ABC News’ Rick Klein reports: Former Gov. L. Douglas Wilder, D-Va., was an early supporter of President Obama -- and something of a trailblazer for him, as the nation’s first elected African-American governor.
Now, the 79-year-old Wilder is leading efforts to sound alarm bells about the state of the Democratic Party.
On ABC’s “Top Line” today, Wilder told us that the Obama White House still seems not to get how toxic the political environment is this year -- or how drastic the steps that need to be taken to change that are.
“I think the problem that we have is that some people have been whistling by their graveyard, as if nothing is going on -- ‘Well, everything is fine,’ ” Wilder, who served as Virginia’s governor from 1990-1994, told me and ABC’s Jonathan Karl.
“And they keep talking about the president’s personal popularity. And we see in recent polls coming out in the last several days to show that that might not be the case. And so I think it’s anybody’s guess as to how bad it could be in terms of the House being taken over, in terms of the Senate even now.”
Wilder last week called for DNC Chairman Tim Kaine -- a fellow former Virginia governor -- to leave his post in the wake of a string of electoral setbacks.
He told us that, aside from replacing Kaine, the president needs to widen the circle of advisers he listens to.
“Why the people around the president -- if they’re advising him to stick with health care, stay with health care, give the kinds of monies for the stimulus package that were given with no strings attached, and then to come back and say ‘well, we’re going to get on jobs,’ – but when?” Wilder said. “And the confidence of the American people is dwindling on a steady basis.”
He continued: “Do you need to listen to other people? Do you need to reach out to other people who’ve had some experience in governing, rather than getting elected? He had the most brilliant team to assemble to get him elected. The question is: are these people capable of governance?”
Said Wilder: “I know that most of the American people want to see him do well. But you can’t do well the way you have been continuing. You’ve got to stop that and get a different direction.”
On Sen.Evan Bayh's surprise decision to retire rather than seek another term in 2010, Wilder said: “Wow… For the Democrats to lose him it’s big, big, big!”
Republicans, he said, are likely to make “substantial gains” in both the House and the Senate.
Wilder also pointed out that, even if Democrats do retain control of the Senate, they’re likely to have a considerably narrower majority than the one that’s produced so much frustration this year: “Let’s assume this -- if you can’t do it with 60 votes, and if you can’t do it with 59 votes, a single reduction will bring about a great deal of difficulty.”
Doug Wilder, who was elected Virginia governor in 1989, launched a broadside against the man he supported in the Democratic primaries when most senior party figures were championing Hillary Clinton.
He had backed Mr Obama because of his promise of "change", he wrote in an article for Politico.
"Now, across many fronts – in public policy and politics alike – people have rightly been questioning whether the change has been for the better. Unfortunately, the answer so far is clear: not yet."
The former governor continued: "The need is becoming more obvious by the day: He must overhaul his own team, replacing the admittedly brilliant advisers who helped elect him with others more capable of helping him govern. Getting elected and getting things done for the people are two different jobs."
Mr Wilder's surprise intervention came as a Washington Post poll delivered further bad news for Mr Obama. The survey found Republicans have significantly narrowed the gap with Democrats on who is trusted to deal with America's problems – a sign that Republicans are set to make major gains in the midterm elections.
When asked how would vote in November's midterms, 46 per cent said they would back Democrats and 46 per cent Republicans. Just four months ago, Democrats held a 12-point advantage.
On all the big domestic issues such as economy, health care, employment and the budget – where Democrats hold traditional advantages – slim majorities of Americans disapproved of the job Mr Obama is doing.
Thus far, Mr Obama had made no changes to his inner circle. Since Democrats lost a Senate seat last month in a bombshell defeat in liberal Massachusetts, calls for the dismissal of his chief of staff Rahm Emanuel, a former Chicago congressman, have increased.
Mr Wilder said Mr Obama had to fire people, starting with Tim Kaine, another former Virginia governor and the current chair of the Democratic National Committee – the party's political operation.
"The changes must go much deeper," Mr Wilder wrote. "Obama's West Wing is filled with people who are in their jobs because of their Chicago connections or because they signed on with Obama early during his presidential campaign.
"One problem is that they do not have sufficient experience at governing at the executive branch level. The deeper problem is that they are not listening to the people. "Hearing is one thing; listening is another."
President Obama desperately needs a sweeping staff shakeup to save his presidency. Leslie H. Gelb on why he must reassign Rahm, dump Larry Summers, and get rid of National Security adviser Jim Jones.
The negative, even dismissive, talk about the Obama White House has reached a critical point. The president must change key personnel now. Unless he speedily sets up a new team, he will be reduced to a speechmaker. It’s mostly a matter of relocating the Chicago and campaign crowd who surround the Oval Office and inserting people with proven records of getting things done in Washington and the world.
To be fair, it’s not clear whether the bad judgments on priorities, practicalities, and steadiness come from Mr. Obama or his White House team. Maybe he overpowers them in discussions, or maybe he gives them a role in policy making far beyond their experience in that realm. Unless you’re there, you don’t know. But Mr. Obama is the president, and except for the right-wing crazies, most Americans still recognize his great talents and promise. It is he who’s got to be helped. So it is they who’ve got to go.
One may quarrel with my sense of urgency here. But it’s hard to have a conversation with opinion leaders anywhere—and especially in Washington—that doesn’t descend into ripping Obama’s White House team. The refrain of complaints is always the same:
• Obama is forever taking strong stances only to backfill and trim. Most recently, he said he did not “begrudge” Wall Streeters their big earnings because that was part of the market system. This, in the face of his saying only a couple of weeks ago that such big bonuses were “shameful.”
• Obama doesn’t know what’s really going on. Regarding the Middle East, he recently said that “I think it is absolutely true that what we did this year didn't produce the kind of breakthrough that we wanted, and if we had anticipated some of these political problems on both sides earlier, we might not have raised expectations as high.” He had to be totally out of it not to realize that the Palestinians and Israelis were nowhere close to sitting down with each other and dealing.
• Obama wants to get along with everyone so badly he doesn’t recognize real opposition when he sees it—let alone know how to deal with it. He emerges from a meeting with congressional Republican leaders on health-care reform and says he is “an eternal optimist”—when those very same Republican leaders just told the press that they don’t see any common ground and believe the administration has to “scrap the bill and start over.”
• It’s even hard to follow his latest Afghan policy. He calls Afghanistan a “war of necessity” and orders more than 30,000 new troops there, coupled with an announcement that he’ll begin withdrawing some of them in a year plus, only to see some of his advisers say he will start withdrawals and some say he won’t.
