Cory Booker & Joe Scarborough: Scarborough Was Right! Booker's Admonishment Hurts Democrats; Turns Off Independents

“Inconsistency with ourselves is the greatest weakness of human nature.”
John Addison


"Morning Joe" Host Joe Scarborough's analysis of Cory Booker's first Apology Video following his appearance last week on "Meet The Press" DID in fact make him appear as if he were being "held Hostage".

Cory Booker's recent Admonishment by the National Democratic Party for speaking out on "Meet The Press" proves Independent Minds are NOT welcome in 21st Century Politics.
Its 100% Partisan Politics or Else!

The Democratic Party’s recent Attack on Cory Booker hurts his Political Brand & Disrupts his legacy of Helping the Poor and being able to reach across the Aisle as an Effective Bi-Partisan Leader.

As a result Independent Voters have been Turned off by how Poorly Booker was treated by Democrats following his "Meet The Press" comments.

Cory should NOT have Apologized!

I don't know WHO advised him (Male or Female) to Apologize but they offered him some very Damaging Career Advice.

Instead he should have just reiterated his Stand for Pres. Obama & also reiterated his Support for Private Equity.

However he should NOT have Apologized.

Here's Why.

During his appearance on "Meet The Press", Mayor Booker criticized Both Political Parties for Negative Ads which further Divide American Voters.

Millions of Voters & Political Leaders from all walks of life and ethnic groups agreed with Cory's Straight-From-The-Heart comments.

Voters are so tired of Politicians saying ANYTHING just to get Elected & Re-elected.

Thus when Cory Booker spoke so eloquently about Negative Campaign ads which revisit the Jeremiah Wright drama & attacks Private Equity, the Clouds opened up for American Voters.

However while Independent Voters were Lauding Booker, Leaders within the Democratic Party and many within Pres. Obama's Re-election camp obviously viewed Cory's comments as a Spotlight stealing gimmick.

It Wasn't!

Cory Booker has primarily been a Staunch Advocate of Pres. Barack Obama, even when he was just Senator Obama.

So why would he suddenly become a "Turn Coat" or a Traitor to Pres. Obama?

Cory merely stated an Opinion. An Independent Opinion.

How could an Honest Opinion in which he criticized the Negative Actions of Both Political Parties, cause Cory's Loyalty to Pres. Obama's Administration to be Questioned?

I thought all American Citizens regardless of their Ethnicity, Economic & Social Status were legally Afforded Freedom Of Speech rights as provided by the U.S. Constitution.

Hold It!

Cory Booker was an Obama Surrogate right?

Apparently Political Surrogates are NOT allowed to Express their Own, Independent Opinions.

Especially NOT BLACK, Political Surrogates within the Democratic Party.

You see its acceptable for WHITE Political Surrogates to Express their Independent Opinions once in a while, but BLACK, Political Surrogates are ALWAYS expected to do as they are told versus practicing Independent Thinking.

i.e., Slavery Group Think Mentally!

In essence Cory Booker largely known for being an Effective Bi-Partisan Leader, was Forced by the National Democratic Party and by some of his Inner Circle Socialite Friends to become a completely Partisan Political Leader or ELSE!!!

In other words pick a side or we will Black List You!

Sure sounds like "Hostage Politics" to me.

Cory Booker was Celebrated by Independent Voters for his "Meet The Press" comments because not only did he speak from the Heart but he demonstrated a Human trait so many 21st Century Politicians have lost.

How Sad such an Admirable Human Relations Trait is no longer welcome in the world of Partisan Politics.
Both Parties!

Partisan Politics are to blame for a Broken Congress & a Dysfunctional Executive Branch Government.

Booker sees American Citizens NOT just as Voting Blocks or as Separate Voting Groups, but Cory Booker sees American Citizens as Individual HUMAN BEINGS Created in GOD's Image.

Cory Booker was Admonished for simply Daring to be Independent & for Daring to be Human versus a Political Machine.

For that Mayor Booker's Political Career has been Damaged, All the Good he has done to help Clean Up a Corrupt Metropolitan City Forgotten & his Once shining light as a Rising Political Star Dimmed.

In 2008 Barack Obama was Praised by Registered Independent Voters for being a seemingly Effective Bi-Partisan Political Leader, willing to Compromise for the sake of the Collective American Electorate.

Fast forward to 2012.

Cory Booker another rising star within the National Democratic Party is Whipped, Admonished & Blacklisted for attempting to be an Effective Bi-Partisan Political, also willing to Compromise for the sake of the Collective American Electorate.

Perhaps there will Always ONLY be room for just ONE rising, BLACK Political Star within the National Democratic Party at a time.

I suggest Cory Booker choose some New Inner Circle Social Friends (Male & Female) and....a New Public Relations Adviser.

I also suggest Cory Booker decide if he should remain a Staunch Democrat or consider becoming a Registered Independent like one of his Mentors Mayor Mike Bloomberg.

After all what is the use of remaining a Staunch, Loyal Democrat Surrogate if the Democratic Party will treat you like Horse Manure if you choose to "Step Out Of Line"?
i.e., Political Slavery!
i.e., "Held Hostage"!


But Republicans shouldn’t laugh at this latest misstep by Democrat Leaders.

Key GOP Leaders have also been known to recently Attack rising Republican Leaders & Candidates who stray off-message.

So much for Authentic American Democracy.

So much for Bi-Partisanship.

So much for Independent, Critical Thinkers.

Dear God Help Us!

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Cory Booker’s truth — and its consequences

The past several days of Newark Mayor Cory Booker’s life have been painfully amusing to watch.

Painful because Booker, a rising Democratic star, is such a good guy. Amusing, because rarely are Americans treated to such premier seats in the political theater of truth and consequence.

That is, tell the truth and beware the consequences.

Booker has gained much unwelcome attention from his own political party, while being nearly sanctified by Republicans, for the singular offense of telling the truth.

And then untelling the truth.

And then . . . stay tuned.

To know Booker is to like him. He’s one of those political figures whose persona telegraphs “honest broker.” Educated at Stanford, Oxford and Yale Law School, he’s also a popular mayor in one of America’s toughest, most challenged cities. Open-minded and solution-oriented, he’s what we hope for in public officials. Or say we do.

But honesty is not always a rewarding trait in politics, especially during high-stakes election years, as Booker promptly learned when he recently spoke from the heart on “Meet the Press.” He said that attacks on Bain Capital, where Mitt Romney made a fortune, were “nauseating” to him, as were similar attacks from the right to resurrect the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

“I have to just say from a very personal level, I’m not about to sit here and indict private equity,” Booker said. “To me, it’s just this — we’re getting to a ridiculous point in America, especially that I know. I live in a state where pension funds, unions and other people are investing in companies like Bain Capital. If you look at the totality of Bain Capital’s record, it ain’t — they’ve done a lot to support businesses, to grow businesses.”

Hearts leapt.

While regular folks shielded their eyes from the blinding light of Truth, political operatives left and right shifted into warp speed. Republicans produced an insta-ad capitalizing on Booker’s remarks — See? Even Democrats dislike President Obama’s attack on Bain — while their counterparts on the left began launching correctives.

David Axelrod promptly made the rounds and explained to talk show hosts what Booker really meant. (As though Americans can’t understand what they plainly hear.) Others pointed out Booker’s own cozy relationship with equity capital political donors. And Booker, obviously scrambling to recapture favor with the Obama campaign, posted a YouTube video before another sun had set.

What he “really” meant: “Let me be clear. Mitt Romney has made his business record a centerpiece of his campaign,” Booker says in the video. “He’s talked about himself as a job creator. And therefore it is reasonable — and in fact I encourage it — for the Obama campaign to examine that record and to discuss it. I have no problem with that.”

Commentators have all cast their ballots as to whether Booker should have corrected himself. Almost unanimously, the answer was no.

Obviously, if you’re a surrogate for the president, as Booker described himself on “Meet the Press,” your job is to regurgitate talking points. No wandering around the reservation, no independent thinking, certainly no personal confessions. You absolutely do not declare the centerpiece of the president’s attack on his opponent to be “nauseating.”

