Parent of Jena 6 defendant Mychal Bell to sue his attorneys

Angered by his son's acceptance of a plea bargain, Marcus Jones, the father of Jena 6 defendant Mychal Bell, says he will sue the attorneys involved and will seek their disbarment.

I talked to Jones this morning on my radio show and he was angered by the plea bargain, but also by their refusals to put forward motions that he says would have gotten his son released.

Jones says Bell's attorneys, Louis Scott and Carol Powell-Lexing, could have filed appeals regarding the issue of double jeopardy and the failure of police to file a police report in the initial fight involving Justin Barker, but the attorneys never did.

We called both attorneys for comment but they were unable to be reached.

Jones said he's in favor of his son suing the attorneys.

Daddy, sue them, do whatever you can, get them disbarred, whatever," Jones quoted his son telling him.

Jones also said that Bell's attorneys have refused any outside legal assistance in the case, including Harvard University professor Charles Ogletree.

"How in the world do you turn down all that help?" Jones said.

Jones didn't say whether Bell's mother, Melissa, would be a part of the suit.

"I want to try to throw the kitchen sink at (Bell's lawyers); any legal action I can take, I want it done," he said.

Bhutto, first Muslim woman to lead nation, assassinated

Benazir Bhutto, who became the first woman to lead a Muslim nation during her two terms as prime minister of Pakistan, was assassinated today when a suicide bomber blew himself up near a rally she attended.

Surgeons tell news agencies that Bhutto was also shot in the chest and head as she tried to flee the scene of the bombing.

More details coming.

Do you celebrate Kwanzaa?

Today marks the day after Christmas and the first day of Kwanzaa, and I'm curious to know how many of you celebrate the African-American holiday created in 1966?

Although it has grown in popularity, a lot of African Americans I know don't celebrate Kwanzaa. Some may go to a Kwanzaa event, but not go through the seven-day ritual. Kwanzaa didn't really evolve into the mainstream of black America until the early 1990s, and it has only been in the last few years that you've seen major retailers embrace the holiday.

Today is Umoja (Unity) - To strive for and maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race. For more info, visit the official Kwanzaa website.

Question of the day: Do you celebrate Kwanzaa for all seven days?

Iyanla Vanzant backing Clinton over Obama

Best-selling author Iyanla Vanzant has thrown her support behind New York Sen. Hillary Clinton, who is locked in a battle with Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic nomination for president.

In a news release sent out by the Clinton campaign she said: "Hillary Clinton has my complete support because she has the right combination of character, experience, strength, and values to be President and lead on her first day in office.

"For over 35 years, Hillary has demonstrated that she will work on behalf of all Americans."

Martin Hosts Holiday Edition of ‘What Would Jesus Really Do?’ on CNN tonight

With all of the recent debate on religion in politics, CNN's Roland Martin hosts a holiday edition of “What Would Jesus Really Do?” as he takes a look at the presidential political landscape to ponder how Jesus Christ might respond.   “What Would Jesus Really Do?” airs on Friday, Dec. 21, and Monday, Dec. 24, at 8 p.m. (ET)

For the special, Martin turns to a star panel of theologians and the Best Political Team in Television to apply the question to the war in Iraq, gay rights, immigration, abortion, healthcare, the economy and more.  A CNN "Quick Vote Poll" solicits viewer opinion on whether Jesus would be a Republican, Democrat or an independent.

Martin also guides a discussion about the commercialization of Christmas and whether the holy day has been “holi-jacked.”  He also examines how Hindus, atheists, Muslims, Jews and people of other faiths fare during the Christmas season.

Martin, a nationally syndicated columnist with Creators Syndicate and a Chicago-based radio host, joined CNN in February. He is also a commentator for TV One Cable Network and hosts The Roland S. Martin Show on WVON/1690AM in Chicago each weekday.  He is the author of Listening to the Spirit Within: 50 Perspectives on Faith and Speak, Brother! A Black Man’s View of America.

