How Obama can get beyond Rev. Wright

Let's not kid ourselves. The Rev. Jeremiah Wright was going to be a part of this presidential campaign through November, whether Sen. Barack Obama smacked his former pastor upside the head, or not.

Now that he has taken the necessary steps to separate himself from Wright, Obama must go on his most vigorous offensive to date and make it clear that he is running for president, and not Wright.

Sen. Hillary Clinton is doing all she can to make the case to undeclared Democratic superdelegates that Obama is a wounded duck because of Wright; that she has a better shot at winning white working-class voters; and he's not tough enough to take on Sen. John McCain.

With that said, Obama is leading among the pledged delegates and the popular vote. He's also significantly closed the gap between himself and Clinton in superdelegates. Bottom line: He's winning.

But now it's time for him to ratchet up his message and to take back the stage from Clinton, McCain, and of course, Wright. One way to do that is to be far more forceful in advocating his position and direction for the country. Here are a few suggestions:

Let voters know that you will be calling the shots, not Wright. I've seen e-mails from voters who say they will not vote for Obama because of Wright. The junior senator of Illinois must challenge them directly.

Tell them flat out that Wright will not keep their homes from foreclosure.

Tell them that Wright has absolutely nothing to do with gas prices doubling under the presidency of George W. Bush.

Make it plain that your name is on the ballot and not his, and you're the guy who has the right plan to transform the country.

Have your supporters increase the book sales of Alan Greenspan. McCain said last year that the economy wasn't his strong suit, and that he needed to read up on the books of the former Federal Reserve chairman. I would put some of those young supporters to use and have them greet McCain at every campaign stop with a copy of a Greenspan book. Even print up some Greenspan masks and hound him to death.

Then you must back that in-your-face campaigning with an economic message that speaks to the masses, especially those blue-collar voters. Show them that the Bush tax cuts that McCain wants to continue will benefit those same business owners who are shipping their jobs overseas.

Tell blue-collar voters that the hedge fund owners that are snapping up companies and slashing their jobs don't care about them, and will be happy to fund the campaign of McCain.

Make the case that he might be a good guy, but he's more concerned about the tax bracket of his wife (she's worth in excess of $100 million) than the middle- class voters in Ohio and Pennsylvania.

They say you've got a white problem? Tell those white rural voters that voting against their economic interests is political suicide.

Make it clear to women, especially white women, that Roe v. Wade will be extinct if McCain wins. The next president is going to choose three Supreme Court justices.

There is no way -- no way -- that the religious right will let a President McCain appoint anyone with a moderate bone in his or her body. Remember Harriet Miers? Bush even said he knew her heart, and they told him to go to hell.

What Obama has to tell those women, who are supporting Sen. Hillary Clinton in huge numbers, and will be disappointed if she's not the nominee, is that sitting at home on Election Day, or crossing the aisle and voting for McCain, virtually assures that a woman's right to choose what to do with her body will be taken from her.

I would run an ad slapping a large "C" for conservative on the faces of Justices John Roberts, Samuel Alito, Clarence Thomas, and Antonin Scalia, and make it clear that three other justices will likely step down.

If McCain chooses, the new justices will vote with the conservative bloc. That is a day the pro-choice movement never wants to see.

Make college tuition a cornerstone of your campaign. You and Michelle paid off your student loans three years ago -- why keep that such a secret? Hit folks over the head with it.

With Sallie Mae cutting back and being more selective on student loans, parents' ability to pay for their kids to go to school is a huge issue. Push it. Hard. Don't let it be just one of many items on the list.

Convene a panel in Indiana, North Carolina and Oregon of parents and young folks and let them express their fears about not being able to go to college and get a good job. There isn't a parent, aunt or uncle who isn't concerned with that issue.

The war still matters. I'm watching Lanny Davis, a big-time Clinton surrogate on "Larry King Live," challenge Obama's judgment on attending Wright's Chicago church for 20 years. Obama must re-engage the electorate and say that the judgment of Clinton and McCain has led to a war that has cost us 4,000 lives and billions of dollars.

Those costs are real. Don't let it slide by. Ratchet up the sound. Don't let voters forget for a second that the wrong choice was made by your opponents.

A lot of folks are assuming the doom-and-gloom scenario for Obama. Everyone is saying he's toast, and this race is over. But we forget that conservatives really don't love McCain, and the evangelicals aren't hot in love with him either.

Go back to who you are: Mr. Change. Drive the issues home in a more forceful manner. The election is little more than six months away, and a whole lot can happen between now and November 5.

Roland discusses Obama, Wright on WVON-AM/Chicago

This is the abbreviated 6 a.m. hour, which includes my interview on The Tom Joyner Morning Show.

This is the 7 a.m. hour.

This is the 8 a.m. hour.

Obama denounces Wright's press club 'performance'

Faced with the biggest challenge of his presidential campaign, Sen. Barack Obama blasted yesterday's appearance at the National Press Club by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, calling it a "performance" that doesn't represent his views on a variety of issues.

Obama said he didn't understand Wright's intentions with the appearance and his decison to "command the stage" over the last four days, and was clear that "Rev. Wright does not speak for me" or his campaign, saying it "contradicts everything that I'm about."

Click here for the CNN.com story.

VIDEO

Obama 'outraged' by Wright

I am on record regarding Wright's antics yesterday. But it is clear that he has even ticked off other African American journalists.

Errol Louis, New York Daily News: Is Jeremiah Wright a colossal disaster for Barack Obama or a press trick?