I’ve scribbled similar points in recent months in The Daily Beast. And last week in The Financial Times, Edward Luce provided a thunderclap on Washington’s negative consensus about the incompetence of Obama’s Chicago-laden team. Luce named names in the White House, and a number of journalists and bloggers strikingly failed to link to the Luce story. They were said to fear the wrath of the Chicagoans. Steve Clemons, author of The Washington Note, essentially endorsed the Luce finding and slapped his fellow Bloggers’ wrists for hiding from this issue.
The situation is as serious as it was during the Carter administration. There, two very capable political campaigners—Hamilton Jordan and Jody Powell—moved into critical White House positions without knowing very much about doing business in Washington. And they were, quite naturally, too busy to learn. They also added to the “them” versus “us” (Washington insiders and bureaucrats versus the regular guys from Georgia) mentality that plagues most administrations.
The Chicagoans and others “guarding” the President create their own “us versus them” world. It’s hard to imagine a policy conversation between the president and the Chicago crowd, since none of them, except Rahm Emanuel, has Washington or policy experience. And there isn’t much evidence that they bring in strong-minded outsiders to challenge the president on a regular basis either. The result is an inexperienced president advised by an inexperienced team.
Here are the personnel changes being bruited about in political and policy circles: First, remove Rahm Emanuel as chief of staff and move him to a senior political adviser slot. No one I’ve talked to believes he has the management skills and discipline to run the White House. But he is a terrific political mind and a fighter and should be given the new job and the time to do his thing. Proven pros who could step right in include the following: Erskine Bowles, president of the University of North Carolina and former Clinton chief of staff; Leon Panetta, now CIA director and formerly White House chief as well under Clinton; Sylvia Mathews, a former deputy chief of staff also under Clinton; and John Podesta, another former Clinton chief who now heads the Center for American Progress. All four are tough and know how to manage.
Replace Lawrence Summers, director of the White House's National Economic Council, with Paul Volcker, the former chairman of the Federal Reserve. Summers is brilliant and highly controversial; he’s been beaten up and is said to want out anyway. Volcker has unmatched stature, practical experience, and the courage of a lion. He is the only one now in a position to get down to step-by-step brass tacks on the economy and stop Mr. Obama’s weekly gyrations.
Others with proven track records who can help as inside or outside advisers are: Stephen Robert, formerly head of Oppenheimer, Vincent Mai, former leader of AEA Investors, and Tom Hill of Blackstone. There are also two economic stars in Washington who’d improve both policymaking and public combat: Sheila Bair, chairwoman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation, and Elizabeth Warren, chair of the Congressional Oversight Panel. One outside adviser above all would help the president see the economic hard choices ahead: Peter G. Peterson, accomplished businessman and policy head.
David Axelrod, the senior political adviser to the president, needs to concentrate on the next presidential campaign, wherein his expertise lies, and not on domestic and foreign policy, where he is just another smart unknowledgeable voice. Good replacements who do know the politics of Washington would be the aforementioned Podesta; and Tom Daschle, the former Democratic Senate Majority Leader. As for David Plouffe, another senior campaign aide, now in unofficial residence at the White House, he should be lodged in the nearby Executive Office Building. Senior adviser and Chicago buddy Valerie Jarrett is too much a part of the inner circle to move, but she should be given a more limited role in making policy.
Mr. Obama’s crowd appears to think that getting things done means his giving another speech. It’s nice, but not nearly enough.
Robert Gibbs needs a rest from being press secretary. Let’s put it this way: He wasn’t born for daily jousts with pithy Republicans. His job calls for memorable and pointed phrases and attacks, not circle-the-wagon circumlocutions. Possible successors? Try Doyle McManus of the L.A. Times, Jake Tapper of ABC News, or Helene Cooper of The New York Times.
Last but not least, James Jones, the National Security Adviser, has to move on. The career Marine was greatly admired and respected as Commandant of the Corps and as NATO’s military chief. He handled those duties with great skill. But by wide acclamation inside and outside the White House, he has not emerged as a strategist—perhaps the key requirement of this key position.
The person in that job has to pull everything together—laying out achievable objectives and precise plans to dispense carefully packaged carrots and sticks. One Democrat who could step in now, despite his age, is Zbigniew Brzezinski, Jimmy Carter’s national-security adviser. He has a first-rate strategic mind—a rare quality—and knows how to deliver results. Obama will need to iron out Zbig’s lack of sympathy toward Israel and Russia.
Also available are a boatload of first-class retired diplomats with the judgment and background needed to perform the National Security Council job effectively. They would be greeted with applause both at home and abroad. Try former ambassadors Thomas Pickering, Morton Abramowitz, Frank Wisner, Reginald Bartholomew, and Winston Lord. They have it all. At a minimum, they and others like them should form the core of a group that meets regularly with Obama on strategy.
Yes, many of the pros suggested above have reached their golden years. But 70 and even 80 are the new 60. They all possess the necessary energy, experience and rare skill in delivering results. They are also shovel-ready. As a critical bonus, they could and would mentor the next generation down, a very talented one indeed, to succeed them in two or three years. To lead America and the world, Obama has to grow far beyond his present propensity to treat problems as intellectual puzzles—to collect facts and hear the arguments.
The great tasks of governing demand proven intuition in sensing what’s achievable, which buttons to push when, how to buy the time for power to take hold, how to make adjustments without flagrantly foolish rhetoric, how to avoid failures that only diminish power, and how to succeed in small as well as large ways. With a team versed in such arts and skills, President Obama and America would succeed.
Sen. Evan Bayh's stunning decision Monday to pass on a reelection campaign in Indiana is the latest blow to a Senate Democratic majority that is suddenly within striking distance for the GOP.
While the retirements of Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) and Sen. Chris Dodd (D-Conn.) had a clear political logic to them — both involved vulnerable Incumbents badly trailing their prospective opponents, according to publicly released polling — Bayh’s calculus was less obvious since he had a comfortable double-digit cushion and a nearly $13 million head start.
Either way, the two-term senator’s departure now places 10 Democratic-held Senate seats at risk. If all are swept under by a November GOP wave, Republicans are back in control of the Senate.
The lesson of the tumultuous past 45 days is that the contours of the political landscape can change in an instant — and a death, a retirement or a top candidate’s decision not to run can wreak havoc on the best laid political plans.