Unless it is. And unless it’s true. For you, you know when you’re alone with your conscience. Or having lunch with your private-equity donors, as the case may be. But definitely not while on TV!

On Rachel Maddow’s show, Booker dug a little deeper: “Obviously, I did things in the ‘Meet the Press’ interview, as I told you, that did not land the points that I was trying to make. And in some ways, you know, frustratingly, I think I conflated the attacks that the Republicans were making with Jeremiah Wright with some of the attacks on the left. And those can’t even be equated.”

Worse, from the party’s perspective, Booker described himself as an “independent Democrat.” Oops.

We may like independents in theory, but surrogates don’t get to be independent. You gotta pick one or the other. This has been the immediate lesson for Cory Booker. But the broader lesson for the public is that there’s no space in our body politic for an independent mind, even though more Americans describe themselves as independent than either Democrat or Republican.

Thinking outside the box may solve problems in the real world. But in the political realm, creative noodling will get you cast into the outer darkness. No matter which way you lean, The Machinery requires cogs, not cognizance.





Cory Booker’s Brand takes a hit

It only took 15 seconds on “Meet the Press” to turn Cory Booker’s gold-plated political brand into an imperiled commodity.
Booker has cemented a reputation as a rising Democratic star with crossover appeal, whose open secret is his desire to become either senator or governor.

But the Newark mayor may have done himself serious damage before he gets the chance to act on his long-held ambitions, thanks to his pointed criticism of the Obama campaign’s assault on Mitt Romney’s private-equity tenure, which he equated with the GOP using the Rev. Jeremiah Wright against Obama.

Booker’s words, combined with his painful, videotaped walk-back hours later, may have done the Democrat more harm than good.

“Mayor Booker forgets there’s Democratic primaries you have to [go] through before you get the nomination and statements like that don’t help you with the Democratic primary base,” said Julie Roginsky, a New Jersey-based Democratic political strategist.

Some Democrats, and Republicans, believe that the telegenic, African-American mayor emerged from the week — in which he called the attacks on Romney’s record at Bain Capital “nauseating” on “Meet the Press” — as a pragmatist, one who could work with the Republicans in the Democratic-leaning Garden State.

But while the mayor’s “No Labels” centrist appeal may work with donors and center-right voters, it will do little for him in a Democratic primary against, say, Sen. Frank Lautenberg in 2014 — especially if Obama is reelected, and holding onto a grudge.
“It is absolutely crazy to go and blast the president,” said one Democratic operative who knows Booker well, and asked not to be identified. “And he could have gotten away with it. He could have bemoaned negative campaigning. That would have been fine and that would have been great. (But) he compared the Bain attack to Jeremiah Wright. That’s crazy.”

Booker, who has fundraised heavily from the financial-services sector and is a player in the private-equity-financed, education reform movement, has been eyeing statewide office for years.

He is believed to most covet the governor’s office, although he would never challenge Gov. Chris Christie, who’s been a political friend and has deftly moved to co-opt the Newark mayor, unless the Republican was truly vulnerable.

A potential Lautenberg challenge is seen as likelier — and it’s a fact of which that the senator is keenly aware. Following Booker’s comments, the 88-year-old senator went on a media tour to rub salt in the wounds after the mayor’s walk-back, which was made after national Democrats contacted him.

“Now we have a different record,” Lautenberg cheerily told Roll Call of the difference between himself and Booker, accusing Booker of “sabotage” against the president.

Not everyone thinks Booker did himself damage.

“I just don’t see any situation where this really hurts him politically in New Jersey,” said Bradley Tusk, who managed New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg’s 2009 reelection campaign and who has worked with Booker on education initiatives. “I don’t think voters will remember this if he runs for office. I don’t think they’d care even if they did remember.

Nor do I think anyone would challenge him from the left.”

“I don’t think that will” damage him, agreed former New Jersey Gov. Tom Kean.
“He’s a very attractive candidate — there aren’t that many of them around.

He is one of them. … I think what people like about candidates these days is when they’re honest — so what he said about ‘a plague on both your houses,’ I think it was very well received.

I don’t think it helped him or hurt him in the end.”

The counter-argument to why Booker has hurt himself, according to a number of Democratic operatives, is simple: he’s black and will pick up nearly every African-American vote, he can raise infinite sums of money, and he’s a terrific and tireless campaigner who has made good use of social media to grow his base of support. It’s the Obama playbook on a statewide stage.

Yet Kean pointed to what may have been the biggest problem for Booker out of last week — that his tortured-looking YouTube reversal of his “nauseating” remark, a nearly four-minute mea culpa in which he tried to stick with his original words while saying Romney’s Bain tenure is fair game — didn’t help someone trying to maintain a brand as a straight talker.

“The problem is he backtracked, so that makes him look like one of them, not one of us,” Kean said. “But I think the initial comments were on target. (I) don’t think they were critical of the president, they were critical of an ad strategy.”
Booker’s aides did not return calls for comment.

Booker’s words on last Sunday’s “Meet the Press” provoked a week of national scrutiny never before faced by the mayor criticizing the first black president.

He became the first Democrat to question whether the president should be launching attacks on private equity — which invests in New Jersey pension funds, and the Democratic Party — and was soon followed by other Democrats, such as ex-Rep. Harold Ford, and former Democratic National Committee Chairman Ed Rendell.

Although Democrats quickly piled on Booker — including Obama himself, stating clearly the Bain attacks would continue — Republicans embraced Booker as an ally. The GOP launched an “I Stand with Cory” campaign, and Romneyland has repeatedly emailed out his money quote, that the Bain attacks are part of a “nauseating” pattern of negativity in national politics.

It’s just a matter of time before Booker stars in a future Romney campaign ad, containing some version of this sentence: “Even Obama ally Cory Booker believes the Bain attacks are wrong…”

The two-term mayor, who’s in his early 40s, is at a crossroads in terms of his political future. A rising star for a decade, his chances for statewide office may start to dim if he doesn’t make a move soon.

Andrew Tisch, whose family runs the Loews Corp. and who is a major Booker donor himself, insisted that the mayor leaves this week in good shape, and is not running out of time.

“He’s 42 years old!” Tisch said. “When you say, name the great mayors in the United States, you start with Bloomberg, you go to (Rahm) Emanuel, you get to (Antonio) Villaraigosa, and then you get to Booker. He’s on the top of everybody’s tongue, and he’s made a hell of a name for himself at a very young age — and he’s one of the few people I’ve ever met in politics who has patience.”

But the “young gun/rising star” brand tends to have a shelf life.

“The challenge for Cory is, how many years can he keep his brand fresh and still be a viable statewide candidate,” said one Democratic operative.

One option is to run for a third term as Newark mayor, a city where he’s become famous for engaging with his citizens on Twitter, showing up to shovel people’s yards during a blizzard in 2010 and recently performing heroics during a building fire.

But Booker’s national presence and his social media prowess belies the fact that his own numbers in his city have not improved in recent years, and neither have some of the key indicators of urban success, most notably the perennial Newark crime scourge.

Crime statistics went down for his first years in office, but some rose again after the fiscal crisis. He only got about 59 percent of the vote in 2010 against a central rival who was soon after sentenced to prison.

He is not generally part of what one source called “the fabric of the Democratic party in New Jersey that wins elections.”

The $100 million investment that Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg pledged to the Newark school system, during a famous Oprah Winfrey chat with Booker and Christie, is actually a matching grant. And while Booker has made major progress toward matching it, he hasn’t yet completed his end.

Booker’s close connections to donors across the river in New York City have given him an air of distance from his state, and while his ties to Christie have helped him nationally, they inspire some distrust among Democrats statewide.

Lautenberg, meanwhile, is, as one Democrat said, “no shrinking violet,” and he has the personal wealth to help fuel a bloody intraparty challenge.

Booker also has an insular circle, and tends to heed his own counsel — which is fine on a local level, but difficult to pull off more broadly.

What the mayor may have demonstrated in his Sunday show outing, said one Democrat, is this: “He may not be ready for prime time.”

Where Booker has been successful is as a communicator — he gives strong speeches, and was frequently deployed as a surrogate for Obama during the 2008 campaign.