Eugene Robinson, Washington Post: Where Wright Goes Wrong

Bob Herbert, New York Times: The Pastor Casts a Shadow

Obama puts Wright on blast

News conference is going on now. I'll be on CNN to discuss at the conclusion of his news conference.

How Wright won - and lost - in 72 hours

"Why don't Rev. Jeremiah Wright just sit down and be quiet? Don't he know he's hurting Se,. Barack Obama?"

If I had a nickle for every time someone has asked, emailed or texted me that in the last three days, I could retire.

And trust me, I get it.

Wright has had a negative impact on Obama's presidential aspirations because of the constant playing of snippets of his sermons. And many believe that his interview with Bill Moyers on PBS; his speech at the Detroit NAACP; and the appearance at the National Press Club on Monday morning is all about him.

Yes, that is all true.

But what would you do? If your 36 years in ministry was degraded, would you go and hide?

If right wing radio and TV hacks like Sean Hannity, Lars Larson and others called you a bigot and anti-Semitic, and others who don't even realize that you served in the Marines and the Navy for six years castigated you daily as being un-American, would you defend yourself?

Of course you would!

But there is a fine line that you must walk. And depending on how you do could determine how you are viewed and whether the presidential aspirations of Obama are severely damaged.

HOW HE WON

The interview with Moyers, along with the Detroit NAACP speech, were perfect opportunities for Wright.

He came across as thoughtful, smart, theologically sound, and more importantly - human - than he has in the last month. He has been unfairly portrayed as a raging lunatic, courtesy of the YouTube clips, and that's not him.

It's so much easier in a one-one-one setting to have your views heard.

Even his speech on Sunday was pretty good.

At moments funny and hilarious, Wright shone a light on our differences, and how we need to overcome them.

There is nothing wrong with having different music and worship styles. Its when we try to impose one as being superior or favored over the other. That was an excellent point he made.

I got a lot of emails from folks who said they saw him differently based on this, and that's always a good thing.

Even this morning's papers spoke to his message of change. He got great reviews from a variety of sources.

HOW HE LOST

I never thought appearing before the National Press Club was a good idea. I even told my radio audience a week ago that he should cancel.

One, it's not his element, and with there being questions, you never know which direction they are coming from.

Wright's opening statement was a good one, but it went all downhill from there.

The issue wasn't always just his answers. It was also HOW he answered them. He was too flippant, comfortable, cocky and arrogant in some of his answers. Where he should have expounded, he allowed a quip to simply end a statement. Where he should have been thoughtful, his histrionics and facial expressions led the way.

I'm sure someone will say that style over substance is silly. I concur. But Wright's style was a part of the substance, and he let it get in the way.

The one danger in being a smart ass person is that you come across as a smart ass. Wright was that way today.

Finally, he stepped on his own story! The headlines showed that his Sunday speech was well-received. Why let that moment not settle and folks get to savor it?

Now we're left with a different taste in our mouth.

Folks, perceptions matter. How people think of you, regardless of what you say, does matter.

Wright had a moment to rise above the "playing the dozens" statements and the "when they talk about your mama" rants. He could have presented himself as the learned man that he is. But he allowed the silly stuff to cloud his message.

Either his media handlers were incompetent, or he ignored them. That, folks, is a recipe for disaster.

As for Obama? Wright even more dismissed him as a politician today, and that's not good. He did his member no favor with his actions today, and Obama is going to have to bear down even more so to move beyond Wright.

If you disagree, fine. But Wright had an opportunity to elevate the conversation. His speech Sunday was damn good. But 12 hours later, that's now dismissed, and he walked into the lion's den, thought he could tame it, and got mauled.

And he has no one else to blame but himself.

Roland S. Martin www.rolandsmartin.com CNN Contributor

Sent from Blackberry

More than 8,000 at Detroit NAACP banquet

DETROIT - The Detroit NAACP has already set a world record for having the largest sit-down annual dinner in the world - I believe it was 10,000 - and this year is no different.

According to the Rev. Wendell Anthony, president of the chapter, more than 8,000 people have bought tickets this year, and suffice to say that the room is packed.

To put it in perspective there are six head tables assigned by color - yellow, black and white, green, red and the blue, which is considered the main table.

The stars are also out in full force, including: Hill Harper; Anthony Anderson; Vivica A. Fox; Morris Chestnut; Judge Greg Mathis; Michigan Gov. Jenniger Granholm; Michigan U.S. Senators Debbie Stabenow and Carl Levin; Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick; former Detroit Mayor Dennis Archer; and CNN's Soledad O'Brien.

I'm typing on my blackberry, but the photo will show you the expansive room.

The room is hot because the guest speaker is the Rev. Jeremiah Wright. It has been a busy day for him; earlier he preached two worship services at Friendship-West Baptist Church in Dalla, Texas, pastored by the Rev. Frederick D. Haynes III.

Well, I'm sitting one seat over from where he'll be speaking so you'll get a taste of what he had to say. I also have my Flip Video camera so we hope to have video as well!

Roland S. Martin www.rolandsmartin.com CNN Contributor

Sent from Blackberry

Also on CNN Headline News at 5:15 pm EST

Talk about a busy day!

If Rev. Wright wanted his interview to get maximum exposure, he sure got it.

Roland S. Martin www.rolandsmartin.com CNN Contributor

Sent from Blackberry

On CNN all day discussing Wright

Hey, folks!

I did a hit at 5:25 am on CNN's American Morning discussing Rev. Jeremiah Wright and just finished one on CNN's Headline News.