CNN Worldwide, a division of Turner Broadcasting System, Inc., a Time Warner Company, is the most trusted source for news and information. Its reach extends to nine cable and satellite television networks; one private place-based network; two radio networks; wireless devices around the world; CNN Digital Network, the No. 1 network of news Web sites in the United States; CNN Newsource, the world’s most extensively syndicated news service; and strategic international partnerships within both television and the digital media.

Did Romney lie about his dad marching with Dr. King?

In golf, this time of the year is called the silly season because of the thousands of dollars players can earn for tournaments that don't count.

And with the presidential primaries nearing, it's also the silly time for politicians to offer up thousands of ways to stretch, bend and twist the truth to score political points.

And in former Gov. Mitt Romney's case, it appears flat out lie.

During an interview on "Meet the Press," Romney told Tim Russert that his dad marched with the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Another time he said he actually saw his dad march with Dr. King.

So, the Detroit Free Press checked his story out and what did they discover? Romney was flat out wrong.

"Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney has said he watched his father, the late Michigan Gov. George Romney, in a 1960s civil rights march in Michigan with Martin Luther King Jr.," the paper wrote.

"On Wednesday, Romney's campaign said his recollections of watching his father, an ardent civil rights supporter, march with King were meant to be figurative.

"He was speaking figuratively, not literally," Eric Fehrnstrom, spokesman for the Romney campaign, said of the candidate.

Wait? Figuratively? How does someone march figuratively? You either put your feet on the pavement and hit the streets or you don't.

The Free Press continued:

"Romney's campaign cited various historical articles, as well as a 1967 book written by Stephen Hess and Washington Post political columnist David Broder, as confirmation that George Romney marched with King in Grosse Pointe in 1963.

"He has marched with Martin Luther King through the exclusive Grosse Pointe suburb," Hess and Broder wrote in "The Republican Establishment: The Present and Future of the GOP."

"Free Press archives, however, showed no record of King marching in Grosse Pointe in 1963 or of then-Gov. Romney taking part in King's historic march down Woodward Avenue in June of that year.

"George Romney told the Free Press at the time that he didn't take part because it was on a Sunday and he avoided public appearances on the Sabbath because of his religion.

"Romney did participate in a civil rights march protesting housing bias in Grosse Pointe just six days after the King march. According to the Free Press account, however, King was not there.

Is this a big deal? Compared to the Iraq War? No. But it does speak to truthfulness and the ability of a candidate to speak candidly.

What do I think Romney was doing? Trying to score some political points by showing his commitment to civil rights by virtue of his dad. Politicians are always trying to link themselves with King because he is such an iconic figure. They see it as bolstering their bonafides, especially when trying to appeal to African Americans. But to claim he marched when he didn't? That's like claiming you attended the historic 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom when you were just passing through the DC airport.

Mitt, do all of us a favor and stop lying. Correct the facts and move on.

Lastly, fire that idiot of a spokesman who doesn't know the difference between actual marching and visualizing a march. 

Roland's gifts to the presidential candidates

What in the world is going on with these Christmas ads from the candidates?

First, Mike Huckabee garners a ton of attention for his over-the-top, cross-lovin' Christmas ad.

Now lo and behold, Obama, Clinton, Edwards and Giuliani are trotting out their Christmas ads.

I'm not impressed. Ron Paul is sitting on $16 million in Internet donations. When is he going to release his Christmas commercial? No, not that one featuring his family. A really fun one!

Here's my suggestion - Paul should hook up with fellow Congressman Dennis Kucinich, and they should put under their tree Christmas gifts for each of their opponents, with former Alaska Sen. Mike Gravel playing Santa:

For Sen. Hillary Clinton, a cup of spiked eggnog and a helping of holiday warmth;

For Sen. Barack Obama, a name change so we don't have to hear even more "Osama" flubs;

For Sen. Chris Dodd, a one-way ticket back to the U.S. Senate, he has no chance in hell of winning;

For Sen. Joe Biden, one of those back to the future cars, so he can run all over again in 1988. That was his best shot;

For former governor, congressman, ambassador and energy secretary Bill Richardson, a Careerbuilder.com account, cuz he'll need one a month from now. Plus, he spends more time in the debates reciting his resume;

For former Sen. John Edwards, a lifetime membership to Supercuts. Who the hell pays $400 for a haircut?!;