“He’s a solid Democrat, but he’s built this (reputation) where he speaks his mind and is unafraid to speak is his mind,” said Republican operative Mike DuHaime, a top Christie adviser.

Kean raised the prospect of Booker becoming a Cabinet member in a second Obama administration if he doesn’t run for office again.

“There could be a number of Cabinet positions open, one of them might be attractive to him,” Kean said. “He could do what certain candidates have done in the past, these cable shows would love to have you. (A) number of ex-candidates who have done pretty well there.

There are a number of doors open to him if he wants to take them. He’s still an attractive, compelling candidate.”

But despite insisting that they welcomed the focus on the Bain debate, Obama aides were displeased with Booker. Several Democrats suggested he was more loyal to the donors who fund his campaigns and his education reform efforts than he was to the president, and that he simply showed where his sympathies really lie.

And Booker’s remarks helped muddy the message that Chicago was trying to deliver.

A second-term Obama administration may not inspire much more fear than the first-term one did. But there are ways that an incumbent president can make things difficult for an aspiring candidate.

Democratic strategist Hank Sheinkopf, who has handled New Jersey races, said that only time will tell whether Booker suffered damage this week — but that he can’t exist without the donors who would fund a statewide campaign.

“He did help himself with Wall Street,” Sheinkopf said. “You can’t buy TV ads with great compliments — you gotta pay cash.”


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Sources: AOL, Crooks & Liars, Huffington Post, MSNBC, Mediaite, Meet The Press, Politico, Washington Post, Youtube, Google Maps

Chris Christie & Cory Booker Teach Congress How Effective Bi-Partisan Really Works! "We Got This!" (Videos)

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Are Gov. Chris Christie a Republican, & Mayor Cory Booker a Democrat, too close for comfort in the Political world?

NO! A thousand times NO!

How can Booker & Christie Effectively Help the Citizens of New Jersey by Bickering & Fighting all of the time like little Children?

America needs more Politicians like them who are willing to Work together for the common Good of the People who elected them into Public Office.

Politics is supposed to be about THE PEOPLE who Elected them into Public Office.

NOT the Politicians & Their Personal Interests!

CONGRESS PLEASE TAKE A HINT!

I Most Certainly Do NOT Agree With All Of Gov. Chris Christie's GOP Political Ideologies Or Policies, But I Do Respect The Man For Having Guts To Do What He Said He Was Going To Do When He Was On The Campaign Trail.

I Respect Mayor Cory Booker For Taking His 5 College Degrees, Moving Into The Hoods Of New Jersey & Sincerely Reaching Back To Help Uplift And Improve The Quality Of Life Of Low Income, Forgotten Citizens.

The Key Word Is SINCERELY!

Cory Booker Has Been Especially Instrumental In Helping To Educate Low Income BLACK & Latino Newark Residents On Becoming Entrepreneurs, So They Can Launch Small Businesses & Become Self-Sufficient Contributors To American Society.

The American Community Is ONLY As Strong As Its Weakest Link.

If Politicians Just Focus On Always Helping The Wealthy, Then How Will Citizens Who Reside In Poor Urban & Rural Communities Ever Experience Upward Mobility Or Improve The Quality Of Their Lives?

Especially BLACK & Latino Citizens??

Regardless Of How Brilliant Someone's Idea Or Invention Is, Without OPPORTUNITY & EXPOSURE That Idea Or Invention Will NEVER Receive Recognition Or Sell.

So Cory Booker Is Providing The Citizens Of Newark, NJ With Equal Education, Small Business Opportunities & the Exposure They Need To Achieve Upward Mobility Versus Just Waiting On Welfare Checks, Food Stamps, Unemployment Checks, etc.,

"Give A Man A Fish & He Will Only Eat For Just One Day."

"Teach A Man To Fish & He Will Be Able To Eat For A Lifetime."

Now If Cory Booker Will Please, Please Do More Help To Lower Newark's Overall Crime Rate & Help Reduce Newark's Overall Gang Activity, He Will Have Done A FINE JOB At Rehabilitating A Forgotten City Previously Over Flowing With Corruption & Crime.

Thus I Applaud Both Booker & Christie For Being Man Enough To Momentarily Lay Down Their Ideologies For The Good Of ALL New Jersey's Citizens.

Of Course There Is Still Much To Be Accomplished, But At Least Booker & Christie Are Doing More Than Just TALKING!

Most 21st Century Politicians (BLACK & White) Talk A Good Game But Do NOTHING To Back Up Their Talk.

So what's my take on the Booker/ Christie Political Relationship?

Kudos to EFFECTIVE, SINCERE BI-PARTISANSHIP!!

Keep doing what you do to Help Improve the Quality of Life for the Citizens of Newark and the entire State of New Jersey.

Cory Booker doesn't need to go to Washington, DC, Congress or the White House to be an EFFECTIVE Leader or Politician.

New Jersey needs Booker More than Congress ever will.

GOD BLESS BOTH CORY BOOKER & CHRIS CHRISTIE

Cory Booker for New Jersey Governor in 2014 or 2018!!!!

FOR THE PEOPLE; BY THE PEOPLE!



Are Chris Christie and Cory Booker too close for comfort?

They are the political 'odd couple.' New Jersey's Republican Governor Chris Christie and Newark's Democratic Mayor Cory Booker released a web video this week parodying Seinfeld, poking fun at each other's unique reputations.

Christie pokes fun at the persistent rumors that he will be Mitt Romney's pick for vice president. The video also mocks Booker's superhero status, after he literally saved a neighbor from a burning building, and his history of shoveling the streets of Newark himself.

Setting aside the lighthearted nature of the video for a moment, it is interesting to see these two elected officials from different sides of the political spectrum together and seeming to get along. It's certainly not a common occurrence these days.

But it also could be evidence that, in their own way, both of these two politicians are using their political savvy to work together in this way to direct their future endeavors.

It is no secret that Governor Christie wants to be president of the United States.

Part of the reason he didn't run this year is because President Obama is going to be very difficult to beat as an incumbent.

The power of incumbency is real and Christie knew it; he seems to have passed on running this year in order to try with much better odds in 2016. Christie is up for re-election to the state house in 2013, so any consideration of a veep slot with Romney would take into account the probability of losing to Obama this year.

Certainly, the calculation at this point is run for re-election in 2013 and then a White House run in 2016.

Mayor Cory Booker's unorthodox alliance with Christie is likely based on a number of different factors.

First off, as the mayor of New Jersey's largest city, it's possible that an amicable working relationship with the governor of the state is good for business and good for his constituents. Certainly, Christie's budget cuts to public education hurt the city of Newark particularly hard.

Booker's chummy relationship with Christie isn't just about doing work for the people of Newark, it's also likely a strategic move based on his own personal ambition.

Booker's last office will certainly not be as the mayor of Newark. His bright future could be as a Senator and a bipartisan track record in a mixed bag state like New Jersey certainly enhances his credentials.

That said, the future is somewhat unclear for Booker because Senator Frank Lautenberg (D-NJ) says he's not retiring in 2014. That means that there will not be an open seat for Booker to fill in the Senate and with Christie running for re-election in 2013 only a direct challenge to his ally for a shot at the governor's mansion.

Recently, Booker has actually hinted at running for a third term as mayor until 2018 which would mean all routes to higher office would be clear.

Both men benefit from appearing to get along. With the partisan gridlock in Congress, two elected officials from different parties that do disagree on certain issues, but can still laugh it up and get along, is certainly symbolic of a different tone in politics. Christie says the video parody is "emblematic of his approach to governing."

Booker's spokesman was singing the same bipartisan tone and said of the video, "It's refreshing to see two political figures reach across the aisle and put politics aside to show that bipartisanship is possible when elected officials make it a priority."

The two politicians certainly know that appearing to be reasonable and willing to see past the partisan squabbles and budget battles garners support. Certainly neither Christie nor Booker is naïve or unaware of how a lighthearted video can boost approval ratings. But while both men are concerned about appearances, the people of New Jersey are likely hoping it wasn't all for show.


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Sources: AP, MSNBC, NBC, The Grio, Youtube, Google Maps

Standard & Poor's Fires Back At Criticism Of U.S. Downgrade! Endorses Tax Increases!!