I'll be on CNN at 1:30 pm, talking to anchor Don Lemon.

Then I'll do CNN's Headline News at 2 pm.

And I'm scheduled to do AC360 to discuss race and politics at 9 pm.

All times are central standard time!

I have also posted the Odeo player to hear the sermon on www.rolandsmartin.com/blog, and will post them here on my Essence.com blog as soon as I can get to my computer.

Thank goodness I can update this blog from my Blackberry or Treo!

Roland S. Martin www.rolandsmartin.com CNN Contributor

Sent from Blackberry

Any justice for Sean Bell?

Thw three New York police officers tried for killing Sean Bell have been acquitted, so what's next?

The district attorney can't appeal the decision, but the Justice Department could potentially file civil rights violations against the officers.

The other option is for the family to file a civil suit against the officers, where the guilty threshhold is not as great.

There was an angry reaction to the verdict, but violence erupting didn't take place, as some tried to predict.

In your estimation, should the family pursue charges against the officers in federal or civil court?

Roland S. Martin www.rolandsmartin.com CNN Contributor

Sent from Blackberry

Rev. Jeremiah Wright speaks; will he help or hurt Obama?

The Rev. Jeremiah Wright's interview with BIll Moyers on PBS hasn't even aired and he is led nearly every newscast yesterday and today.

And don't think for a second that the new news surrounding Wright will dissipate. It will be the top story this weekend; he speaks Sunday at the Detroit NAACP's Freedom Fund banquet - I'll be in attendance; and then he is scheduled to speak at a prayer breakfast on Monday at the National Press Club.

Now, I get Wright defending himself, but he's been essentially framed. Minds are made up. This interview might have been more beneficial had it happened three weeks ago.

But what do you think? Will Wright reviving the discussion help better define him? And will it help or hurt the campaign of Sen. Barack Obama?

Roland S. Martin www.rolandsmartin.com CNN Contributor

Sent from Blackberry

A cute lie: North Carolina Republican Party chairwoman denies playing race card

I just finished doing the nationally syndicated "The Michael Baisden Show" and we discussed the ad being pushed by the North Carolina Republican Party that features Sen. Barack Obama and his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Linda Daves, chairman of the party, said that the ad calls on Bev Perdue and Richard Moore, who are running for governor, to denounce the comments made by Wright.

But that is a lie.

I've watched the ad six times now and not one time does the ad make ANY mention of her wanting them to denounce Wright. It is clear that the intent of the ad is play the racial boogey man card.

Not only that, the ad makes NO mention of the policy positions of Perdue and Moore. It doesn't say that their initiatives will harm the Tar Heel state. She shows the face of Wright, plays a clip of him saying "god damn America," and then wants to link that to two Democrats because they endorsed Obama.

Wow.

Daves denied the race card is being played, but that is such a croc.

When I asked her whether she has ever denounced the racist past of the standard bearer of the North Carolina Republican Party, former five-time U.S. Sen. Jesse Helms, she called him a "fine man" who has done a lot for America.

So, she denounces "extreme" views of Wright, but casually dismisses those of Helms? If Wright is extreme, then definitely Helms!

Way to go, Linda. Too bad the facts don't go with your massive lie.

Oh yea, even Sen. John McCain has demanded that the North Carolina Republican Party take the ad down. I say that if they persist, then McCain needs to make it clear that he will not support any efforts of the state party in helping his campaign. Let's see if he's willing to put his money where his mouth is.

Watch the ad and see if it says what Daves claims.

Clinton's 'new math' is wacky

So let me get this straight: Sen. Hillary Clinton agreed that Michigan and Florida would not count, so now that she's behind, she has her team saying she leads the popular vote?

Oh, stop!

When did the election rules all of a sudden become like the wind?

Judging by the geometric position of Clinton, Al Gore should drive a U-haul up to 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue in Washington, DC and play like the Clampetts and move into the White House?

Why not? He did "win" the 2000 election.

Maybe her camp took one too many shots of whiskey on election night. Or we haven't taken enough to believe their new math.

Roland S. Martin www.rolandsmartin.com CNN Contributor

Sent from Blackberry

Obama talks to Roland S. Martin about Pennsylvania, state of the race

Watch the interview here on CNN.com

Watch Roland S. Martin break down the Pennsylvania primary in his weekly Sound Off section on CNN.com

Watch the full hour below of the CNN Radio conversation as Roland S. Martin breaks down the Pennsylvania primary, which includes his interview with Sen. Barack Obama.

He also talked with CNN Radio Capitol Hill Correspondent Lisa Desjardins; CNN senior political correspondent Candy Crowley; Dr. Ron Walters, political science professor, University of Maryland-College Park; David Bositis, senior researcher, Joint Center for Political and Economic Studies; Rep. Gregory Meeks, Clinton surrogate; and former Congressman Tim Roehmer, Obama surrogate.

What's next for Obama and Clinton

SEN. HILLARY CLINTON

With little money in the bank, Clinton desperately needs cash to keep going forward. The victory in Pennsylvania is crucial for her because it may very well fire up her supporters to go to her website and pour in the dollars. She must rake in the dollars because she has no choice to compete in North Carolina. Clinton needs to upset Obama in North Carolina and win in Indiana in order to fully make the case that she should be the party’s nominee.

SEN. BARACK OBAMA

He must get back to basics. After closing Clinton’s 25-point lead in Pennsylvania down to four, the revelation of his “bitter” remarks – no matter how he says they were misconstrued – caused his major charge in the state to come to a screeching halt. What Obama must do is not having any self-inflicted wounds and return to his hopeful and inspiring message. He also must re-tool his campaign to close, close, close. If you look at the exit polling data, the voters in the final week – especially the final 48 hours – keep going for Clinton. In order for him to put Clinton away in Indiana – she’s up two points now in the polls – he is going to have to do better in this area.