For former Gov. Mitt Romney, more hairspray. Does his hair ever move? Reminds me of former Dallas Cowboys coach Jimmy Johnson;

For former New York Mayor Rudy Giuliani, more hair. Remember when he did the comb over? Yikes!;

For Sen. John McCain, how about a teddy bear? Because he's coming off kind of abrasive;

For former Sen. Fred Thompson, a case of the energy and caffeine drink Red Bull. This man has the most BORING campaign in history!;

For former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, the George W. Bush foreign policy primer from his 2000 campaign;

For Congressmen Tom Tancredo and Duncan Hunter, an all-expense-paid trip to Cancun, for two. These two HATE illegal immigrants, so why not let them learn a little bit more about life on the other side.

And for Paul and Kucinich themselves, a free, round-trip ticket on UFO Airlines;

The last thing we need are Christmas ads that are really just regular, boring political ads.

Have fun! Be irreverent! Do something different! But for goodness sake, stop being traditional!

Watch the Christmas ads for the candidates!

Clinton
Obama
Edwards
Giuliani
Paul
Huckabee

Help 30 black women stay in college!

I got an email EARLY this morning from Dr. Julianne Malveaux, president of Bennett College for Women, seeking donations to help her student body.

When I interviewed Malveaux on my radio show this morning, she said that she has 30 juniors and seniors with good grade point averages who likely may not return to campus in the fall because of a lack of resources.

Bennett has 673 students, and she is trying to raise $60,000 so she can at least give a $2,000 scholarship to each student.

So you can do your part, and also get a tax break!

If you make a donation to Bennett College before Dec. 31, you'll be able to write it off of your taxes this year. Malveaux said that a $1,000 donation would save you about $350 on your taxes (she should know, the sister's an economist!).

But even if you don't have $1,000 give, do what you can. If it's $1, $5, $25, $100 or $1,000, make it happen!

I know a lot of us are looking to get Christmas gifts and things like that, but imagine if your donation actually kept a sister in college and on the path to a college degree.

IT IS NOT the job of corporate America or the government to keep our kids in school. And loans don't cover it all.

Send your donation to: 900 East Washington St., Greensboro, North Carolina, 27401

And in the memo section, put WVON/Essence.com Family.

Here is the email Malveaux sent out:

December 11, 2007

Friends,

Please forgive this unconventional way of reaching out to you for a contribution, but as the year comes to a close, I’d like to offer you the possibility of supporting a young sister at Bennett College for women with scholarship funds in this coming spring semester.

I am writing from a blessed and hallowed space. On June 1, I began my work as president of Bennett College for Women. I assumed my duties on June 1. I’ve been buoyed and excited by the many congratulations, words of affirmations, and offers to help that have come in these few months.

Now that I have been at the helm for just a bit, I am better able to assess the status of this critical institution. Dr. Johnnetta Cole did a masterful job of bringing Bennett out of the emergency room of near-closure, raising millions of dollars to stabilize the institution.

While we are out of the emergency room, we aren’t yet out of the hospital, and my goal is to have us run a phenomenal marathon. To do so, I need your help.

Two weeks ago, I talked to a parent whose daughter does not have the money to come back to school this spring. Her financial aid package falls about $3000 short, and with her mother earning just $11 an hour, the prospect of debt is daunting. If I had money in my President’s discretionary fund, I could work with this student.

In November, two boilers burst! The college has survived partly by putting off much needed repairs, but these repairs can’t be put off indefinitely.

In order to continue the path from good to great, to transform Bennett into an oasis where we educate and celebrate women and transform them into 21st century leaders, we need support. Tuition, room, and board costs about $21,300. Ninety percent of our students are financial aid eligible, and more than forty percent are first generation. And if you got a chance to know some of these sisters, you would sizzle with pride.

Fifty of our students were in Jena. Our Student Government Association organized the bus trip in less than two weeks. Another busload, after hearing Marcia Dyson speak, went to Charleston, West Virginia, to support Megan Williams, the young woman who was so horribly sexually violated. A dozen rallied outside the Justice Department in November.

These Bennett belles are activists!