Amid Criticism on Downgrade, S.&P. Fires Back


A day after Standard & Poor’s took the unprecedented step of downgrading the creditworthiness of the United States government, the ratings agency offered a full-throated defense of its decision, calling the bitter stand-off between President Obama and Congress over raising the debt ceiling a “debacle,” and warning that further downgrades may lie ahead.

In an unusual Saturday conference call with reporters, senior S.& P. officials insisted the ratings firm hadn’t overstepped its bounds by focusing on the political paralysis in Washington as much as fiscal policy in determining the new rating. “The debacle over the debt ceiling continued until almost the midnight hour,” said John B. Chambers, chairman of S.& P.’s sovereign ratings committee.

Another S.& P. official, David Beers, added that “fiscal policy, like other government policy, is fundamentally a political process.”

Administration officials at the White House and Treasury angrily criticized S.& P.’s action as based on faulty budget accounting that discounted the just-enacted deal for increasing the debt limit.

The agreement set spending caps in the fiscal year that begins Oct. 1 and calls for a bi-partisan Congressional “super committee” to propose more deficit reduction — for up to $2.5 trillion in combined savings over a decade.

“The bipartisan compromise on deficit reduction was an important step in the right direction,” the White House press secretary, Jay Carney, said in a statement on Saturday. “Yet, the path to getting there took too long and was at times too divisive. We must do better to make clear our nation’s will, capacity and commitment to work together to tackle our major fiscal and economic challenges.”

The ratings agency put additional pressure on the joint Congressional committee to find additional spending cuts, tax hikes or both to bring down the inexorably rising national debt.

Still, the posturing on Capitol Hill continued.

“Unfortunately, decades of reckless spending cannot be reversed immediately, especially when the Democrats who run Washington remain unwilling to make the tough choices required to put America on solid ground,” Speaker John A. Boehner, an Ohio Republican, said in a statement.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said the downgrade affirmed the need for the Democratic approach, which would combine spending cuts with tax increases.

The decision, he said, “shows why leaders should appoint members who will approach the committee’s work with an open mind — instead of hardliners who have already ruled out the balanced approach that the markets and rating agencies like S.& P. are demanding.”

Even as the ratings agency insisted on Saturday that its move shouldn’t have come as a shock, it reverberated around the world as political and financial leaders scrambled to assess its impact on the already troubled world economy.

China, the largest foreign holder of United States debt, said on Saturday that Washington needed to “cure its addiction to debts” and “live within its means,” just hours after the S.& P. downgrade.

While Europeans had girded for a possible downgrade, the news that S.& P. had actually yanked the United States’ AAA rating was nonetheless received with a degree of alarm in the corridors of power across the Continent. Finance Minister François Baroin of France questioned the move Saturday, noting that the figures used by S.& P. didn’t match those of the Treasury, and overstated the federal debt by about $2 trillion.

Mr. Baroin said he found it curious that neither Moody’s nor Fitch, the two other major ratings agencies, had reached a similar conclusion. Moody’s has said it was keeping its AAA rating on the nation’s debt, but that it might still lower it.

“We have total confidence in the solidity of the American economy,” Mr. Baroin said in an interview on French radio. Nonetheless, he added, the decision confirms that the world’s most developed economies are confronted with the same urgent priorities: to lift growth and reduce public and private debt.

The lowering of a core financial instrument of the global economy is freighted with symbolic significance, but carries few clear financial implications. The downgrade could lead investors to demand higher interest rates from the federal government and other borrowers, raising costs for local governments, businesses and home buyers. But many analysts say the impact could be modest, in part because the other ratings agencies, Moody’s and Fitch, have not downgraded the government at this time.

The wrangling over the downgrade to AA+ from AAA stretched over days. S.& P. executives came to the Treasury Department earlier in the week to meet with a group of administration officials led by Mary J. Miller, the assistant secretary for financial markets, who is one of the government’s main liaisons to the rating agencies, according to a government official with knowledge of the meeting.

At the meeting, the S.& P. executives walked the Treasury team through its analysis, the official said. Even then, Treasury officials raised concerns about the methodology. S.& P. pointed out that there were at least three sets of assumptions that could be made to project future growth in government spending, according to the official.

The Congressional Budget Office projects spending in two ways — one that shows Congress increasing spending for the domestic and defense programs it finances annually by the projected rate of inflation, and another that shows spending rising by a higher amount pegged to the expected growth in the nation’s gross domestic product.

The Treasury argued for a third way, that would make sure that whichever so-called base line S.& P. used, it would take into account the spending caps and deficit reduction that Congress and the White House agreed to in the recent debt-limit deal.

Rumors of a potential downgrade started swirling through the financial markets on Friday morning, causing stocks to fall sharply. Although Moody’s and Fitch had affirmed the government’s AAA rating late Tuesday afternoon, S.& P. was silent.

But around 1:30 p.m on Friday, S.& P. sent a memorandum outlining its preliminary position, including specific figures underscoring their argument for a downgrade. Treasury officials were told that S.& P. planned to make its announcement after 4 p.m., when the stock market closes, according to two administration officials.

Treasury officials flagged a concern over how S.& P. crunched the numbers. S.& P. had chosen to assume that government spending grew at the pace of economic growth, rather than rely on numbers that incorporated the new spending limits into its actual budget projection. That is what Treasury officials are now calling a $2 trillion error — and raised the issue with S.& P.

In Saturday’s conference call, the Mr. Chambers said the $2 trillion difference, in one scenario for 2021, equals only about 2 percent of gross domestic product, and doesn’t alter the fundamental reality that the country’s debt burden will continue to rise.

Randy Neugebauer, a Texas Republican who heads the House Financial Services’ subcommittee on oversight and investigations, said that while it was appropriate for S.& P. to consider the political situation in its analysis, it was speculative of it to use predictions of what Congress will likely do in the future as a rationale for a downgrade.

“One thing that puts them out in uncharted waters is trying to predict what the political environment is going to be,” Mr. Neugebauer said. “They’re not predicting an overly cooperative environment in Congress and that’s a very subjective call.”

The ratings agencies, for their part, spent Saturday trying to defend their positions on the nation’s debt. Moody’s and Fitch analysts said Saturday that a downgrade remains a possibility. “Our rating is AAA until the day it changes,” said David Riley of Fitch in London. “That being said, we haven’t formally reaffirmed the rating.”

Moody’s has reaffirmed the AAA, though it put the country on negative watch on Tuesday. The company’s sovereign analyst said Saturday that his company is not as concerned about Washington’s political gridlock.

Steven Hess, a Moody’s analyst, said the debt deal “is not enough, but we thought a downgrade would be premature given that they have come up with a plan for deficit reduction.”

Sources: AP, CNN, Fox News, NY Times, Youtube

Debt Ceiling Bill Passes 269-161! Dems Held Noses To Save Nation's Economy!

Visit msnbc.com for breaking news, world news, and news about the economy

House passes debt ceiling agreement

The U.S. House on Monday passed the debt-ceiling deal worked out by President Barack Obama and congressional leaders, sending it to the Senate for consideration a day before the deadline for the government to face possible default.

A Senate vote was expected Tuesday, according to multiple Senate leadership aides from each party.

The agreement reached Sunday by President Barack Obama and congressional leaders from both parties calls for up to $2.4 trillion in savings over the next decade, raises the debt ceiling through the end of 2012 and establishes a special congressional committee to recommend long-term fiscal reforms.

The legislation needs to reach Obama's desk by Tuesday at the latest. If the current $14.3 trillion debt limit is not increased by that point, Americans could face rapidly rising interest rates, a falling dollar and shakier financial markets, among other problems.

By a 269-161 vote, the House overcame opposition from liberal Democrats and tea party conservatives for ideologically different reasons.

A number of Republicans worried about cuts in defense spending and the lack of a required balanced-budget amendment to the Constitution. Progressive Democrats were livid over the extent of the deal's domestic spending cuts, as well as the absence of any immediate tax hikes on wealthier Americans.