With that in mind, here’s a list of five developments that would make the Democratic hold on the Senate even more tenuous:
The situation in Arkansas continues to deteriorate
By most measures, Democratic Sen. Blanche Lincoln is checking all the boxes as she gears up to run for a third term. She’s made staffing additions to the campaign squad, boasts a healthy $5 million war chest, and a spokeswoman reports the senator is planning a headquarters grand opening on the same day she files for reelection in two weeks.
While Lincoln’s office dismisses speculation that she will be the next incumbent to drop, Bayh’s unexpected bombshell is a reminder that the act of gearing up for a campaign doesn’t necessarily guarantee an incumbent will run again.
Unlike in Bayh’s case, however, it’s not entirely clear whether Lincoln’s retirement would help or hinder the cause. Her standing in the polls seems near terminal: a recent Public Policy Polling survey had her trailing Republican Rep. John Boozman by a jaw-dropping 23 points. Other automated polls have shown her trailing lesser-known GOP foes.
In Connecticut, Democrats vastly improved their chances in November when Dodd decided not to seek reelection and Attorney General Richard Blumenthal stepped into his shoes. Blumenthal now holds commanding leads over the same Republicans who were shown to be trouncing Dodd.
There is a potential Arkansas Democratic candidate with statewide elected experience who could fit the bill: Lt. Gov. Bill Halter. But Halter is no Blumenthal — the outside-the-state progressive forces that are already clamoring for Halter to challenge Lincoln in a primary may not be an asset to him in a general election in conservative-minded Arkansas.
Romanoff roughs up Bennet in Colorado
Appointed Colorado Sen. Michael Bennet's allies argue that his Democratic primary opponent, former state House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, doesn't have the financial wherewithal to become a serious threat in the primary.
But Romanoff's keen political antennae, coupled with Bennet's inexperience on the campaign trail, could produce a messy August primary that leaves little time for the party to reunite behind the victor.
Romanoff has cannily framed himself as "an outsider," while at the same time racking up endorsements from dozens of state lawmakers and labor groups. And Bennet's soft polling numbers are also allowing Romanoff to claim the electability card.
"Despite being outspent 10-to-1, I do as well against any of the Republicans," Romanoff told POLITICO last week, citing an early February Rasmussen Reports poll that put him just 7 points behind Republican front-runner Jane Norton.
While Bennet, who carries President Barack Obama’s backing, would have to be labeled the primary front-runner, Democrats can already envision a nightmarish set of circumstances where Bennet gets bloodied by Romanoff and staggers into the fall homestretch against the GOP nominee.
Colorado’s precinct caucuses, which begin next month, are already fertile ground for Romanoff, a favorite of progressives who tend to turn out for such an activist-oriented event. A worst-case scenario for the Democratic establishment: Romanoff edges out Bennet at the Colorado Democratic State Assembly in May.
But whether Romanoff accomplishes that, or easily surpasses the 30 percent necessary to qualify for the August ballot, it could be just the momentum his campaign needs to fight Bennet through the summer.
A Gillibrand challenge jells in New York
Democrat Harold Ford Jr. is the latest in a parade of prospective candidates to float their interest in challenging appointed Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand of New York.
If he ends up passing on a run for the U.S. Senate in New York, it will go down as just another Big Apple political sideshow — and a welcome break for Democrats who desperately want to put an end to worries that the vulnerable rookie senator could get waylaid by a family feud.
But recent comments from Gillibrand and the former Tennessee congressman suggest the diversion might continue on for some time, though Ford has said he'll let his intentions be known in the coming weeks.
If it's a go, buckle up— New York’s primary doesn't take place until Sept. 14th, which leaves months of potential bloodletting before a nominee is chosen. The New York GOP is probably too weak to capitalize in any event, but that could change if a Republican with immediate stature saw an opportunity — someone like former Gov. George Pataki.
Third time's a charm for Rossi in Washington
Sen. Patty Murray’s (D-Wash.) high-water mark in three races is 58 percent — hardly the stuff of an untouchable incumbent.
If the GOP can reel in a big fish who can connect with suburbanites and dominate in eastern Washington — not a heavy lift since Murray lost every county east of the Cascades in 2004 — this seemingly sleepy seat could be in play.
The polling data demonstrates that Republican Dino Rossi could be that candidate. Sure, he's a two-time loser to Democratic Gov. Chris Gregoire — in 2004 by a mere 129 votes and in 2008 by 6 points — but a recent Rasmussen Reports survey had Rossi leading the three-term Democratic senator 48 percent to 46 percent, including an 8-point advantage with independents.
It marked the first time a public poll showed Murray behind this cycle. And while saying he has "no plans to run for any office," Rossi wasn’t exactly Shermanesque in a recent interview with POLITICO.
"Never say never," he added.
Rep. Dave Reichert, who has held a Democratic-leaning suburban Seattle seat during a dismal period for the GOP, also might make an attractive opponent to Murray, though he isn’t likely to run, close associates say.
The Republicans already in the field, including state Sen. Don Benton and former NFL tight end Clint Didier, at the moment don't appear to have the standing or fundraising ability necessary to seriously challenge Murray.
So it might all come down to Rossi. "He's got a good narrative; he's got good statewide ID. The environment on the ground is vastly improved. I know he's receiving the full-court press to run," said Republican strategist Rick Wilson.
Meanwhile, Murray's sending up the warning flares — she recently wrote supporters in a fundraising e-mail that after the Massachusetts Senate special election in January, Republicans "are emboldened like perhaps never before and their thirst for victory is unquenchable."
Another GOP advantage: The relatively late filing deadline of June 11 means prospective candidates have ample time to make up their minds.
Specter’s campaign trail vigor in Pennsylvania
Pols don’t get any tougher, or more resilient, than Pennsylvania Sen. Arlen Specter, the five-term Democratic incumbent who switched parties last year.
In recent years he’s dealt with a brain tumor and Hodgkin’s disease and even wrote a book — titled “Never Give In” — about his experience battling cancer while serving in the Senate.
But as he confronts a stiff primary challenge, followed by an equally tough general election contest, the delicate issue of his age and health remains a widespread, though rarely publicly aired, topic of discussion among Pennsylvania political insiders. A single, well-publicized gaffe or stumble could suddenly insert the issue into the public conversation in a race where Specter has little room for error.
Specter, who turned 80 years old last week, doesn’t have to look far to find examples of campaigns where a senator’s advanced age played a key role in determining the outcome.
Specter is now older than former GOP Sen. William Roth of Delaware, the popular late incumbent who lost reelection in 2000 at the age of 79 after several campaign trail incidents reminded voters of his age — and underscored the relative youth and vigor of his Democratic opponent, Tom Carper.