Check me out live on CNN Radio Election Special!

I interview Sen. Barack Obama in five minutes!

Clinton wins Pennsylvania

As of now, Sen. Hillary Clinton beat Sen. Barack Obama in the Keystone State 55 percent to 45 percent.

Now it's on to North Carolina and Indiana on May 6.

Tight race between Clinton and Obama

The polls have closed in Pennsylvania, but there are reports that people are still standing in line to vote, and I'm tying with the polls closing 40 minutes ago.

CNN is calling the race "competitive" because of what our exit polls are showing, so we won't be calling the race anytime soon.

Will the Democratic race end tonight?

Finally.

After six weeks of Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton going at it over silly stuff, voters in Pennsylvania finally get their say over who should be the Democratic Party nominee in November to face Republican nominee John McCain.

For both candidates, the stakes are huge.

CLINTON - She MUST win. Lagging behind in pledged delegates, the popular vote and in money in the bank, she desperately needs the boost. No matter the margin if she wins, she will declare it a big victory. But the margin does indeed matter. If Clinton is able to win by 12 to 15 points, she can further her claim that she is more electable, and keep uncommitted superdelegates frozen where they are. It will also give her a boost in fundraising, which she desperately needs. Her campaign claims all is well, but her coffers are low, and some reports suggest she's in the red. Not good when you still have North Carolina, Indiana and other states to go.

OBAMA - He wins, it's over. He's leading among pledged delegates, the popular vote, has won more states, and has far more money in the bank. If he loses, he has to keep the loss below double digits. If so, he can spin it as a victory. He also wants to keep it close because a big win by her closes the gap in the popular vote category. That's onen of the reasons he has given for superdelegates to come to him.

At the end of the night, Pennsylvania will not cause one candidate to get out of the race. But the margin of victory - either way - could determine what each does next, and that will be the determining factor as to who the nominee will be.

Gov. Ed Rendell praises Farrakhan, Nation of Islam

I told you guys about this a few weeks ago!

I bet you $100 that that little ball of hate, Sean Hannity, won't bother to air this on Fox News Channel, or his radio show.

Now, Sen. Hillary Clinton has blasted Obama about his so-called relationship with Farrakhan. But listen to Rendell, then mayor of Philadelphia, give a passionate speech lauding the Nation of Islam on April 14, 1997.

Part 1

Part 2

Real men wear gowns, Wright talks with media on today's Roland S. Martin Show

In this abbreviated version of the 6 a.m., we talk with former NBA great Sam Perkins, who is a spokesman for The "Real Men Wear Gowns" campaign, which targets middle-aged men and plays off of the Ad Council's finding that male barriers to getting preventive tests is linked to their desire to be a "tough guy" and the belief that you don't need to go to the doctor unless you're sick.

In the 7 a.m. hour, we discussed why Rev. Jeremiah Wright is giving his first interview to PBS' Bill Moyers.

In the 8 a.m. hour, we continued the Wright conversation. At 8:30, we discussed the 37 weekend shootings in Chicago and how to deal with the trauma.

Rendell calls Obama ad spending in Pennsylvania 'obscene'

Speaking Sunday on CBS's Face the Nation, Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell admitted that the race in his state is tightening because of Sen. Barack Obama's "almost obscene" spending on advertising.

Noting that Obama spent $2.9 million on TV just last week, Rendell was shocked.

Uh, Ed, when you have money and you're behind, that's what you're supposed to do!

If Clinton had the dough, she would be doing the same thing. But her campaign is dang near broke.

The first rule of politics: cash rules. Those that have it, flaunt it. Those that don't, lose.

Watch today's Roland S. Martin Show on WVON - live!

In this hour, we are discussing why the Rev. Jeremiah Wright is giving his first interview to PBS' Bill Moyers and the National Press Club, and not black media.

At 8:30 a.m., we'll discuss the psychological effects of the 31 shootings in Chicago this weekend.

Ronald Reagan, haters and the Obama brush off

Maybe Sen. Barack Obama has more in common with former President Ronald Reagan that we've previously acknowledged.

Remember during the week of the Nevada caucus he caught a lot of flack about his views on Reagan? Well, the issue of the Obama brush off this week reminds me of The Great Communicator.

But I must admit, as each day passes, it becomes even more clearer how there are just different worlds various Americans live in.

After Obama brushed off his shoulders the day after the ABC debate, some folks made it clear that they are not up-to-date with the times.

First, MSNBC's Joe Scarborough.

The former Republican congressman, who thinks America is still living in the land of "Ozzie and Harriett" and LOVES to go on and on about how he is an Average Joe, was left scratching his head after seeing what Obama did on stage in North Carolina (Watch the video below).

As Teresa Wiltz pointed out in a story in Saturday's Washington Post, he remarked: "We looked at each other and said, 'What's he doing?'"

Even some of Obama's white aides said the same thing, according to my sources in the campaign.

Now, I don't think this was a situation where the white folks were clueless and the black folks saw it as a hidden - some might say code - move designed for them to only know.

This is truly a generational thing.

I'll bet you $100 that a bunch of young white kids and adults steeped in hip hop knew exactly what he was doing. Bottom line: the cool folks got it and the, well, less than cool folks had no clue.