House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio, was able to round up the support of most of his GOP caucus, while the chamber's two top Democrats -- Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi of California and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer of Maryland -- voted for the plan along with more than 90 of their caucus members.

Still, emotions ran high after months of grueling negotiations that pitted the small-government, anti-tax ideology of conservative Republicans against Obama's call for balancing spending cuts and entitlement reforms with increased tax revenue to spread the pain of necessary deficit reduction steps.

This "may be the single worst piece of public policy to ever come out of this institution," declared liberal Rep. Maxine Waters, D-California, while Pelosi noted the measure "makes these big cuts and has ... not one red cent from the wealthiest people in our country -- no revenue."

At one point, more than a dozen protesters caused a disturbance in the House gallery by chanting against Speaker John Boehner until Capitol Police officers removed them.

Vice President Joe Biden spent much of Monday on Capitol Hill, trying to persuade unhappy Democrats to back the proposal.

"I am confident that this will pass," Biden asserted. "We have to get this out of the way" in order to turn Washington's focus to job growth, he said.

Boehner and other House leaders said the deal would start reshaping how Washington spends taxpayer money, which was the goal of conservatives who elected Republicans to a majority in the House last November.

"The bill is not perfect ... but changing the way that Washington spends tax payers dollars is often a lot like redirecting or turning an aircraft carrier." said House Majority Leader Eric Cantor, R-Virginia. "It's a monumental task."

Boehner acknowledged that Republicans on the Armed Services Committee were concerned about cuts to military spending in the agreement, but he told reporters he believed they would support the proposal.

"As I told them, this is the best defense number we're going to get, and frankly if we don't pass the bill, it's pretty clear to me what'll happen ... the defense number will go down," Boehner said.

The agreement revolves around a two-stage process.

The first stage includes $917 billion in savings, including a roughly $420 billion reduction in the national security budget. The cuts would be accompanied by a $900 billion increase in the debt ceiling.

Because of the pending Tuesday deadline, Obama would have immediate authority to raise the debt ceiling by $400 billion, which will last through September, according to the White House.

The other $500 billion increase in the debt limit would be subject to a congressional vote of disapproval that can be vetoed by Obama.

In the second stage, a special joint committee of Congress would recommend further deficit reduction steps totaling $1.5 trillion or more, with Congress obligated to vote on the panel's proposals by the end of the year.

The committee would comprise 12 members: Six from each chamber, equally divided between Democrats and Republicans. The panel's recommendations would be due by November 23 and guaranteed an up-or-down vote without amendments by December 23.

The committee is expected to consider politically sensitive reforms to the tax code and entitlement programs, though Democrats and Republicans disagree on the likelihood of any eventual revenue increases.

If the committee's recommendations are enacted, Obama would be authorized to increase the debt ceiling by up to $1.5 trillion. If the recommendations are not enacted, Obama can still raise the debt ceiling by $1.2 trillion. At that point, however, a budget "trigger" would kick in, imposing mandatory across-the-board spending cuts matching the size of the debt ceiling increase.

The cuts would be split between defense spending and non-defense programs, an unpopular formula intended to motivate legislators to approve the committee's recommendations.

"You want to make it hard for (lawmakers) just to walk away and wash their hands," Gene Sperling, the director of Obama's National Economic Council, said Sunday. "You want them to say, if nothing happens, there will be a very tough degree of pain that will take place."

The final debt ceiling increase in the agreement would also be subject to a congressional vote of disapproval that can be vetoed by Obama.

The agreement calls for both houses of Congress to vote on a balanced budget amendment to the Constitution, though it does not make a further increase in the debt limit subject to congressional passage of such an amendment -- something tea party conservatives were initially demanding.

In a key concession to Democrats, benefits from entitlements including Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare -- as well as veteran's benefits -- will be exempt from any immediate cuts.

Leaders on both sides of the aisle have conceded that the deal is far from perfect.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nevada, emphasized that "no one got what they want" and "everyone had to give something up."

But this "is a great stride forward" that shows "we can succeed not in spite of our divided government but because of it," he said.

A recent CNN/ORC International Poll reveals a growing public exasperation and demand for compromise. Sixty-four percent of respondents to a July 18-20 survey preferred a deal with a mix of spending cuts and tax increases. Only 34% preferred a debt reduction plan based solely on spending reductions.

According to the poll, the public is sharply divided along partisan lines; Democrats and independents are open to a number of different approaches because they think a failure to raise the debt ceiling would cause a major crisis for the country. Republicans, however, draw the line at tax increases, and a narrow majority of them oppose raising the debt ceiling under any circumstances.


View Larger Map

Sources: CNN, MSNBC, Google Maps

Obama Begs Congress For "Bi-Partisanship" Again (More "Kumbaya")

Once Again Pres. Obama Is Begging Congress To Behave In A "Bi-Partisan" Manner.

How Many Of You Are Tired Of This "Kumbaya" Stuff??

Here's What I Suggest:

If Pres. Obama Stops Listening To Bill Daley, Stops Begging Congress For "Bi-Partisanship" & Quits Bowing Down To GOP Leaders Then Perhaps He Can Get Something Constructive Done For This Country!

Ex: Job Growth From The Private Sector & Sealing A Debt Ceiling Deal Before The August 2nd Deadline!

Congress Doesn't Respect Him Because He Refuses To Govern W/out Begging The GOP To Work With Him.

Who Cares If GOP Leaders Don't Like Pres. Obama!

Who Cares?

Does Someone HAVE To Like You To Respect Your Position Or To Work With You?

I'm Sure It Wouldn't Hurt, However It Isn't A Prerequisite.

People Want To See Strong Leadership! NOT A President Begging For Bi-Partisanship!

The American People (VOTERS) Want Results!

Am I Right?

Think For Yourself Pres. Obama! STOP BEGGING & Do Something! Get It Together!

Sir If You Still Want My Support In 2012 Please Get It Together!

Thank You

Decision 2012!



Both sides call for cooperation in debt reduction talks

With the deadline for the debt ceiling negotiations rapidly approaching, President Barack Obama called on Democrats and Republicans to work together to find “a balanced approach” to solving the nation’s debt crisis.

“Right now, we have an extraordinary – and extraordinarily rare – opportunity to move forward in a way that makes sure our government lives within its means,” Obama said in his weekly address. “And I’m hopeful that we will rise to the moment, and seize this opportunity, on behalf of all Americans, and the future we hold in common.”

The Treasury Department has warned that failure to raise the nation’s $14.3 trillion debt ceiling by August 2 could lead to a possible default, which could provoke skyrocketing interest rates and cause the dollar to plummet.

But both parties have thus far been unable reconcile their radically convergent strategies to solve the nation’s economic crisis, as Republicans refuse to raise taxes in a weak economy and Democrats denounce proposed cuts to entitlement programs as draconian and unacceptable.

In the GOP weekly address, Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington, said, “There can be no increase in the national debt limit unless it is accompanied by serious spending cuts and reforms.” McMorris Rodgers, the House Republican Conference vice-chair, blasted the Democratic-led Senate for failing to consider any of the job creation bills proposed by the House.

In his address, Obama conceded that the two sides still have “real differences in approach,” but said there is agreement on “some of the big things.”

“We agree that after a decade of racking up deficits and debt, we finally need to get our fiscal house in order. We agree that to do that, both sides are going to have to step outside their comfort zones and make some political sacrifices,” Obama said.

A bipartisan group of eight congressional leaders met behind closed doors with Obama at the White House Thursday to try to hammer out an agreement to raise the limit, but no deal was reached. The group said it will meet again on Sunday afternoon.

In his address, Obama also argued that an agreement is necessary for reducing the nation’s high unemployment rate, which was thrust back into the spotlight Friday after a disappointing jobs report showed that the economy added only 18,000 jobs in June.

“By getting our fiscal house in order, Congress will be in a stronger position to focus on some of the job-creating measures I’ve already proposed,” Obama said.

But Republicans blamed the low job creation numbers on Obama’s fiscal policies and used the dismal report to blast Democrat’s push for tax increases in the debt negotiations.
“If we’ve learned anything, it’s that we cannot spend, tax, or borrow our way to prosperity. To create jobs and set our country on a sound fiscal course, we must stop spending money we don’t have,” McMorris Rodgers said in her address.