Across the border in New Jersey, there’s another example: Democratic Sen. Frank Lautenberg (himself now 86) also first won his seat in 1982 by questioning the “fitness” of septuagenarian Sen. Millicent Fenwick.
Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele plans to sit down with about 50 Tea Party leaders Tuesday in the first such meeting of two wings of the conservative movement that could be either vital partners or bitter rivals.
The meeting is part of a broader effort by national Republicans to reach out to Tea Party activists rather than risk their hand-picked candidates being run over by the movement.
"The chairman believes it extremely important to listen to this significant grassroots movement and work to find common ground in order to elect officials that will protect these principles," RNC spokeswoman Katie Wright said.
But one Tea Party activist who traveled hundreds of miles to attend the meeting at RNC headquarters in Washington, D.C., said sparks could fly.
"Steele wants to try to co-opt us, but we're coming to tell him he doesn't get it. We want to return the Republican Party to its roots. We're expecting some fireworks," the activist said.
Tea Party supporters identify far more with the Republican platform than the Democratic Party's, but they have not been shy about voicing their discontent with elected Republicans and running against the party's favored candidates. They threw an upstate New York congressional race into disarray last fall when they backed a third-party candidate over Republican Dede Scozzafava, forcing her out of the race. Democrat Bill Owens won the special election.
Tea Party activists have since targeted multiple Republicans they don't feel are conservative enough, such as Florida Gov. Charlie Crist and Utah Sen. Bob Bennett.
There is no single Tea Party group or individual in charge of the activists, but the movement has been trying to become more organized and focused. Tea Party organizers from across the country attended a national convention two weeks ago in Nashville, where they discussed strategy for this year's midterm elections.
Some Republican figures, including former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin, view the movement as a major force in the upcoming elections that Republicans in some districts will have to court if they want to win.
Only a third of U.S. voters think that most members of Congress deserve to be re-elected this year, according to a new national poll. That's the lowest number ever recorded for that question in a CNN survey.
The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll, released Tuesday, indicates that only 34 percent feel that current federal lawmakers deserve re-election, with 63 percent saying no.
According to the survey, 51 percent feel their member of Congress should be re-elected - also an all-time low in CNN polling - while 44 percent say their representative doesn't deserve to be returned to office in November.
The numbers on both questions are even lower than in 1994, when an anti-incumbent fever helped Republicans win back control of both the House and the Senate from Democrats. The trend line on those questions goes back to 1991, when they were first asked.
"This is not a good year to be an incumbent, regardless of which party you belong to," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Voters seem equally angry at both Republicans and Democrats this year."
Fifty-six percent of people questioned in the survey say that most Democrats in Congress do not deserve to be re-elected. An equal amount also say that most congressional Republicans don't deserve re-election.
The poll suggests Americans are split when it comes to their vote this November, with 47 percent of registered voters saying they will support the Republican candidate in their district for the House of Representatives and 45 percent saying they will back the Democrat. Republicans trailed the Democrats by 6 points in November.
The voters' cool view of incumbents of both parties "may hurt the Democrats more because there are more Democratic incumbents," Holland said. "It's a change from 2006, when voters concentrated their anger at GOP members of Congress."
The generic ballot question asked respondents if they would vote for a Democrat or Republican in their congressional district, without naming any specific candidates.
The Democrats currently hold a 255-178 advantage in the House, with two vacant seats that the Democrats once held. Republicans need to win 40 seats to take back control of the chamber.
While President Barack Obama is not up for re-election this November, he will be in 2012 if he decides to run for a second term. According to the poll, 44 percent of registered voters say Obama deserves re-election, with 52 percent saying the president does not deserve a second term in office. The survey also indicates that 49 percent of Americans approve of the job Obama's doing as president, with half of the public disapproving of his job in the White House.
"One problem Obama faces may be the perception that Obama is not a middle-class kind of guy," Holland said. "Only 4 percent of Americans describe themselves as upper class. But a 45 percent plurality say that Obama belongs to the upper class, with 42 percent saying he is from the middle class and 12 percent describing him as working class."
The CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll was conducted Friday through Monday, with 1,023 adult Americans, including 954 registered voters, questioned by telephone. The survey's sampling error is plus or minus 3 percentage points both for all Americans and for registered voters.
During last night's Charlotte City Council meeting Republican council member Andy Dulin (District 6) boldly spoke up and voted "Yes" to save Charlotte's Special Transportation Service for local Senior Citizens.
Newly elected Democrat Mayor Anthony Foxx voted "No". How disappointing.
Foxx voted no because the new Bus Garage from which to house and operate the Senior Citizen Transportation program, will be somewhat close to his Elite, Posh, Uptown digs.
It will also be located in a section of Charlotte where many of his Straight Ticket Voters reside.
Last year on the campaign trail when Anthony Foxx asked Low Income, Black, Senior Citizen constituents to vote for him they did so without hesitation.
After his election how does Foxx wish to repay them?
By attempting to slash a Necessary program that would assist many of them with receiving continued Medical Care via trips to their Doctors.
Excuse me but I thought Democrats were supposed to be the party in favor of Health Care for Low Income and Middle Class citizens. Did I miss something here?
Foxx claims he wants to prevent City Bus Garages from being placed in Urban Areas.
Please know that's just an excuse he was trying to spin because he wanted to use the money (Stimulus Funds) on another venture like a 1.5 mile Streetcar in the Uptown area. (Where he lives)
Why does Charlotte need a Streetcar that will ONLY travel 1.5 miles when we already have City Buses traveling in the same Uptown direction and when a lot of citizens are leaving Charlotte due to High Unemployment??
How much Fiscal sense does this make?? Even a donkey can see how foolish that idea is.
Why not spend the money on renovating a Bus Garage and expanding Charlotte's Blue Lynx Light Rail line?
Both long term ventures will create Job Growth and improve Charlotte's air quality by getting drivers off the road.
This type of Arrogant, foolishness is why prominent Senators like Evan Bayh are getting out while they can before becoming politically infected with vote buying schemes (like the Charlotte Streetcar).
He sees how Arrogant, Cold-Hearted, Greedy and Selfish many Politicians have become, especially Democrats like Anthony Foxx. (If Foxx isn't cold-hearted or greedy he sure has a funny way of showing it.)
Its a sad day when White, Republican Politicians like Andy Dulin have to speak up for Black, Low Income Senior Citizens because Black Leaders refuse to do so.