Any contribution you make will help me offer scholarships to these students. It’s tax deductible, too! If you send it before the end of the year, I’ll have some flexibility when students register in the spring. I have about thirty students who say they really can’t afford to stay if they don’t have help, and the few scholarship dollars we have to grant have already been awarded. I've set a goal of raising $100,000 for additional scholarship funds by the end of the year, and I hope you can help.

Please send your checks to me at Bennett College for Women, 900 East Washington Street, Greensboro, North Carolina, 27401. If you put “scholarship” in the “for” line, I’ll make sure a most deserving student receives it. Please give as generously as you can.

I took on this role as President of Bennett College for Women knowing that I had the support of a generous, dynamic, and positive African American community. I write to you in this spirit. Please help me preserve our history, legacy, and vision and create the educational oasis that so many of our young sisters can thrive in.

Holiday greetings and sisterly best,

Julianne

Dr. Julianne Malveaux
President
Bennett College for Women
900 East Washington Street
Greensboro, NC 27401
336-517-2225

Do you really care about endorsements, reviews?

I've never really been a fan of movie, book, music and DVD reviews.

Now that may not be good news for my friends who do this as a living, but hey, it's the truth.

For example, Will Smith had a bunch of negative reviews for his new film, I Am Legend. Did they make a difference? Nope. The movie raked in $76 million at the box office in its opening weekend. That's the highest opening for any Smith film, and that includes two Men in Black flicks, Independence Day and I, Robot.

On the same weekend, Sen. Barack Obama garnered the endorsement of the Boston Globe, and the campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton, on the ropes due to Obamamania, picked up the critical endorsement of the Des Moines Register, the most influential paper in the state.

Clinton trumpeted the endorsement, but did it matter in 2004? Nope. Then Sen. John Edwards of North Carolina picked it up, but he lost to Sen. John Kerry, who went on to win the nomination.

There might be some folks out there who find these to be big deals, but many folks have already made their decision.

Question of the Day: Will a review or endorsement cause you to make a different decision?

Integrity the most important thing lost in steroids scandal

The sordid tale of baseball"s illegal performance enhancing scandal shouldn't come as a surprise to sports lovers.

For years players and teams have pushed the boundaries to gain an edge. Track and field athletes have been busted for their misdeeds.

Players from bygone eras spit, chewed and gnawed the ball to make it do things it wasn't built for. Some even put cork in their bat to get more pop.

Look, let's cut to the chase: we are a cheating society. People will try anything if they can get away with it.

But even with all the riches to be had, what is lost? Not innocence or records. But integrity. A person's word matters the most. And for those who cheated, that can't be bought...or injected.

Sharpton will make an endorsement in Dem race

The Rev. Al Sharpton told me this morning he will endorse a Democrat prior to the Jan. 8 New Hampshire primary.

Who do you think it will be?

Sen. Hillary Clinton, Sen. Barack Obama or former Sen. John Edwards?

Or could he surprise folks and endorse one of the other five?

Obama's teenage drug use in the news

Is the Clinton campaign getting desperate?

Political circles were abuzz yesterday when Bill Shaheen, who chair's the New Hampshire campaign of Sen. Hillary Clinton, suggested that Sen. Barack Obama's admission of using cocaine and marijuana as a teenager will be fodder for Republicans if he wins.

Talk about a damn idiot.

The real deal is that this is a way to toss some mud out, and then quickly retract.

And that's what happened.

The Clinton campaign immediately said that he was not speaking for the campaign and Shaheen has apologized, but he got what he wanted: the chatter about Obama's drug use.

Today, Clinton personally apologized to Obama prior to the Des Moines Register debate.

Question of the Day: Will Obama's admission of drugs as a teenager be used against him if he wins the Democratic nomination?

UPDATE, 5:33 pm EST: Sheehan resigns from the Clinton campaign.

ike Turner dead at 76

He will be forever known as a drug abusing man who beat the living hell out of Tina Turner. And that's really a shame because he was a musical genius.

Talk to music historians and they'll tell you that Turner was a rock and roll pioneer, creating a sound that was unique among musical acts.

But his brutality, chronicled in "What's Love Got to Do With It," which earned Angela Bassett an Academy Award nomination, will forever be his legacy.

