 Democrat Convention in Chicago, Hubert Humphrey stayed at the Conrad Hilton, as it was known then.

The violence that broke out in 1968 in Grant Park, across the street, overflowed onto the streets and surrounded the Hilton. There was, at that time, a street-level restaurant with large plate glass windows that gave a nice view of Michigan Avenue and Grant Park. During the rioting, however, the view just outside those windows was mayhem: Police beating rioters, rioters beating police, people going crazy and bent on destruction. At one point, rioters on the sidewalk crashed through the windows and into the restaurant. Back to the present, and another contrast: There were no protesters at the Hilton today, no broken windows, and very few police. A few days ago, Grant Park, the scene of violent anti-government protest 40 years ago, was the scene of peaceful submission to a pro-government cult of personality. Everybody was surprised when the press conference ended around 2:50 p.m. One or two local personalities exited the ballroom and walked into the crowd. Mary Mitchell, a local race-baiting columnist for the Chicago Sun-Times, pauses to coo over somebody’s baby. The real VIPs, of course, left via another, more secure portal. I took a few photos of the crowd, then left the building. Walking along the north side of the hotel, on E. Balbo, I tried to find another angle from which to take photos. I heard a sudden outburst of loud – very loud – cheering. A woman with a camera walked near me. She heard the cheering too. “He’s here!” she said, and we both broke into a run toward East 8th Street, on the south side of the hotel. We got to the corner of E. 8th and just in time. Obama’s motorcade drove by, slower than one might expect. Security was lax at the hotel, and was even more lax as the vehicles drove between two columns of onlookers. The Chicago police officers were not numerous, and Secret Service was less so. The cars were literally inches from over a hundred people. No barricade, no line of security people, nothing in the way of security between us and Them. Note to Secret Service: Get with the program. Note to CPD Commander Jody Weis: Get with the program. Had there been a lunatic with a grenade or a .50 caliber rifle under a long trench coat, nobody would have known until it was too late.

Unlike millions of Democrats who still openly wish death on President Bush, I wish no harm to Barack Obama. And so, I hope that his security will be beefed up at future events. The last thing we need is another tragedy - JFK's assassination produced no riots. God forbid, if something happened to President Obama there would be blood in the streets of every large city in the US.

People ran alongside the motorcade vehicles, snapping pictures. After most of the motorcade had passed, one CPD officer seemed (finally) to realize how bad the security situation was. He ran down the street, ready to keep people back and away from the high-carbon footprint vehicles. After running about 20 feet, however, he realized how futile his effort was. He stopped, stared for a moment at the potential security disaster, shook his head, and walked onto the sidewalk. A young man cheerfully said to the officer, “Hey man, you running like that, you’re like a Secret Service agent.” I couldn’t help thinking that, no, that lone cop is better than the Secret Service. The Secret Service agents should be more like that cop, and Commander Weis should take note. I wonder if any of Obama’s people noticed how poorly they were being “protected.” Directly across from the Continental Ballroom, where Obama held his first press conference since being elected President of the United States, is a humble shoe shine stand (photo). The contrast and the significance was not lost on me. Behind me, our first Black president addressed the world. In front of me, as I took a photo of it, was a symbol of the Old Days. Not that shoe shines are passé, mind you, but that so many young black men have for so long operated shoe shine stand just like this one because they had no other opportunity. Barack Obama did not change that; he’s not officially the president until he is sworn to office in January. Democrat Lyndon Johnson and the Republicans in the Congress shoved through the Civil Rights Act in spite of the Congressional Democrats’ objections at the time. Today, young black men have many choices other than shining shoes. I did not support Obama in the election. It had nothing to do with race. It had everything to do with his ideology. Nevertheless, I do appreciate the symbolism of a Black person being elected to the presidency, even if I do not rejoice in a neo-Marxist taking the Oval Office. I hope, I truly hope, that the child of the man who operates that shoe shine stand in the Hilton will grow up knowing that – as Republicans are so fond of saying – anybody can become anything they want in this nation, with hard work and the right approach.

I also hope that when that man’s child is grown up, the same respect for the concepts of individualism and personal freedom that made it possible for Obama to achieve what he has still exists. Ironically, Obama’s ascension to power, along with a Congress controlled by a Democrat Party dominated by the far Left, threatens to smother those concepts.