Beware, beware God is watching and those Politicians will someday receive their just rewards.
People like Evan Bayh and Andy Dulin are going to be Blessed, while people like Anthony Foxx will most definitely reap what they sow.....
Unless they change.
CHANGE!
Isn't that what Pres. Obama and his crew (including Anthony Foxx) promised many voters back in 2008?
The Charlotte City Council approved a zoning change Monday night that will allow the city's transit system to relocate a bus garage adjacent to a greenway along Little Sugar Creek.
The Charlotte Area Transit System will move offices and a garage for its Special Transportation Service from Statesville Avenue to 3.6 acres east of North Alexander Street. The site is just north of Interstate 277.
CATS' plans had been in limbo since the summer, when council members rejected the transit system's tentative plans for the new $14 million facility. They complained last June that the planned buildings were too ugly and would disrupt the improving Belmont and Villa Heights neighborhoods.
Since then, CATS made a number of changes that helped secure council approval.
The transit system changed the layout of the STS facility, placing the more attractive office building facing the park. It promised to save a 30-foot oak tree and limited the size of the building.
Council approved the change by an 8-3 vote. At-large council members Susan Burgess and Patrick Cannon, who are Democrats, and Republican Edwin Peacock voted against it.
Andy Dulin, a Republican, said he supported the transit system's plans because the green space is on what he called a steep hill, leading to the creek.
"This is not a hill you go with your dog and children and throw a Frisbee," Dulin said. "This (facility) is needed today."
STS carries the elderly and disabled on trips to the doctor or grocery store or other errands. CATS said it needs to expand the buildings that house its buses and vans, and it wants to relocate it adjacent to an existing bus maintenance garage on North Davidson Street. That garage is being improved with roughly $20 million in federal stimulus funds.
By combining the two facilities, CATS expects to save money by sharing staff.
The plans still upset some, however. Jud Little, who owns property in nearby Villa Heights, said the plan is short-sighted.
"Putting industrial uses here makes it more difficult to achieve residential re-investment in areas close by," he said.
Mayor Anthony Foxx, who didn't vote on the zoning change, agreed.
"We continue to put industrial uses into our urban core," said Foxx, who lives nearby in the First Ward. "From that perspective, I would vote no."
The city's zoning committee found the STS buildings would be inconsistent with the city's Belmont Revitalization Plan. But the committee voted to approve the zoning change 5-2, saying it was "in the public interest."
In other action, council members unanimously approved a zoning change that will allow an iconic red, white and blue Volkswagen Bug to remain on top of a building at the intersection of Freedom Drive and West Morehead Street.
The change covers 0.28 acres on the building site.
The building owner wants to convert the building to a restaurant, but that would have meant the Bug had to go. The city has an ordinance against rooftop signs.
The change will allow the Volkswagen to stay, though it can't be an advertisement for a business.
Sen. Evan Bayh, a leading moderate Democrat from Indiana who was once thought to be a rising national political star, won’t run for a third term, a decision which imperils his party’s hold on the seat.
Bayh’s stunning decision – announced Monday afternoon in Indianapolis – came as he geared up for what may have been his most difficult campaign in an otherwise gilded political life.
The son of a senator, Bayh never lost a race over a career in which he was elected as secretary of state at the age of 30 and served as governor and senator for two terms each.
Until Monday morning, Bayh gave no hint that he was thinking about giving up his Senate seat. Just the opposite: he had nearly $13 million on hand, had taken on a new role as the de facto head of a Senate moderate rump group and Democratic operatives in Washington and Indiana had already launched a withering series of attacks against former Sen. Dan Coats, whose seat Bayh took when the Republican retired in 1998 and who had begun exploring taking on the incumbent earlier this month.
After briefly running for president in 2008 and being considered but passed over for vice-president in three consecutive elections, it seemed that Bayh, 54, had settled into his role as a senator and outspoken voice for his party to hew toward the political center.
He becomes the fifth Democratic senator to retire, a decision which puts his party, already facing a tough election year, in a difficult position.
It will be hard enough for Democrats to hold the Senate seat in conservative-leaning Indiana. Thanks to his golden name, moderate positioning and aggressive fundraising, Bayh has proven to be a political force. Now that he’s not on the ballot, Democrats will be forced to come up with a far lesser-known replacement.
Attention immediately turned to a pair of moderate House Democrats, Baron Hill and Brad Ellsworth, as potential prospects to fill the seat. But a Hill or Ellsworth Senate candidacy would in turn imperil Democratic prospects of keeping their conservative-leaning southern Indiana seats from slipping to the GOP.
Democratic sources in Washington and Indiana signaled Monday that Ellsworth, as the fresher face of the two, may be the establishment favorite.
In a statement, the second-term Democrat indicated he was open to the prospect of a statewide run.
"I appreciate the support of those Hoosiers who have already encouraged me to run for Senator Bayh's seat," Ellsworth said. "The next step will be taking a few days to talk to my wife and to folks in Indiana about where I can best serve our state."
Beyond the practical impact of keeping the Bayh seat and the House seat of whichever member might decide to run for the Senate, the retirement also offers a fresh reminder about Democrats’ declining fortunes this year.
That such a prominent and still relatively young figure as Bayh would retire, rather than battle to keep his seat, illustrates both the deepening fears among Democrats about the shape of the election cycle and the frustration among moderates that the party has veered too far left.
Stunned Democratic officials said it was a last-minute, personal decision. Bayh was polling as recently as last week – and enjoying a sizable lead – and had already gathered the petitions necessary to be on the ballot this fall. He had even scheduled his first TV ad shoot for this Wednesday and his notarized filing document was sitting on the desk of Indiana Democratic Chairman Dan Parker, a longtime friend.
But on Saturday, Bayh called Parker with the stunning message: he was sick of the partisan rancor in Washington and calling it quits.
“That is something Evan regrets, but I think that the actions over the last few weeks in the Senate and the filing deadline was approaching forced his hand,” said a top Indiana Democrat.
Candidates in Indiana must declare their intentions with the state by Feburary 19th – Friday – but must have signed petitions in to county registrars by Tuesday.
In Washington, senior Democrats were all under the impression Bayh would seek a third term.
"He was giving every sign of running again," said a Democratic leadership aide.
Senate Democratic leaders, including Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee Chairman Bob Menendez (D-N.J.) were not informed of Bayh's decision until Monday morning, according to several Democratic insiders. Bayh was even scheduled to appear on a CNN Sunday show, but canceled his appearance, said these sources.