That's why we all must be aware that something we do today could be with us forever.

Black men must reclaim our children

As the mug shots of the alleged killers of NFL star Sean Taylor were shown on television, I kept wondering when we were going to see their parents step forward. I saw a couple of mothers, but their dads were missing in action.

Dads matter, and it’s ridiculous for us to act as if all it takes is a loving mom.

Now, I don’t know what it means not to have a father in your life. I’m not familiar with a mom being strung out on a crack binge. And when my parents were called to the school when there was a discipline problem, Mom and Dad didn’t go off on the teacher or principal. In fact, I can still feel the pain of my elementary school principal’s paddle being applied to my butt when I acted a fool. The principal could only pop me three times. Dad? He had no limit.

Bottom line: I can sit here today and celebrate them and enjoy a wonderful life because my parents were hell-bent on raising their children to do right by them, especially my dad.

We can spend all day talking about the ills afflicting urban America — and there are plenty that are institutional — but the decaying value of life in inner cities clearly can be traced to the exodus of fathers from the lives of so many young men. Excuses often are tossed about as to why black men leave their children (and their children’s moms) to fend for themselves. But a lot of them are just sorry and refuse to accept the responsibility that comes with raising a child.

A lot of my colleagues will suggest it’s too simplistic to assign such a high value to a dad being in the life of a child. But just take a visit to your local jail, juvenile hall or state prison. You likely will be confronted with a sea of black men — strong, able-bodied, creative and restless — who have spent or will spend years and years with a prison number identifying who they are.

According to the U.S. Justice Department, of all the black men in the U.S. between the ages of 25 and 29 in 2002, 10.4 percent were incarcerated. Hispanic and white men? Just 2.4 percent and 1.2 percent respectively. If a poll were done on how many grew up without fathers, I can guarantee you the numbers would be staggering.

The rampant poverty that exists has led many young blacks to a life of crime, choosing to sell drugs and involve themselves in gangs as opposed to focusing on education as a way out of the cellar of life.

But you see, when nearly 70 percent of black kids are born to unmarried parents, likely to a too-young mom, that puts tremendous pressure on grandmothers (and some grandfathers), sisters and brothers to take up the slack. But if the person who impregnated that woman were on the scene, not only helping to pay for the raising of the child but also serving as a strong influence, I just don’t believe we would see such a chronic condition.

And the black men who have done their job are scared to death about what the tendency for black men to leave relationships means for their daughters.

The day before leaving for vacation, I got word that a good friend, Chicago attorney Reynaldo Glover, had died of pancreatic cancer.

He was 64.

In our last extensive conversation before he was diagnosed in July, Reynaldo pleaded with me to use my national media stage to be a voice to sound the alarm about what’s happening to black men in America, because he wanted to know that his daughter would have a respectable man to marry one day. (I’m sure if she chose to marry someone who’s not black, Reynaldo wouldn’t mind, but he realized that as a nation, we mostly marry within our race.)

I promised Reynaldo that I would do all I can, because this has been an issue for me for many years. In fact, my mom gets angry because I’m always talking about my dad on television, radio and in my books. That’s because when you see black men who have “made it,” the accolades are plenty for their moms, and their dads are hardly mentioned. I just think it’s critical to show daddy some love, too.

This is not an issue that black America can continue to sweep under the rug. I’ve heard countless folks talk about it, such as Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama, who noted that his dad left his family when he was a toddler and didn’t see much of him growing up. Even in the Republican CNN-YouTube debate, GOP candidate Mitt Romney said fathers are part of the answer to addressing crime in inner cities.

We shouldn’t shame our young girls who get pregnant, but surely it shouldn’t be seen as a blue-ribbon day. Teenage black girls and black boys should be focused on picking colleges, not the names of babies. When a young girl wants a baby christened, her pastor should be asking to meet with the father as well, even if the two don’t get along. We also should be telling black women not to lie down with any fool. A moment of pleasure could lead you to a lifetime of raising that child. Alone.

A friend of mine suggested more black men need to mentor young black men. I agree. But that’s a bandage. If we get black men to handle their business in the first place, no one else would have to stand in the gap.