"Not smart" was how the Washington Post Richard Cohen called the brush off when he was Morning Joe with Scarborough.

Folks, I can tell you now that Cohen will never qualify for the cool crowd. (By the way, he found time for MSNBC, but when I tried to get him to come on my radio show a couple weeks ago, he told my producer that he simply NEVER has time for such things, and he would have had to get up earlier to do Average Joe than do my show. Richie, come do my show, you might increase your cool factor!).

So here is a lesson in what Obama was doing.

The folks who are older than me grew up on the phrase, "Sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me."

Today? We say, "Shake the haters off."

Wiltz describes that as coming from a Jay-Z song, which says, ""If you feelin' like a pimp . . . go and brush your shoulders off. . . . Get that dirt off your shoulder."

Although the Obama camp says the junior senator from Illinois has a few Jay-Z tunes on his iPod, I think there is a better song to illustrate the point, Big El's "Shake the Haters."

Whenever I get a crazy caller on my radio show who is complaining, I just crack out "Shake the Haters" and let 'er rip!

Basically, what it means is that whatever negative criticism comes your way - hate - then you just blow it off, or brush it off, and keep on steppin'. Oh, I'm sorry, that's keep moving forward for not the not so cool folks.

Comedian Katt Williams sees it another way. In his foul-mouthed but hilarious HBO comedy special, he says that only those people who are doing something good has to contend with haters. In fact, he said that if there were any haters in the audience, they could gladly hate on him because that means he was well on his way to greatness (Go to YouTube to see it. Way too many N-words and cursing for me to post on a family website!).

Reagan? Oh yea, he was really good at shaking the haters off.

I recall that the 40th president of the United States was nicknamed "Teflon Ron" because he always had a sunny disposition and never seemed to let things bother him. Plus, when his administration was involved in some foul and illegal stuff - remember Iran Contra? - Reagan always came out smelling like a rose.

Who can forget the video of Reagan walking to the presidential plane or helicopter, and ABC's Sam Donaldson shouting a question, and the president would just cup his hands to his ear to say he couldn't hear. He didn't care a lick. Stuff just slid off Reagan.

He would get ripped in the press, and ol' Ronnie would just keep on smiling, basically saying, "Man, forget y'all. I'm the president. You're not. Deal with it."

Reagan was a cool cat. He was never seen sweating. Didn't snap. He would just smile and keep on stepping (That's "moving on to the next thing" for the not so cool folks).

That's exactly what Obama did the other day. He took a few jabs, smiled while doing it, and brushed off the haters.

Who would have thought that the cool bruh from Chitown would be acting more like that smooth player from Cali, Ronnie Reagan? (For the less-than-cool folks, I'll have to explain another day what's a smooth player!)

Here is the Morning Joe chat:

Here is the Obama brush off:

Pope Benedict challenges America on treatment of Indians, Blacks

Pope Benedict XVI has made some waves during his first visit to the United States with his strong statements against priests who have sexually abused children, and the church's handling of the sordid mess.

But yesterday, during an open air mass in Washington, DC, he made some pointed comments about the treatment of American Indians and African Americans.

"Americans have always been a people of hope," wrote the Associated Press. "Your ancestors came to this country with the experience of finding new freedom and opportunity.

"To be sure, this promise was not experienced by all inhabitants of this land; one thinks of the injustices endured by the native American peoples and by those brought here forcibly from Africa as slaves."

Pope Benedict's comments reminded Chicago's Father George Clements of the visit in April 1999 by Pope John Paul II to St. Louis when he welcomed thousands, and reminded the audience that Missouri was the place of the famous Dred Scott decision, chastising the nation for its treatment over the years of African Americans.

"The place was silent," Clements told me today on WVON-AM.

Pope Benedict also focused on the sex abuse scandal, which has cost the U.S. Catholic Church $2 billion in settlements and court costs, and seriously damaging its credibility.

0question of the Day: Whether Catholic or not, what do is your assessment of the Pope's first visit to the United States?

Roland S. Martin www.rolandsmartin.com CNN Contributor

Sent from Blackberry

Did you miss today's Roland S. Martin Show on the Midwest earthquake, Pope's visit? Watch it here!

Watch and listen to the 6 a.m. hour CST discussion regarding the Midwest earthquake that was felt in Chicago, and as far away as Louisville, Ky. and Milwaukee, Wis. The origin was in Evansville, Ind., and registered a 5.4 on the Richter scale.

Watch and listen to the 7 a.m. hour as we continue the discussion on the earthquake, and at 7:30 a.m., we discuss the visit of Pope Benedict XVI to the United States.

In the 8 a.m. hour, we continued the conversation regarding the Pope and his visit to the U.S.

Last night's debate was a waste of my time

I was a bit miffed at myself for not setting my Tivo to record the Democratic presidential debate on ABC; I was doing CNN's Election Center and had to race home.

But when it was all over, and I saw the last half and then read the first half, I realized that I would have been wasting hard drive space. In fact, my wife was recording American Idol and recording Criminal Minds. I should have left well enough alone.

My radio callers this morning were up in arms at the debate, believing that questioners Charlie Gibson and George Stephanolopous were dead set against Sen. Barack Obama.

Frankly, that didn't concern me.

What I took issue with was so much focus on Rev. Wright, "bitter" comments, Bosnia, affirmative action, and other stuff that really didn't amount to much.

For instance, Obama got asked about not wearing a flag pin. Was Clinton wearing one? Nope. Was Stephanolopous wearing one? Nope. Was Gibson wearing one? NOPE!