Aside from Coats, the favored candidate of the national GOP, former Rep. John Hostettler and a handful of lesser-known candidates were already vying for the Republican nomination.
House Republican Conference Chairman Mike Pence, who had earlier considered challenging Bayh, said Monday he would not seek the Senate seat.
Coats, in a statement, said: “I will continue to run just as hard and take nothing for granted."
Among the complications of Bayh’s decision is a looming logistical nightmare for Democrats.
To get on the Indiana ballot for the May 4th primary, statewide candidates need signatures from 500 verified voters in each of the state’s nine congressional districts. Those must be turned in to the Indiana secretary of state by noon Friday.
But before that happens, candidates must first submit the signatures for verification to registrars in each of the state’s 92 counties. Only after the signatures are verified can the candidate then file with the secretary of state.
In the event that no Democrat can scramble quickly enough to get that done, the Democratic State Central Committee would then have to nominate a candidate by June 30 to fill the ballot spot for the general election—effectively giving the state party the ability to forestall a primary and allow top party officials to hand-pick their nominee.
The state central committee is comprised of 32 Democrats in the state and serves as the ruling body of the state party.
In a statement announcing his decision, Bayh insisted that his retirement “was not motivated by political concern.”
“Even in the current challenging environment, I am confident in my prospects for re-election,” he said.
Instead, Bayh continued, he was weary of the partisan sniping that has become so common in the capital, citing recent failures in the Senate to pass a deficit commission and jobs legislation.
“All of this and much more has led me to believe that there are better ways to serve my fellow citizens, my beloved state and our nation than continued service in Congress,” he said.
In his speech Monday afternoon, Bayh even went so far as to castigate the institution in which he and his father served in for decades.
"To put it in the words most people can understand: I love working for the people of Indiana, I love helping our citizens make the most of their lives, but I do not love Congress,” Bayh said in Indianapolis.
Bill Moreau, a former Bayh chief of staff, said the senator made the decision over the weekend.
“I think the last few years have been frustrating for him,” said Moreau.
Surely not far from Bayh’s mind, however, was the fate of his father, Birch Bayh. Like his son, Birch Bayh was widely viewed as an up-and-comer in the 70s-era Democratic Party—a talented pol who had the potential to steer the often-fractious party to the center.
But after an unsuccessful bid for his party’s presidential nomination in 1976, Bayh was upset in the Reagan landslide year of 1980 by a young Republican congressman named Dan Quayle.
Some Democrats also speculated that his father wasn’t the only family member Bayh had in mind in announcing his decision. Since Coats’ entry into the race, Republicans have, in pushing back against the onslaught of opposition research against the former senator-turned-lobbyist, made plain that they would target Bayh’s wife, Susan. An attorney, like her husband, Susan Bayh has made millions in recent years from sitting on a number of corporate boards, including those in the health and insurance industry.
Republicans, fending off questions about Coats’ Virginia residence, also signaled that they would hammer Bayh on the issue about where he lives. A recent National Republican Senatorial Committee email pictured the Washington, D.C., mansion where Bayh and his family reside.
His national ambitions apparent since his arrival in the Senate in 1999, Bayh "was never close to the leadership, he wasn't seen as a real team player," said one Democratic lobbyist close to Senate Democrats.
While Bayh's retirement stunned Reid and the rest of the leadership, there were some private signs that he might step down. Following the surprise decision last month by Sen. Byron Dorgan (D-N.D.) to retire, Reid and other top Democrats circled back to members of their caucus up for reelection to get them to firmly commit to run.
Bayh, however, would not make that declaration, although Reid and his top lieutenants remained firmly convinced that he fully intended to run and win.
"Even three weeks ago, [Bayh] would not commit to running again," said a Senate Democratic insider. "I don't think anyone thought he was going to retire, but it now seems clear that he was on the fence. I just don't think anyone was able to interpret what he was signaling there."
Obama’s win in Indiana was proof that he was transcending the traditional red-blue divide. Peter Beinart on how the retirement of Sen. Evan Bayh endangers a Democratic dream.
To understand why Senator Evan Bayh’s surprise retirement is such a big deal, it’s important to realize that Indiana has always held a special place in the Democratic Party’s heart. It was the state, more than any other, which created the legend of Robert F. Kennedy’s 1968 presidential bid.
In the late 1960s, the state had a reputation for racism, a reputation built from decades of Klan power, and from its heavy support in 1964 for the presidential bid of arch-segregationist George Wallace. It was widely considered hostile to the kind of social transformation that liberal presidential candidates desire. Indiana, Arthur Schlesinger Jr. wrote to RFK, was “a middle-class, small-town, suburban state, fearful of challenge, seeking consolation and reassurance.” Not a good state for him at all.
But Kennedy spent the primary’s final days in a motorcade through the state’s gritty industrial north, flanked by Richard Hatcher, the young African-American mayor of Gary, and Tony Zale, a middleweight boxer and son of Eastern European immigrants beloved by the white ethnics who worked northern Indiana’s steel mills. In the end, Kennedy won, not only by sweeping the black vote but winning blue-collar whites as well. This “black-blue” coalition died alongside Kennedy in a Los Angeles hotel a month later, but for decades—as the nation’s politics moved right—liberals kept the dream alive.
It is partly this history that made Indiana so important to Barack Obama.
Republicans had taken the state in the 1968 presidential race, and held it ever since. But in the late Bush years, as economic distress in the state mounted, there were signs that perhaps a black-blue coalition was possible there again. In 2006, Indiana elected three new Democratic congressmen. Bayh, its Democratic senator, was a commanding figure in the state. In 2008, Obama went into the Indiana primary following painful losses in Ohio and Pennsylvania, losses that led many in the chattering class to wonder if he could ever win over the white beer and bowling crowd. But Obama came out of Indiana with a virtual draw, and more shockingly, he beat there John McCain there in the fall—becoming the first Democrat to win the state in more than 40 years.
Obama’s general election win in Indiana, along with his victories in North Carolina and Virginia, were central to his claim that he was transcending the red-blue divide, creating a new, less polarized political map, an enduring Democratic majority of the kind that had been lost when Robert Kennedy was gunned down.
It’s this dream that, for the foreseeable future, Evan Bayh’s retirement likely forecloses. Republicans will probably take the seat, given them both of the Hoosier state’s seats in the Senate, along with its gubernatorial mansion. Obama’s climate change agenda is unpopular in Indiana and his health-care reform effort is not faring much better. If a conservative Democrat like Evan Bayh fears he can’t win reelection in the state, it’s hard to imagine how Obama himself can win it again, absent a major shift in economic conditions.