“From the look of things, the Democrats who run Washington don’t have a jobs plan; they have a spending agenda. They’re proposing a rehash of what’s already been tried: more spending, more taxes, and bigger government,” she said.

But while there was little agreement in the dueling addresses, both Obama and McMorris Rodgers concurred on one point: both sides need to work together.

“Mr. President, Americans are asking you, ‘Where are the jobs?’ We invite you to change course and work with us to empower, not burden, our nation’s small businesses, families, and entrepreneurs. We can do this if we work together,” McMorris Rodgers said.
Obama, too, called on a unified approach.
“We can meet our fiscal challenge,” Obama said. “That’s what the American people sent us here to do. …They sent us here to work together. They sent us here to get things done.”


Sources: CNN, White House, Youtube

Jim Pendergraph Tricked Into Vice-Chair Role? 2011 Charlotte Mayor's Race Dirty Politics

Jim Pendergraph or Harold Cogdell For Charlotte's Next Mayor?

Why not?

Both Men have proven to be Excellent Leaders with the ability to work across Party lines with ease.

Both Men are well-versed & well-known in North Carolina's Political circles.

For example unlike Charlotte's Current Partisan Mayor Anthony Foxx, Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Commissioner Harold Cogdell (graduate of N.C. A & T University, N.C. Central Law School) a Successful Charlotte Attorney & Staunch Democrat, recently demonstrated how serious he was about working in an Bi-partisan political environment versus a Partisan environment.

When selecting new Leadership for the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners, Mr. Cogdell absolutely refused to support anyone for Vice-Chair other than newly elected Commissioner Jim Pendergraph, a Republican.

In fact Mr. Cogdell was even willing to challenge his extremely Partisan Board Member Jennifer Roberts for the Chairperson slot to help ensure Mr. Pendergraph be selected as Vice-Chair.

Cogdell's logic for such a well-orchestrated Political scheme?

He states he was "Damn Tired Of Partisan Politics!"

However he still cast a vote allowing Jennifer Roberts Queen of "Partisan Politics" to remain in her previous role as Chairperson.

As for the Sincerity of Mr. Cogdell's decision-making prior to & after the board's vote God only knows, nevertheless it was a Brilliant move....to help keep Jim Pendergraph from Running as Charlotte's next Mayor in 2011 that is.

Since I wouldn't actually mind seeing Jim Pendergraph elected as Charlotte's new Mayor, I can't say I fully endorse Mr. Codgell's actions, however one HAS to give him credit for having the Chutzpah to stand up against Charlotte-Mecklenburg's Queen of "Partian Politics" herself, Jennifer Roberts!


Now as for Jim Pendergraph's qualifications who can forget his previous stint in local Public Office as Sheriff of Charlotte-Mecklenburg?

A Role well deserved in which he functioned for 13 years!

In fact Mr. Pendergraph was an Excellent Sheriff who cultivated & developed an Extremely Diverse Staff.

Diverse in Race and Gender, especially as it relates to Advancement & Promotion.

Mr. Pendergraph a graduate of the Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government, resigned from his role as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Sheriff to accept a job offer with former POTUS George W. Bush's Administration as Executive Director of State and Local Coordination for U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement, a division of Homeland Security.


Either Harold Cogdell & Jim Pendergraph would be an Excellent replacement for Anthony Foxx, who appears to be nothing more than a Puppet for President Barack Obama & the Obama Administration Agenda, with NO Original Leadership Ideas of his own!


How did I arrive at the conclusion that Mr. Cogdell may have participated in a Political Scheme to "trick" Jim Pendergraph into accepting the role of County Commissioner Vice-Chair as a means of keeping him out of the upcoming 2011 Charlotte Mayoral Race?

Because former Mayor Pat McCrory mentioned Jim Pendergraph as a possible candidate for Charlotte's next Mayor on a recent segment of WCNC's "Flashpoint" webcast.




Don't Hate The Messenger!

For those of you who don't know me I'm an Opinionated Native New Yorker, Proud Political Junkie with an God-given eye for picking Winners & a Keen nose for rooting out Political Corruption.

I'm also closely Blood-related to a Charlotte Politician currently serving in Public Office.

In other words I know Politics like I know my own name. Politics is in My DNA.

No Boasting just speaking facts.

Because of my God-given Political Perspective & frequently Spot-on Insight, many Local & National Political Figures have Retaliated against Me & My Family.

Terrible, Hurtful Retaliation!

Many have even tried to Stop me & Shut me up.

Did it work?

NO!

Why?

I was Created to be deeply involved in the Political Process in some form or another.

Except NOT the role of simply visiting Exit Polls during Election time like "Obedient" Sheep being led to a Slaughterhouse!

Yes I Vote during each Primary & Election but that is NOT the main purpose of my existence, that is as it relates to all things Political.

If you despise me or what I do, tell God!

By the way there is Only one. God Almighty!

Last time I checked he still runs the show.

Thus the reason why I Still Exist!


So let's revisit 6 reasons Why & How former Charlotte Mayoral Candidate John Lassiter lost to current Charlotte Mayor Anthony Foxx?


1.) Foxx hired David Axelrod's Political Consulting Firm and ran an Effective Grassroots Campaign.

2.) Lassiter hired an Ineffective Campaign Manager who refused to listen to Conventional Wisdom as it relates to Politics.

3.) North Carolina Democrats' Dirty Politics.

4.) Straight Ticket Voting by Black Democrats who reside in West Charlotte.

Ironically for all their Loyalty to the Mecklenburg County & North Carolina Democratic Party, Charlotte's Black Voters who reside in West Charlotte have received Very Little in return for their Voter Investment.

Just take a ride on over to Beatties Ford (James Mitchell's District) and check out how Horrible the place looks!

Its nothing more than a Southern Harlem in a Bad way.

The Old Harlem that is.

Not the New Harlem where Property Values have recently Skyrocketed due to Mayor Bloomberg Investments to Revitalize that area of New York City.


5.) Exit Poll Precinct Captains in Charlotte's Black Communities (mainly West Charlotte) turning Ballots into the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections after Midnight.

6.) John Lassiter underestimated Anthony Foxx's ability to use Dirty Politics in the race. Lassiter & his Ineffective Campaign Manager naively thought Foxx would "Never" do such a thing.


Come on!

It was a Political race & Foxx sought David Axelrod's Chicago-style Political advice!

What did they think Anthony Foxx was going to do to win?

Bake Cookies & hand them out to Charlotte's Voters?


Lassiter also allowed his Ineffective Campaign Manager & Anthony Foxx to trick him into foolishly campaigning together.

OMG! How Crazy is that?

Nothing wrong with Political Candidates Debating together to express their views on Voter related issues, however Candidates Should NOT campaign together!

After all there can Only be One Winner!

This slick Chicago Politics Strategy allowed Anthony Foxx who was actually the Weaker, Less Experienced candidate, to lean upon & pull from the Strengths of John Lassiter.

Foxx became more Confident, giving him the edge with Voters than.... he suddenly Slammed Lassiter with the hard hammer of Dirty Politics!

(By the way did I fail to mention that Anthony Foxx hired David Axelrod's Political Consulting Firm to help him win?)


Poor Lassiter didn't even see his Political career being destroyed because his Ineffective Campaign Manager who refused to listen to Conventional Wisdom, totally Ignored all signs of reality & the possibility of Lassiter losing to a Weaker, less Experienced Candidate.

Foxx painted Lassiter as a Cold, Greedy Politician who panders to Developers when in reality its actually Foxx who's the Cold, Greedy Politician pandering low to Developers with deep pockets.

These factors literally cost Lassiter the election & are the ONLY reasons why Anthony Foxx currently reigns as Charlotte Mayor versus the more Qualified, more Experienced John Lassiter.

I voted for John Lassiter & was very disappointed he didn't win.

However I have to admit that Lassiter ONLY lost because he & his Ineffective Campaign Manager basically handed the Mayor's seat to Foxx on a Silver Platter!

Former Charlotte Mayor Pat McCrory would NEVER have made it that easy for his Political Opponent to win.