The House That Rahm Emanuel Built

FLASHBACK: An excellent post by Back Yard Conservative about Barack Obama's soon-to-be White House Chief of Staff. RELATED STORY, 11/11/08: Eugene Schulter: From Eminent Domain to Imminent Demise Schulter is running for Emanuel's 5th Congressional District seat. "Now Rahm Emanuel, 4th in the Dem leadership, and architect of their victory, who promised ethics reform, is facing questions about what he knew about the Foley emails, and when did he know it..." Read the full posting...

FLASH: HUGE WIN FOR LABOUR IN UK: BROWN'S BIG VICTORY

BREAKING NEWS: Our cousins across the pond had a huge national election this week, too, and the big winner was Gordon Brown, who retains his position as Prime Minister. It was a surprise to many observers. The United Kingdom has been suffering much more than the US in the current crisis, and Brown "may be willing to follow the cuts in interest rates by sanctioning tax reductions in the UK, as part of an internationally coordinated effort to give world economies a boost," according the Guardian UK. This will probably set an example that the rest of Europe, and perhaps the Obama Administration in the US., will follow. Labour pulled off a stunning...victory in the early hours of this morning, defying predictions to retain the once safe Labour seat of Glenrothes in the first indication that Gordon Brown's heightened international standing and handling of the financial crisis has translated into improved electoral fortunes. (Guardian UK) Brown's Labour Party managed to energize voters and get them to the polls: "I saw people coming out to vote for Labour who haven't voted for 20 years. I need to think about that," said Tricia Marwick, the SNP MSP who won the equivalent Scottish parliament seat of Central Fife from Labour last year. (Guardian UK) The victory and the scope of the voter turnout were a surprise even to the insiders: The scale of the win, however, took everyone, including Labour strategists, by surprise. It marks an abrupt end to Alex Salmond’s honeymoon as Scotland’s First Minister and a thumping personal endorsement for Mr Brown. Holding the seat that Labour won with a 10,664 majority in 2005 meant that Mr Brown’s decision to break with tradition and campaign in the contest — along with his wife, Sarah, who made several visits — paid off. (TimesOnline.UK)

Moving On: After the Obama Victory

Ah, we had some fun in the recently ended election, didn't we? Time to move on now. We will trust, but we will attempt to verify. We are willing to work together, but not be steamrolled over. We must tone down the rancor, but not be afraid to speak out. We must stand by President Obama - he will walk into a tough job with extraordinary challenges. Russia is making war noises. N. Korea is resuming its nuclear program. Iranian centrifuges are spinning frantically. We must stand by our new President; he is being briefed even now on matters that you and I will never know anything about. National security issues that would keep us all awake at night if we were privy to the inside info. We must support him, but we must also keep an eye on him. Trust, but verify. Agree where we can, argue when it is needed. Let us all move on. To my friends on the Right, I say the election is over, do not be bitter. To my friends on the Left, I say congratulations. Let us all move on now, get on with our daily lives, love our friends and families, do our jobs. The People have spoken, and we should cherish our ability to change leaders in this nation without revolution or slaughter. Democracy means that some of us win and some of us lose. But we all won, every one of us, when the freely cast votes of Americans were counted. May President Obama be safe, wise, and do well by us all. God Bless America! ~ Tom Mannis, Nov. 5, 2008

KIRK DEFEATS SEALS

WHEW! Some of the Bolshies were held at bay. For example, Congressman Mark Kirk (R-IL) held his office by defeating his challenger, Democrat Dan Seals, in a tight race in Chicago's north shore communities. Kirk’s race was one of three where suburban Republicans fended off Democratic challengers emboldened by Barack Obama’s presence at the top of the ticket in his home state. Freshman Rep. Peter Roskam of Wheaton and veteran Rep. Judy Biggert of Hinsdale declared victory over their Democratic challengers. MORE at Chicago Tribune...

OBAMA WINS, MCCAIN CONCEDES

McCAIN CONCEDES, CONGRATULATES PRESIDENT-ELECT OBAMA (10:20 PM CST) GOD HELP US ALL.