For a party bracing for big losses in Congress, any retirement of a popular sitting senator is a blow. But this one represents something more: the death, once again, of the Democratic Party’s Indiana dream. After his primary victory, RFK remarked that, “The people here were fair to me. They gave me a chance. They listened to me. I could see this face, way in back in the crowd, and he was listening, really listening to me.” For Barack Obama, they don’t seem to be listening anymore.
Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh announced Monday that he will not seek re-election this November, an unexpected decision that hands Republicans an opportunity for a pick-up in a year when Democrats are already defending several open Senate seats.
Indiana Sen. Evan Bayh announced Monday that he will not seek re-election this November, an unexpected decision that hands Republicans an opportunity for a pick-up in a year when Democrats are already defending several open Senate seats.
Bayh, calling his decision a "very difficult, deeply personal" one, said he had been discouraged by the intense partisanship on Capitol Hill and that he had no interest in running in November solely "for the sake of winning an election."
"I love working for the people of Indiana," he said. "But I do not love Congress."
"After all these years, my passion for service to my fellow citizens is undiminished, but my desire to do so in Congress has waned," he said.
The two-term senator is known as a moderate Democrat. Former GOP Sen. Dan Coats had been planning to challenge Bayh in November -- but several Democratic sources said the decision appeared to be personal, not political.
A senior Obama administration official said Bayh called President Obama Monday morning to discuss the decision and indicated the senator had been considering retirement for awhile.
"The president has had several conversations with Senator Bayh about 2010. Bayh made his final decision this weekend, and it is personal, not at all political," the official said. "He is by nature a governor -- not a senator."
Bayh is a former Indiana governor and secretary of state. One senior Democratic source told Fox News that recent polling showed Bayh way ahead of Coats, and that the retirement must have been a personal decision. Bayh's staff said the latest polling showed Bayh ahead of Coats by 20 points.
One Democratic source said Bayh did not initially tell Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid about his decision Monday.
Sources told Fox News that Indiana Reps. Baron Hill and Brad Ellsworth are possible Democratic contenders to vie for Bayh's vacant seat.
The timing of the expected Bayh announcement creates a dilemma for Democrats, though, since the deadline for candidates' petitions to be submitted is Tuesday. That means Bayh's name could still be on the ballot in May's Democratic primary -- Democrats will have another opportunity to pick a candidate through a separate nominating process. The Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee is considering whether it would be possible for a replacement to be named.
The retirement decision comes after Sen. Chris Dodd, D-Conn., and Sen. Byron Dorgan, D-N.D., both announced their retirements in January. Democrats are trying to defend open seats in Delaware and Illinois as well.
Republican incumbents are abandoning seats in Florida, Kansas, Kentucky, Missouri, New Hampshire and Ohio. More Senate Democratic incumbents are considered vulnerable, however.
Signs of Bayh's discontent with the direction of the economy and with Washington could be seen in his votes over the past year.
He was one of only two Democrats two vote against the president's budget last year. Earlier this year, Bayh voted against his party when Reid tried to bring up a 10-year, $245 billion measure designed to stop massive cuts in federal reimbursements paid to Medicare doctors. And though he voted for the $787 billion stimulus bill, he was part of a group that axed $100 million from the original product produced by leadership -- what Bayh at the time called "silly stuff."
During healthcare negotiations, Bayh made it clear he did not trust that the bill would really hold down deficit spending. He worked with other conservative members to craft a package designed to rein in future costs. Bayh was also known to oppose the so-called "cap and trade" climate legislation proposed by the Obama administration.
Indiana Republican Party Chairman Murray Clark called the retirement a "game changer."
He told Fox News Radio the announcement comes as a surprise -- and said that while Democrats are "vulnerable," he considered Bayh to be "formidable" in November.
"Our field is pretty well established but theirs obviously has been thrown into disarray to say the least," Clark said.
Sen. Evan Bayh will not run for re-election, a decision that will shock Democrats and Republicans alike in Indiana.
In prepared remarks, Bayh, 54, cited excessive partisanship that makes progress on public policy difficult to achieve as the motivation for his decision.
“After all these years, my passion for service to my fellow citizens is undiminished, but my desire to do so in Congress has waned,” he said.
“My decision was not motivated by political concern,” he added. “Even in the current challenging environment, I am confident in my prospects for re-election.”
Bayh had never lost an election, from his first win in 1986 as secretary of state, his wins for governor in 1988 and 1992 and his election to the U.S. Senate in 1998 and 2004.
“But running for the sake of winning an election, just to remain in public office, is not good enough,” Bayh said. “And it has never been what motivates me. At this time I simply believe I can best contribute to society in another way: creating jobs by helping grow a business, helping guide an institution of higher learning or helping run a worthy charitable endeavor.”
Only days ago, Bayh’s staff, close associates and Indiana Democratic Party Chairman Dan Parker, who was manager of Bayh’s re-election campaign, had assured an Indianapolis Star reporter that he would definitely seek a third term in the U.S. Senate. And Democrats recently released a poll showing Bayh easily ahead of both former Sen. Dan Coats and former U.S. Rep. John Hostettler, two of the four Republicans seeking the GOP nomination.
But in his statement, Bayh cited recent stalemates in Congress.
“Two weeks ago, the Senate voted down a bipartisan commission to deal with one of the greatest threats facing our nation: our exploding deficits and debt. The measure would have passed, but seven members who had endorsed the idea instead voted ‘no’ for short-term political reasons,” he said. “Just last week, a major piece of legislation to create jobs — the public’s top priority — fell apart amid complaints from both the left and right. All of this and much more has led me to believe that there are better ways to serve my fellow citizens, my beloved state and our nation than continued service in Congress.”
The decision ends one of the brightest political careers by Indiana Democrat, at least for now.
Bayh, the son of former U.S. Sen. Birch Bayh, had been the nation’s youngest governor when he first won Indiana’s chief executive job at age 33 in 1988, and was frequently mentioned as a possibility for vice president, and was on President Barack Obama’s list of only three finalists before Obama settled on former Sen. Joe Biden. Bayh also considered running for president himself, launching an exploratory effort in 2006 for the 2008 Democratic Party nomination before dropping the effort only a couple weeks later.
He was born in Shirkieville, near Terre Haute, to Birch and Marvella Bayh; graduate from Indiana University in 1978 and received a law degree from the University of Virginia in 1981. He and his wife Susan have 14-year-old twin sons, Nick and Beau.