So, if NO ONE was on stage wearing one, how big of a deal is it?!

A caller today from North Carolina had a great response: If you take off your wedding ring, does that mean you forgot you were married? That was pretty good!

But one of the most pressing issues in the nation - gas prices - was tossed out by Gibson near the end, saying there wasn't much time left to discuss.

"MR. GIBSON: We're running short on time. Let me just give some quick questions here, and let me give you a minute each to answer. What are you going to do about gas prices? It's getting to $4 a gallon. It is killing truckers."

Don't you think that question should have been higher up in the debate?

And why keep asking about them choosing one another as vice president? What is asked and answered? Both candidates, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, and a bunch of other Democrats have weighed in on this, so do we have waste more time on it? They will not be running together, so can we move on?

Also, the only time HIV/AIDS came up was when Obama mentioned it regarding his church. With HIV/AIDS continuing to ravage inner city communities, it would have been nice to hear with Clinton and Obama had to say on the issue.

With Sallie Mae saying they are going to be more restrictive in giving student loans, I want to know what Clinton and Obama will do as president to provide resources for our kids to go to school. There were passing references, but nothing substantive.

But hey, when you have Rev. Wright and Bosnia, why bother with real issues?

UPDATE

Check out Sen. Barack Obama shaking the haters off. It's at the 2:20 mark.

Watch the Roland S. Martin Show via uStream.tv

To watch, just click the refresh button. The show airs Monday through Friday from 6 a.m. to 9 a.m. CST.

Former Newark, N.J. mayor, mistress convicted in federal court

Sharpe James, one of the last big city powerbrokers who ran Newark, N.J. for 20 years, was convicted today of fraud, along with his mistress.

According to the New York Times, they were convicted of "conspiring to sell city-owned properties to a former girlfriend, who quickly flipped them and earned hundreds of thousands of dollars in profits."

The paper says "the jury found Mr. James, 72, guilty on all five counts he faced. His former girlfriend, Tamika Riley, 39, was convicted on the same fraud and conspiracy charges as well as eight others for numerous tax violations in connection with what the authorities said was her failure to file income tax returns for her public relations firm."

James ran Newark prior to the election of Mayor Cory Booker.

The two face up to eight years in prison and will be sentenced on July 29.

This is a hilarious editorial cartoon on Bob Johnson

Check me out at 11:10 am EST on CNN.com!

I'll be discussing my column below on elitism and choosing an "average" American as president of the United States.

An 'average' American will never be president

Can we all just stop the silly nonsense over who is an elitist and whether an "average American" will occupy the White House?

Listening to the punditry today, you would think folks who revel in the comedy of Larry the Cable Guy or Katt Williams really would have a shot at the White House.

It's totally absurd.

So, Sen. Barack Obama is all of a sudden an elitist because he went to Columbia and Harvard? And Sen. Hillary Clinton is an elitist because she went to Yale? Do you actually think Sen. John McCain isn't an elitist? He went to an exclusive college -- the Naval Academy, and that is one of the hardest places to get into. (You can't even apply unless a member of Congress recommends you.)

Karl Rove, who tries to portray himself as the common man but is just another rich Republican, has called both Democratic candidates elitists. Well, his former boss, President George W. Bush, went to Yale. So did Bush's dad, former president George H.W. Bush, and his granddaddy, former Sen. Prescott Bush. All three Bushes also were members of the super elite organization Skull and Bones. The younger Bush later went to Harvard.

He walked into the governor's mansion and the presidency on the strength of his name and his dad's money and connections. Sounds like an elitist to me!

But no, we're supposed to be fooled by the cowboy boots, folksy charm and him removing brush at his Crawford, Texas, ranch (don't forget the family compound in Kennebunkport, Maine, where all the "regular" folks hang out).

Read the rest here at CNN.com.

It's time for Bob Johnson to shut up

BET founder Bob Johnson proves again how he's an ignorant ass man.

In an interview with the Charlotte Observer, "Bumbling Bonehead Billionaire" Bob said that Geraldine Ferraro was right when she said Sen. Barack Obama is winning because he's black.

This is what he told the paper: "What I believe Geraldine Ferraro meant (is) if you take a freshman senator from Illinois called 'Jerry Smith' and he says I'm going to run for president, would he start off with 90 percent of the black vote? And the answer is, probably not.

"Would he also start out with the excitement of starting out as something completely different? Probably not. He would just be a freshmen senator ...

"Geraldine Ferraro said it right. The problem is Geraldine Ferraro is white. This campaign has such a hair trigger on anything racial. It is almost impossible for anybody to say anything."

So, forget the fact that Obama raised $200 million. Forget that Clinton was beating him by 30 percentage points among African Americans until whites voted for him in Iowa.

It's all because he's black.

This is the BS that blacks have to contend with every day.

Years ago when I was a reporter at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, I had a white reporter tell me, "Oh, you're getting job queries because you're black." Now, forget that he never belonged to any journalism groups, didn't network with editors nationwide, didn't send his clips out. I got offers just because I'm black. How about the fact that I worked my butt off?

See, this is code for diminishing black accomplishment.

By the way, Doug Wilder ran in 1992; Sharpton and former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun. They were all African American who were more known than Obama. Did they win? Nope!

Bob Johnson knows the truth. It's so easy to fall on race. That's just his way of dismissing Obama winning. Don't credit him coming up with a strategy that was appealing to the uninspired. Don't credit him reaching the young. It's all because he's black.

Utter nonsense.

Bob needs to focus on his sorry basketball team and repent from the degradation of black women he contributed to with the lurid videos on BET.