Back in 2008 McCrory's former Gubernatorial Opponent Bev Perdue ONLY beat McCrory because she rode President Barack Obama's coattails, North Carolina Democratic Party Dirty Politics & possibly Voter Fraud.

That's It!


So you see the 2009 Charlotte Mayoral Race wasn't about Racial Relations or Racism, as the Charlotte Observer wanted everyone to believe

Nor was it about Income or Social Status Levels. (Class Wars)

Instead it was All about Dirty Politics via the N.C. Democratic Party & Charlotte Observer, Black Straight Ticket Voters From West Charlotte & Democratic Party Precinct Captains (Black Communities).


Now as it relates to Charlotte's upcoming 2011 Mayoral Election I have No idea who will challenge current Mayor Anthony Foxx .

However everyone within Foxx's inner circle knows he's going to throw his hat in the ring again.

You see Foxx like his Political Mentor Barack Obama, loves being in the Limelight too much NOT to Run again!

Its also Financially beneficial for Foxx to remain on the Political Center Stage.

Why do you think Anthony Foxx has constantly been pushing that City-County Merger idea all year?

Its NOT about Saving Public Schools, "curbing Government Spending or Eliminating the Duplication of City-County Services".

(Did I fail to mention that AFTER Anthony Foxx became Mayor of Charlotte his Children started Attending Private School just like his Political Mentor President Barack Obama?)






Please!!

Its about Power!

Once some people have tasted Power they are afraid to let it go. i.e., Anthony Foxx & Jennifer Roberts.


Mayor Foxx pretends to be concerned about Constituent issues such as Public Safety when he's really ONLY concerned about his Narcisstic Self!



Don't forget Anthony Foxx is the guy who wasted Millions of Dollars in a Recession on an Unnecessary Streetcar slated to Only run 1.5 miles!




Foxx also sat on $3 Million in Stimulus Money originally allocated for Homelessness Prevention, during one of Charlotte's Coldest Winters ever (last year).



And it looks as if he's going to stick it to Charlotte's Homeless Population again this Winter.




All for the sake of Arrogance & Political Fame just like D.C.'s former Mayor Adrian Fenty. (Another one of Foxx's Political Mentors)

Last I heard Adrian Fenty was NOT re-elected!


As I was saying now Mayor Foxx is pushing HIS City-County Merger proposal so that he & his fellow Partisan Counterpart Jennifer Roberts can remain in Power FOREVER!

Or at least until one of them decides to run for a State or Congressional seat.

How do they do plan to carry out their little Partisan scheme?

If the City-County Merger proposal is ever realized, both Foxx & Roberts will put up a vote for longer Term Limits to avoid ever been run out of Office.

Since there are currently more Democrats serving on both the Charlotte City Council & Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Board of Commissioners, the Vote will more than likely Pass!

Now do you understand why I'm so vehemently opposed to Straight Ticket Voting & Gerrymandering??


Here's a list of Possible Candidates for the 2011 Charlotte Mayoral Race:

(A Bi-Partisan Council is Strongly recommended with a Republican Mayor.)


Edwin Peacock: current At-Large Charlotte City Council Member. (Republican)

Tariq Bokhari: Wells Fargo Vice-President of Wachovia Securities. (Republican)

Andy Dulin: current Charlotte City Council Member, District 6. (Republican)

Warren Cooksey: current Charlotte City Council Member, District 7 (Republican)

Nancy Carter: current Charlotte City Council Member, District 5 (Democrat)

Jason Burgess: Son of the Late Susan Burgess (Charlotte City Council's former Mayor Pro tem) & current At-Large Charlotte City Council Member. (Democrat)

Patrick Cannon: current Charlotte City Council Member Mayor Pro Tem (Democrat)

Jim Pendergraph: current Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners Vice-Chair. (Republican)

Harold Cogdell: current Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioner Member. (Democrat)


Hopefully this time may the BEST, Most Qualified, Most Experienced Candidate actually Win without the use of Dirty Politics & what appears to North Carolina Democratic Party Voter Fraud Tricks via Precinct Captains in Charlotte's Black Communities!

I Can't tell you whom to vote for.

Those type of decisions must be made after spending much time in Prayer & researching each Candidate's Background and where they stand on Voter-Related issues.

Please Don't cast ballots for Candidates based upon such Superficial attributes as Political Party, Race, Education or Social Status.

Review their Public Service & Voting Records.

If necessary Double Check their Public Service records, Voting Records & Civic Duty Records.

DON'T just listen to what they say or get excited over a Polished, possibly embellished Resume.

Observe their Body Language. Watch how they treat Voters on the Campaign trail.

And Pray!!

For example Anthony Foxx loves to raise Taxes to create Revenue.

He Claims he doesn't yet while serving as a regular Charlotte City Council Member he voted for a 9% local Tax Increase.

On the other hand Jim Pendergraph, knows how to Successfully & Efficiently Manage a Large Organization without raising Taxes as a means of creating more Revenue.


As a reminder the purpose of this post is NOT to Politically Smear Mayor Anthony Foxx!

To the Contrary.

Its simply written to help Educate Charlotte Voters on the inner workings of Political Campaigns & the game of Dirty Politics.

I do NOT endorse/favor the use of Dirty Politics but to ignore or pretend that it exists is Foolish & Naive.

Politics always has & will forever be a Dirty Game.

Only the STRONG Survive!

Have a Merry Christmas & a Blessed New Year full of Abundance, Favor, Forgiveness, Love, Peace, Prosperity and Wisdom!

See you at the Polls in 2011.

Psalm 5:12, Psalm 91, Psalm 127:3, Isaiah 9:6, Isaiah 54:13, Isaiah 54:17, Luke 1:37, I Corinthians 13:13 & Revelations 12:11






Jennifer Roberts Remains Charlotte-Mecklenburg Co. Board Of County Commissioners Chair In Surprise Vote; Pendergraph Still Vice-Chair


Jennifer Roberts was unanimously re-elected as Mecklenburg County commissioners' chairman on Monday, overcoming a surprising effort to oust her from the position.

And in an unusual split in the leadership roles, Republican Jim Pendergraph was elected as Vice-Chairman of the county board.

The votes - which occurred during a swearing-in ceremony for the new nine-member board - came hours after Democrat Harold Cogdell told some commissioners that he thought he had enough votes to become chair instead of Roberts. Some said he struck a deal with the four GOP commissioners that would have also made Pendergraph the vice chair.

The apparent deal raised eyebrows because - with few exceptions - the chairmanship of the Charlotte-Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners has been held by the member of the majority party who received the most votes in the at-large race.

Roberts finished first in November's election, followed by Pendergraph and Cogdell.

On Monday, however, Republican Karen Bentley nominated Cogdell as chair.

Democrat George Dunlap was critical of the nomination and the reported deal between Cogdell and Republicans. At one point he said he would only vote for Cogdell as chair if he "denounced the Democrat party... and declare that he is a Republican."

But Cogdell said there was no deal-making and took himself out of the race. He then said he'd be willing to support Roberts as chair and Pendergraph for the number two leadership role.

Cogdell said the issue had never been about him being chair, and suggested he was only trying to send a message about how partisanship can hurt decision-making.

"Everything comes down to Partisan Politics," he said. "I'm sick and damned tired of Partisan Politics because what has happened is people aren't communicating anymore... No party has a monopoly on good decisions."

The discussion Monday night was at times heated and often confusing. At one point it was unclear if commissioners could continue debating on the chairmanship.

"And you wonder why I don't want to be chair," Cogdell said, drawing laughter.

Replied fellow Democrat Vilma Leake: "We don't want you, either."

Roberts, who earlier voiced concerns that board members had not approached her about any issues they had with her leadership, later thanked her colleagues for selecting her as chair.

"There is no one more surprised than I at this moment," Roberts said.

She also told Cogdell that if he had a point he wanted to make in the future, to give her a call.

Monday's swearing-in formally kicked off what will undoubtedly be another challenging year for the county.

Mecklenburg, as well as many other local governments, is still struggling with lingering effects from a recession that led to layoffs of county workers and deep cuts to services like schools and libraries.