Bayh is expected to discuss his decision at a 2 p.m. news conference today at the IUPUI University Place Conference Center and Hotel, 850 W. Michigan Street.
Democratic Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana has decided to not seek re-election, NBC confirms.
The Indianapolis Star reports that Bayh is attributing his decision to excessive partisanship that makes progress on public policy difficult to achieve as the motivation for his decision.
Bayh scheduled a Monday afternoon news conference in Indianapolis. The Associated Press left messages seeking comment at his Senate office and for state Democratic chairman Dan Parker, who is Bayh's campaign manager.
"After all these years, my passion for service to my fellow citizens is undiminished, but my desire to do so in Congress has waned," he told the Indianapolis Star.
"My decision was not motivated by political concern," he added. "Even in the current challenging environment, I am confident in my prospects for re-election."
Bayh's exit gives Republicans a prime pick-up opportunity. Former Indiana Sen. Dan Coats (R) is running for the seat. Bayh was leading Coats by 20 points (55% to 35%) in a recent Research 2000/DailyKos poll.
Republicans now have Senate pick-up opportunities in at least eight states — Arkansas, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Indiana, Nevada, and North Dakota.
GOP needs 10 seats
To take back control of the Senate, Republicans will need to gain a net of 10 seats.
Democrats have pick-up opportunities in at least three states — New Hampshire, Ohio, and Missouri.
Democrats have been hammering Coats for his residence, his lobbying and more. And a Democratic official says Bayh was ahead.
"They polled last week and were way ahead of Coats," the official said, adding that petitions were due tomorrow and the Bayh campaign's "were all done."
The decision "must have been a last minute, personal decision."
As for who could run to replace Bayh, look to Reps. Brad Ellsworth and Baron Hill. Democrats are working to convince either — both of whom represent swing districts in the Southern part of the state. Ellsworth, the former Vanderburgh County sherriff, is seen by some observers as, potentially, the strongest Democratic candidate. Hill is a former Indiana high school basketball star.
On the Republican side, Rep. Mike Pence could reverse course and decide to jump into the race.
"Since petitions due tomorrow, there will be a vacancy and because of that there's a way for the party to name the candidate afterwards," the Democratic official said, adding, "And don't forget how weak the Republican field is right now. Coats now damaged goods, and there's no Mitch Daniels running."
Bayh, 54, grew up mostly in Washington, D.C., and is the son of former Sen. Birch Bayh. He was first elected in 1998.
Welcome to the BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ Blog. (Established 2008)
My name is Laurel. (Author & Publisher)
I Blog with a focus on POLITICS, Business, and occasionally Entertainment.
FACTS ABOUT LAUREL:
Wife,
Mother of a U.S. Soldier,
Sister,
Woman of GOD,
Loyal Friend,
Creative,
Blood-related to a nationally known Charlotte Politician.
Black Female, Intelligent,
Married,
Love to Travel,
Credentialed by the RNC and DNC.
Political Blogger/ Commentator
Grassroots Activist,
PROFESSIONAL STATUS:
Credential Political Blogger/ Commentator,
Registered Independent Voter
Original Native of BROOKLYN, NY
Currently reside in CHARLOTTE, NC
I’m Nice but don’t get it twisted because my Mind is Sharp!
Since You’ve Chosen to Visit and Read the Contents of this Blog by Personal Choice, and of Your Own Free Will,
Please don’t ask me to Compensate you for Expressing individual commentary/ Posted Articles, which are protected by the First Amendment, citing Freedom of Speech & Freedom of Expression.
No Intentionally Malicious Slander, Libel or Defamation of Character content will be published and I will always Credit all Sources.
NOTE TO ALL ELECTED OFFICIALS, APPOINTED OFFICIALS & PUBLIC FIGURES:
Per the Landmark U.S. Supreme Court Case: 1964 case of New York Times v. Sullivan………
The Public has a Right to Criticize the People who Govern them, so the least Protection from Defamation is given to Public Officials. When officials are accused of something that involves their behavior in office, they have to prove all of the above elements of defamation and they must also prove that the defendant acted with “actual malice.” (For a definition of actual malice, see the “History of Defamation and the First Amendment, below.”)
People who aren’t Elected but who are Still Public Figures because they are influential or famous — like Actors, Actresses, Movie Stars, Singers & Entertainers, Journalists, TV Hosts, Bloggers, etc., — also have to Prove that Defamatory statements were made with Actual Malice, in most cases.
To the Associated Press and other Media Organizations:
When I use your Content Links., I’m also citing the Fair Use Doctrine (Title 17 U.S.C. Section 107) for further Copyright permission.
Posts and Links published on Black Political Buzz are not endorsed by Black Political Buzz Blog Author Laurel’s Employer, nor the Employers of other Black Political Buzz employees.
This includes Links, Posts and Comments posted on Black Political Buzz’s Facebook and Twitter account pages.
Comments, Links and Opinions of site visitors are Independently-Owned and not endorsed by Black Political Buzz employees, Blog Author Laurel or Laurel’s Employer.)
(No Personal Offense intended) Please know that Black Political Buzz is not responsible for nor do I endorse Requests for Donations from Third Parties on this Blog.
I will Only Endorse Requests for Donations made on behalf of BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ Blog for Business Purposes & Operating Expenses.
I will also Only Endorse Requests for Donations on behalf of Legitimate Politicians and Legitimate Political Candidates. PERIOD!!
If anyone else or another Organization wishes to post a link to Request Donations, I am NOT endorsing ANY of those Requests!
Unless I receive a personal Request to do so and I have Professionally Confirmed that the Third Party Organization or Charity is indeed a Legitimate Entity.
NOTE: Anyone who chooses to give to any Third Party Organization NOT Endorsed by BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ is doing so at his or her own risk.
BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ does NOT Discriminate against Politicians, Political Candidates, Organizations or Charities based on Race, Color, Nationality, Ethnicity, Gender, Sexual Orientation, Religion, Faith, Disability, Political Affiliation, Creed, Education, Social Status, Age.
This disclaimer applies to ANY and All requests for Donations on this Blog. Thanks for understanding. Again No Personal Offense intended.
For Story Tips….Corrections…….. or Requests for Endorsements:
Please contact me via e-mail: blackpoliticalbuzz@gmail.com
or via my Facebook page: facebook.com/blackpoliticalbuzz
Thanks for stopping by
God Bless
Laurel @BLACK POLITICAL BUZZ
LINKS: POLITICAL PERSPECTIVE & INFORMATIONAL SITES
.jpg)