Understanding why you don’t call a black man a boy

When I read about Kentucky Republican Congressman Geoff Davis using the word “boy” in reference to Sen. Barack Obama, I immediately thought of a routine, and subsequent book, by comedian Cedric the Entertainer.

While watching the movie, “The Kings of Comedy,” Ced had me rolling in the aisle talking about being a “grown ass man,” and that eventually became the title of his best-selling book, “Grown-A$$ Man.”

For those who think that African Americans are too sensitive over this issue, and it’s just a well-meaning person making a mistake, I understand that. But others must understand the history of African Americans, and what it has always meant to black men for someone to call them a “boy.”

One, it’s the ultimate sign of disrespect, and is often more offensive than calling them the N-word. For years black men were summarily dismissed and treated with disregard. It was as if their stature was diminished when someone white called them a boy. I’ve heard black men describe the hurt and pain of growing up and having someone white call them a boy in front of their own child.

Again, I know some are reading this and saying, “Why can’t we all just get along and forget all this race stuff?”

That would be great, but our history is truly our history, and there are things left over that when said, immediately conjure up those feelings of old.

Do you remember the images from the sanitation strike that the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was leading in Memphis in 1968? The most striking visual was that of the male protestors wearing signs saying, “I Am A Man!”

There was a reason they were wearing those signs.

You may have caught the Showtime movie, “10,000 Black Men Named George,” which tells the story of labor leader A. Philip Randolph, who organized the black porters of the Pullman Rail Company during the1920s, known as the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters.

The name is derived from the fact that white passengers never bothered to learn the names of the porters, and would dismissively call them all George, which was seen during those days as a racial slur.

Remember earlier this year when former President Bill Clinton referred to Obama as a “kid”? That evoked a similar reaction by some because it was seen as being dismissive of a sitting U.S. senator who also is a grown man with a wife and two daughters. Where I come from, we call that a man, and not a boy or kid.

I have my own story when it comes to being called a boy.

I recall working at the Austin (Texas) American-Statesman newspaper and an older white male colleague was talking to me, and in the conversation, he referenced me as a boy. I knew he meant no harm, but don’t think for a second that it didn’t cross my mind about the word. He also stiffened up, realized what he said and quickly replied, “Now you know I didn’t mean to disparage you by calling you a boy?”

In this presidential campaign we have had many instances where individuals have made references that were perceived as sexist or racist. Some have been called overt; others covert.

I’ve heard men blow off comments about Sen. Hillary Clinton that are clearly sexist, and we do well to recognize that. I have a wife, sisters and nieces, and I sure don’t want them treated with disrespect, so not objecting to sexism towards Clinton means that attitude will remain, and it may affect the women in my life one day.

Heck, Obama’s comments about rural folks in Pennsylvania and the visceral reaction by some shows that even when it comes to guns and religion, some folks see that as an attack on who they are and where they come from.

When people suggest that we all shouldn’t be so sensitive, I get what they are saying, but I also know that’s always easy to say when you aren’t the one who is being targeted.

Watching what you say, and realizing the meaning what you say is not being politically correct. It’s realizing that words do matter, and they have meaning.

This brouhaha over the comments by the Kentucky congressman won’t blow up into a major story, and we’ll all likely forget. But let’s treat all of this as a history lesson on race and gender, and as a window into a world that many of us either don’t know about, ignore or long forgot.

Presidential campaign has turned into a battle over the dictionary

Is this a presidential campaign or an English challenge?

All we keep hearing these days is who said what and what the meaning is.

Sen. Barack Obama is getting slammed for saying that voters in Pennsylvania are "bitter" over the state of the economy. Sen. John McCain had to apologize for a radio talk show host calling Obama a Chicago political "hack." Then Obama was called on to apologize for a liberal talker calling McCain a "warmonger."

Can we please cut the crap with the words and actually have all three candidates deal with real issues?

If you are broke, who gives a damn if someone says you are angry or bitter or mad? Broke is broke.

What was an exciting season has turned so childish that folks are now arguing over every little word uttered.

Remember what they said on the playground: sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me?

It's time to grow up.

Tavis Smiley Statement Regarding The Tom Joyner Morning Show

There is no way to put into words the love and respect that Tom Joyner and I have for each other, or the love affair that I've had with TJMS listeners for almost 12 years now.

Due to the overwhelming amount of phone calls and emails I have received from listeners and other media, I wanted to briefly clarify a few issues that I will address more fully in my regular TJMS commentary on Tuesday morning, April 15, at 8:20 a.m. ET.

I did not "quit" the Tom Joyner Morning Show effective immediately. In July I will celebrate my 12th anniversary with the show, and as I discussed with Tom, it is my intention to take on the issues of the day in my commentary twice every week with the same energy, passion and commitment until the end of June.

Contrary to what has been suggested, I have decided to clear some things off my plate so that I can devote my time and attention to some exciting and empowering projects that The Smiley Group, Inc. and other divisions of my company have underway this summer, this fall and beyond.

I look forward to continuing the dialogue on Tuesday and in the coming months.

Obama's 'bitter' comments about Pennsylvanians causes an uproar

This is CNN's The Situation Room discussing the issue.

After this issue aired, Obama responded:

Senator Obama’s comments in response to the Clinton and McCain campaign’s attacks

TERRE HAUTE, INDIANA – At a town hall meeting in Indiana, U.S. Senator Barack Obama made the following comments in response to the Clinton and McCain campaign’s attacks:

“When I go around and I talk to people there is frustration and there is anger and there is bitterness. And what’s worse is when people are expressing their anger then politicians try to say what are you angry about? This just happened – I want to make a point here today.