Unless black America owns up to this problem — and fast — we are going to see another generation of young black men who are angry with their lot in life. And the result will be more discipline problems in school, which will lead to folks dropping out, and that is nothing but a one-way ticket to jail.

Black men, it’s time to man up. Enough with the sperm donors. We need real men to stand up and accept their responsibility. The state of our boys is on us. And no one else.

Court's crack sentencing decision not panacea to black crime

The decision by the U.S. Supreme Court Monday to allow federal judges more leeway in determining to lower the sentences given for crack cocaine offenses have been hailed as fair and just by civil rights lawyers and others.

It is a decision that makes absolute since because it is non-sensical to give someone a longer sentence for crack cocaine when someone with powdered cocaine gets less jail time.

This discrepancy took place during the 1980s when crack was ravaging inner cities across America and congressional leaders, including the Black Caucus, wanted something to serve as a major deterrent. The problem is that meant African Americans, namely young men, flooded our federal prison system.

But the fundamental issue that civil rights groups and others must confront is that this doesn't solve the underlying problem of too many young black men selling drugs as their way out of poverty.

If we took a survey of them, there is no doubt many would be high school dropouts, and with no education to speak of, the idea of being broke forever isn't an option.

We are material society, and with the chance to make fast money, many young brothers will jump at the chance. But this mindset is destroying our neighborhoods. Education and jobs are the only two major ways to stem this tide, and we can't wait until a kid is 18 years old to ask, "Son, why can't you read?"

Let's hail the Supreme Court decision as fair and just, but let's continue to deal with the root problem, and not just its devastating outcome.

Question of the Day: What is your solution to closing the revolving door of African Americans, namely black men, into our state and federal prisons?

Vick to spend nearly 2 years in federal prison

Atlanta Falcons QB Michael Vick learned his fate today for dogfighting: two years in federal prison.

But he could spend more time in jail. Virginia officials are pursuing state dogfighting charges against him. And with him already pleading guilty in federal court, that could seriously hurt him on the state level.

While federal prosecutors suggested a jail sentence of 12 to 18 months, U.S. District Court Judge Henry E. Hudson didn't have to abide by the plea agreement. We should have all known that he was going to extend the sentence based on how he treated Vick's co-defendants.

While Vick fans will say that he got a raw deal, he should be satisfied. Like it or not, what he engaged is a felony, and the fact that he paid for the entire venture, as well as admitted to killing dogs himself, is beyond measure.

But he also could have gotten a full five years in jail, which would have all but ended his plans to return to the NFL.

If Virginia backs off from their prosecution, Vick could return to the NFL in 2010.

But there is little doubt that all of the hopes he raised, and money made, have evaporated because he made a dumb, stupid and foolish decision to go along with his fellas and fight dogs.

Vick blew it. He knows it. And now he has 23 months in federal prison to realize how he was crazy to do it.

Pray for Sherri Shepherd

I wasn't going to crack on the sister, but Sherri Shepherd's comments on ABC's "The View" about Christianity and the world being flat are, well, out there.

Shepherd is getting ripped on the blogs. On the listserve of the National Association of Black Journalists, one person called her a bubble head while someone else said she was assuming the role of the black mammy vacated by Star Jones's weight loss.

Ouch!

I'm not going that far. Maybe Sherri is playing the clueless role (Hell, have you seen Jessica Simpson in those Macy's ads? She's getting PAID for playing the dumb blonde role). Hey, I'm not sure.

But Sherri, do a little reading, or just don't say nothing at all. It's painful to read folks ripping on you, especially when you're so funny on the show and give us relief from Joy and Elizabeth.

You can watch it for yourself.

Voting for a reverend-in-chief

GOP hopeful Mitt Romney is the talk of the nation today after his major faith-based speech yesterday at the Bush Library on the campus of Texas A&M University in College Station, Texas.

The former Massachusetts governor gave the speech to allay concerns of Christian conservatives about his commitment to faith, especially in light of him being a Mormon. He only mentioned his Mormon religion once, and pretty much gave a speech about the importance of faith today - and historically - in America.

But it raises a critical question: Do you really care about a person's faith or their policies in the White House?