Some have said it could be years before the county's tax revenues return to the levels of a few years ago. On top of that, the county in 2011 is resetting property values for the first time since 2003, with many homeowners worried about the impact on their tax bills.

Many commissioners said Monday that the board generally reaches bipartisan - and often unanimous - consensus on issues. But the board split along party lines this summer in approving the 2010-11 budget, and next year's budget also could be divisive.

During this year's elections, many Republican candidates said they wanted to find more ways to cut spending while setting a "revenue neutral" tax rate, where the county collects the same amount of money through property taxes as this year - even if tax valuations change.

But Democrats were leery of committing to any budget decisions, saying it could be months before the county gets numbers on property tax values and sales taxes.

On Monday, all commissioners forecast tough decisions for the board. Republican Neil Cooksey said the county had gotten rid of a lot of "low-hanging fruit" in the past two budgets, and said he'd like to do a department-by-department look at expenses.

Another issue looming in the next year will be how to redraw local election districts once the results of the 2010 Census come in.




Roberts "Mysteriously" Re-elected Commission Chair, Pendergraph Named Vice-Chair


Jennifer Roberts was unanimously elected chairman of the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners tonight, overcoming an effort to nominate fellow Democrat Harold Cogdell to the post.

Also tonight, Republican Jim Pendergraph was elected vice chairman of the county board. This is Pendergraph's first term as commissioner.

Roberts admitted her re-election tonight came as a surprise, because Cogdell was believed to be making a run for the top leadership role on the board. Some commissioners said Cogdell had agreed to support Pendergraph as vice chair if the board's four Republicans backed him as chair. But Cogdell said tonight there was no deal made.

Cogdell was nominated for chair tonight by Republican Karen Bentley, but asked that his name be withdrawn.

Republican Neil Cooksey then nominated Roberts as chair, Pendergraph as vice chair.




Cogdell To Colleagues: "I Have Votes To Unseat Roberts"


Hours before tonight's vote on who will lead Mecklenburg County commissioners, commissioner Harold Cogdell Jr. has told two colleagues that he appears to have the votes to unseat chairman - and fellow Democrat - Jennifer Roberts.

"He has decided that he's going to seek the chairmanship ... and he thinks he has the votes for it," Democratic commissioner Dumont Clarke told the Observer.

Cogdell, who previously served as commissioners' vice chair, could not be reached.

On a board that will have five Democrats and four Republicans, Cogdell has apparently been trying to line up the GOP votes in a deal that would make Republican Jim Pendergraph vice chair.

Commissioner George Dunlap said Cogdell told him today he would vote for Pendergraph if the board Republicans back Cogdell as chair.

Pendergraph said today he expects Cogdell to win.

"I'm probably going to vote for Harold," he said. "We're all smart enough we can add to five. No one's going to challenge someone unless they feel they can win. And I'd be surprised if he doesn't."

Roberts said this afternoon she still hadn't heard from Cogdell, despite having left several messages.

"It's all up to Harold," she said when asked about her chances of re-election.

Roberts, the leading vote-getter in last month's election, is trying to win a third term as chair. It was unclear today how the votes will fall.

Democrat Vilma Leake, who said she was "still praying" over the decision, said she's "going to do what's right."

On her Facebook page, Roberts has said she hoped Cogdell would not give in to "a personal power play."

In a Sunday post, she added: "I have been re-reading Julius Caesar to remind myself that ambition is as old as mankind. I will continue to stay strong no matter what happens, and to know that there is a higher power than any of this earthly stuff."





Jennifer Roberts, Part Of The Problem


I think I’m done cutting Roberts any slack on this DSS mess. For her to obstruct and slam the attempts of other commissioners to find out what is going on with county’s massive, $200m. DSS operation is too much.

And for Roberts to suggest that a closed session airing of DSS’s dirty laundry is not her preferred way to go is an insult to the intelligence of all Mecklenburg County taxpayers.

The only reason Commissioner Bill James and the other GOPers are suggesting the closed session route is in response the “disclosure” stonewall County Manager Harry Jones has erected around the investigation — a construction effort aided and abetted by Jennifer Roberts. Fine. Let’s hear DSS chief Mary Wilson answer questions in open session. Super. Next.

It will also be interesting to see if Commissioner George Dunlap’s confirmation that a federal grand jury probe is underway of DSS shakes anything new loose. Why it took a full month for the probe’s existence to be reported remains a mystery, but at least everyone in town has caught up to the story.

However, it would be wrong to assume that the probe will result in any indictments, both as a matter of fairness and institutional inertia. Prosecutors are political animals and will require some slam-dunk, smoking gun type evidence of wrongdoing for them to move on a DSS devoid, until very recently, of adult supervision of its funds.

On the third hand, not all gross mismanagement rises to the level of criminality. This is why the county commission must itself reestablish public trust in one of its largest ongoing budget expenses. Jennifer Roberts needs to help that process or get out of the way.




Jennifer Roberts Warns Harold Cogdell Of "Implications" If He Tries To Take Her Seat

In a surprise move, Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Commissioner Harold Cogdell is apparently trying to unseat fellow Democrat Jennifer Roberts as board chair by striking a deal with Republicans.

The maneuvering carries implications beyond the chairman title. Roberts sent commissioners an e-mail this week asking them to avoid "back room" negotiations in which they would support board members for a leadership post in exchange for votes on budget spending priorities.

On Friday, Roberts said Cogdell has promised Republicans he would vote to make Republican Jim Pendergraph vice chair if they support his bid for chairman. Democrats hold a 5-4 majority on the panel.



"Harold Cogdell will come round to realize that now is not the time for a personal power play," Roberts said on her Facebook page. "It is not time to be divisive and to succumb to personal ambition and backroom deal making that does not serve those who elected us."

Cogdell declined comment. Pendergraph, Mecklenburg's former sheriff who won his seat in November, also refused to discuss the matter.

"We'll have to see how it plays out," Pendergraph said before declining further comment.

Commissioners will reorganize the board, electing a chair and vice chair, during a meeting at 6 p.m. Monday at the Government Center, 600 E. Fourth St.

The commission chair, typically the most visible leader of the majority party, will help set Mecklenburg's agenda as the county confronts budget deficits and resets property values for the first time since 2003. The position pays $27,962, about $5,000 more than pay for other commissioners.

Cogdell's challenge represents a potential setback for Roberts, who has been board chair for four years. On Thursday, she said she had met recently with the board Democrats and all of them - including Cogdell - pledged to reappoint her. But Roberts said neither Cogdell nor board Republicans have returned phone calls.

She said if Cogdell wins, it would serve as a distraction to commissioners and erode trust with the public, since Roberts was the top vote-getter in the November general election. Cogdell finished third behind Pendergraph.

Historically, Charlotte-Mecklenburg County Commissioners have selected the candidate receiving the most votes as chair and the second-place finisher from the majority party as vice chair.

But a break with tradition is not unprecedented. In 1997, commissioner Hoyle Martin helped oust fellow Democrat Parks Helms as chairman and won the vice chair post for himself. Republican Tom Bush replaced Helms.

Four years ago, Helms said he wanted to serve as board chair, despite Roberts' winning the most votes in the at-large race. Roberts said she met twice with Helms before he withdrew from consideration.

An attorney and former Charlotte city councilman, Cogdell won his seat on the board of commissioners in 2008, and served as board vice chair, even though fellow Democrat Dan Murrey finished with more votes.

On Monday, Roberts sent an e-mail to commissioners saying she would vote for Cogdell to remain vice chair. "We trust and understand each other," Roberts wrote. She also said Pendergraph wants to claim the post.

Her e-mail also warned commissioners against secret deal-making.

"I understand there has been back room conversation about Vice Chair," Roberts wrote. "There may be promises being made but I would encourage everyone to remain flexible on any budget promises, as there is so much we do not know yet about our challenges ahead."

On Friday, Roberts said she was "disappointed" Cogdell would challenge her for the chair position.

"There will be implications he has not considered," she said. "I am hoping he will change his mind."


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Sources: Charmeck.org, Daily Kos, John Locke Foundation, McClatchy Newspapers, Meck Deck Blog, NCheroes.org, WCNC, Google Maps