President Bush talked about faith all the time on the campaign trail when he ran in 2000, but many people say he hasn't lived up to those ideals in the last seven years.

Romney stressed that we are a faith-based nation, but many people want to see the separation between church and state. And with right wing evangelicals demanding that the Bible be the rule of thumb for politicians, that could run afoul of the president's true commitment, which is clearly spelled out in the U.S. Constitution:

"I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will faithfully execute the office of President of the United States, and will to the best of my ability, preserve, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States."

The president isn't to take orders from a bishop, the pope or a reverend. He or she is the final arbiter, and the document they are to follow is the Constitution. But it's clear that that isn't good enough for some.

Question of the Day: Would you vote for Mitt Romney, even with his Mormon background? And is too much made of faith in today's political chatter?

Bigger celebrity in black America: Bill Clinton or Oprah?

Oprah Winfrey campaigning with Sen. Barack Obama in South Carolina this weekend is so huge they have moved the event from an 18,000-seat arena to the University of South Carolina football stadium, which seats 80,000.

Huge crowds are also expected in Iowa and New Hampshire.

So this got me to thinking: why do you think is a bigger celebrity in black America, O or Bill?

We all know how hugely popular Clinton is in black America - who can forget the spectacle at the funeral of Coretta Scott King, and Toni Morrison called him the nation's first black president (I've always hated that! Bill's a white guy!) and he is adored by folks.

But O shouldn't be seen as the patron saint of white women.

So what say you? Who is bigger in black America - Oprah or former president Bill Clinton?

Jesse Jr., Sr. differ over Obama

This post was supposed to go up on Monday, but we had some issues. So I wanted to go ahead and post it for your pleasure. Enjoy!

Hey, folks! Today is my last day in Hawaii, that's why the blog has been inactive.

But this morning's Chicago Sun-Times forced me to send you guys an update.

Congressman Jesse Jackson Jr fired off a letter-to-the-editor to disagree with his dad, the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr., and his assessment of the Democratic candidates and their focus on black issues. Jackson Jr gave a particular defense of his guy, Sen. Barack Obama.

The Jackson family is split on this one. Rev has endorsed Obama, but has made some comments that some call that into question. Jr is backing Obama and is his national co-chair. Rev's wife, Jacqueline, and their son, Yusef, is steadfast behind Sen. Hillary Clinton. Daughter Santita loves Rep. Dennis Kucinich. No word on where Jonathan stands. Their daughter, Jacquie, is apolitical.

But Jackson Jr's letter pretty much tells dad that he's wrong in his position, especially as it relates to Obama.

The Sun-Times ran an edited version of his letter. Jackson Jr's office sent me the full version. Tell me what you think.

Roland S. Martin
www.rolandsmartin.com
CNN Contributor

Sent from Blsckberry

----- Original Message -----
From: Edmonds, Kenneth
To: Martin, Roland
Sent: Mon Dec 03 13:41:06 2007
Subject: Rep. Jackson Op-Ed -- Unedited and Uncut

SEEING THE LIGHT

Chicago Sun-Times Op-Ed

By Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.

During his historic run for the presidency in 1984, Reverend Jesse Jackson, Sr. was dubbed "Thunder" by the Secret Service agents assigned to protect him. It was a fitting name for Reverend Jackson, whose electrifying oratory, energy and intellect shed light on critical issues as he took the country by storm.

In his recent column [Sun-Times, November 27th], "Thunder" struck again, criticizing today's Democratic presidential candidates for having "virtually ignored the plight of African Americans in this country." While causing quite a stir, Reverend Jackson's comments unfortunately dimmed -- rather than directed -- light on the facts. But, they should be clear.

As a national co-chair of Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign, I've been a witness to Obama's powerful, consistent and effective advocacy for African Americans. He is deeply rooted in the Black community, having fought for social justice and economic inclusion throughout his life. On the campaign trail -- as he's done in the U.S. Senate and the state legislature before that -- Obama has addressed many of the issues facing African Americans out of personal conviction, rather than political calculation.

It is a testament to his deep commitment and new vision that Senator Obama is poised to become the first Black man to make it all the way to the White House. Taking him there will be the character, the judgment and the principles that are propelling his rise.

So often, the place where a candidate begins a campaign points to the direction where he intends to take the country. It is a hint and harbinger of things to come.

After cinching his party's presidential nomination at the Republican National Convention in 1980, Ronald Reagan selected the site for his first formal appearance of the campaign -- Philadelphia, Mississippi. As he stood before the cheering crowd of thousands on that August day, the "Great Communicator" was indeed sending an unmistakably powerful message about his future policies and priorities as president.

Philadelphia, Mississippi is infamous for one event. During the "Freedom Summer" of 1964, three volunteer civil rights workers, Andrew Goodman, Michael Schwerner and James Chaney -- two Jews and a Black -- were killed by a mob of Ku Klux Klansman. Riddled with bullets, the men's bodies were found buried beneath an earthen dam.

Standing at this stronghold of civil rights resistance, Ronald Reagan declared "I believe in states' rights." The statement was clear and convincing. True to his word, President Reagan established a long record against civil rights and social equality in the Oval Office.

In sharp contrast, Barack Obama made another appeal, from a decidedly different stage, full of symbolism and hope.

Barack Obama launched his presidential campaign at the Old State Capitol in Springfield, Illinois, where Abraham Lincoln delivered his famous speech calling on a divided nation to come together. Arguing that slavery was morally wrong, Lincoln professed this: "I believe that this government cannot endure, permanently half slave and half free."

Lincoln's words were not just poignant, they were prophetic. His campaign defined the challenge and changed the country, setting in motion an immortal, inevitable clash of armies and ideas. In the clamor and convulsion of the Civil War, President Lincoln rallied the nation, freed the slaves, and saved our Union, ushering in "a new birth of freedom."

Almost a century and half later, Barack Obama stood only steps away from where Lincoln warned of a "House Divided." Like Lincoln, Obama called on us to come together and "to face the challenges of this millennium together, as one people -- as Americans." He called on us to join with him to conclude a war without end, to solve the health care crisis, to build better schools, to create better jobs and to provide greater opportunity and justice for all. He said, "I want us to take up the unfinished business of perfecting our union, and building a better America."

Clearly, African Americans -- as all Americans -- are listening and responding. On the same day that Reverend Jackson's article appeared, the Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies released the results of its latest national survey of likely Black presidential primary voters. The study found that many African Americans were paying close attention, with nearly 75 percent having a favorable view of Barack Obama.

They see the light.

Jena 6's Mychal Bell has some explaining to do

Never on this blog, CNN, TV One, my syndicated column or radio show have you ever heard me utter the phrase, "Free the Jena 6."

Why?

Because I always believed there was a fight.

In light of the reported plea deal by defendant Mychal Bell admitting to knocking Justin Barker unconscious, those who were calling for their freedom should be asking some tough questions.

The fundamental issue for me was fairness in the entire case. That's right, fairness. It never made sense to charge the defendants with attempted murder for this fight. That, folks, was my primary issue.

So what do you make of Bell's decision to plead guilty to second-degree battery?

It is not sitting well with some folks.

One of his attorneys, Louis Scott, says the initial report was wrong, and that Bell will not be compelled to testify against the other defendants. One young man's mom said she was angered by the report, and that her son won't be pleading guilty to anything.

Frankly, I think the parents of the Jena 6 should be asking their sons one tough question: Did you in fact engage in a fight with Justin Barker?

For me, if the answer was an emphatic no, then I'm doing all I can to keep my son from being convicted of something he didn't do.

But if they admitted to the fight, then I would be working on some kind of agreement to lessen the punishment.

Part of the problem is that a lot of people believed in their innocence because they presented themselves as not guilty. But not all is cut and dry like that. Everyone is innocent until proven guilty, and clearly in the case of Bell, he wants to put all of this behind him and move on with his life.

Now we await a decision on the other young men. Trust me, if they plead guilty, many people will be asking themselves what they protested for.

Let me remind you: Fairness and equality for all. The issue was never IF they did it, but the malicious treatment by the prosecutor in the case.

Question of the Day: What is your opinion of Bell's decision to plead guilty?