“I was in San Francisco talking to a group at a fundraiser and somebody asked how’re you going to get votes in Pennsylvania? What’s going on there? We hear that’s its hard for some working class people to get behind you’re campaign. I said, “Well look, they’re frustrated and for good reason. Because for the last 25 years they’ve seen jobs shipped overseas. They’ve seen their economies collapse. They have lost their jobs. They have lost their pensions. They have lost their healthcare.

“And for 25, 30 years Democrats and Republicans have come before them and said we’re going to make your community better. We’re going to make it right and nothing ever happens. And of course they’re bitter. Of course they’re frustrated. You would be too. In fact many of you are. Because the same thing has happened here in Indiana. The same thing happened across the border in Decatur. The same thing has happened all across the country. Nobody is looking out for you. Nobody is thinking about you. And so people end up- they don’t vote on economic issues because they don’t expect anybody’s going to help them. So people end up, you know, voting on issues like guns, and are they going to have the right to bear arms. They vote on issues like gay marriage. And they take refuge in their faith and their community and their families and things they can count on. But they don’t believe they can count on Washington. So I made this statement-- so, here’s what rich. Senator Clinton says ‘No, I don’t think that people are bitter in Pennsylvania. You know, I think Barack’s being condescending.’ John McCain says, ‘Oh, how could he say that? How could he say people are bitter? You know, he’s obviously out of touch with people.’

“Out of touch? Out of touch? I mean, John McCain—it took him three tries to finally figure out that the home foreclosure crisis was a problem and to come up with a plan for it, and he’s saying I’m out of touch? Senator Clinton voted for a credit card-sponsored bankruptcy bill that made it harder for people to get out of debt after taking money from the financial services companies, and she says I’m out of touch? No, I’m in touch. I know exactly what’s going on. I know what’s going on in Pennsylvania. I know what’s going on in Indiana. I know what’s going on in Illinois. People are fed-up. They’re angry and they’re frustrated and they’re bitter. And they want to see a change in Washington and that’s why I’m running for President of the United States of America.”

Tavis Smiley quits the Tom Joyner Morning Show

Tom announced it on the morning. They are still discussing it now.

Don't know the back story, but I do know he's caught a lot of heat this election season for his criticism of Sen. Barack Obama.

Obama slices Clinton lead in Pennsylvania down to 4

Pennsylvania has been portrayed as the perfect state for Sen. Hillary Clinton: blue collar, heavily Democratic with strong white enclaves, and a big mix of rural and city.

That's why she vaulted to a 20-point lead and has held steady to a 16-point average in several polls.

But after intensive campaigning around the state, and massive media buys, Sen. Barack Obama is now down by only four, according to CNN's Poll of Polls.

The Pennsylvania Democratic “poll of polls” consists of three surveys: Time (April 2-6), American Research Group (April 5-6), and Quinnipiac (April 3-6). The poll of polls does not have a sampling error.

It shows Clinton with 46% of likely voters and Obama at 42%. But the critical number of undecided voters is 12%.

That is huge because Clinton has fared a lot better with voters who decide at the last moment. Her win in New Hampshire was a result of those deciding the day of the election to support her, and in Texas, Obama was leading five days out, but in the final three days, Clinton closed strong to win the state by three points,or 95,000 votes.

For Clinton, she wants to maintain that edge going into election day, knowing full well history has shown that she does better at the end. The Obama camp would like nothing better to overtake her in the "poll of polls," or at least be even come election day, so they can spin the effort by saying the tide has turned in his favor.

A narrow win will be trumpeted by the Clinton camp, but it was expected that she would win Pennsylvania. What she needs to do is win the state by at least 10 points. Every candidate says a win is a win, but this is where the margin of victory comes into play.

Clinton can ill afford to lose Pennsylvania or her candidacy is dead in the water. She has made the argument that she has won the states Democrats need to win in the general election, thereby making her the more electable candidate. With Michigan and Florida not factoring into the campaign, losing Pennsylvania makes the remaining states moot.

For her, it's winning Pennsylvania or prepare a nice speech to exit the race.
Question of the Day: Do you think that Clinton or Obama will win Pennsylvania?

Democrats finally getting religion on religion

Sweet, Jesus! What has gotten into the Democratic Party when it comes to issues of faith?

On Sunday, CNN will broadcast the Compassion Forum, an event hosted by CNN's Campbell Brown and Newsweek editor Jon Meacham that will explore issues of faith and morality with Democratic presidential candidates, Sens. Barack Obama and Hillary Clinton.

This is the second time that the top Democratic candidates will deal with issues of faith. On June 4, CNN’s Soledad O’Brien moderated a forum hosted by the Rev. Jim Wallis’ Sojourners Social Justice Ministry. That one featured Obama, Clinton and former Sen. John Edwards.

These forums should not be casually overlooked and blown off because they represent a significant shift in attitude from previous Democratic presidential campaigns. Democrats, in the words of Sen. Joseph Biden after the Sojourners forum, acted more like agnostics – other would say atheists – when it came to issues of faith.

For nearly 30 years, Republicans successfully used wedge issues like abortion and homosexuality to rally their base to those social causes and elect candidates who were willing to go to the mat when they came up. Their outreach efforts were strong, consistent and they delivered time and time again. And as long as Democrats were willing to ignore the ever-increasing concerns of people who tied their faith with public policy, the GOP would continue to clean up at the ballot box.

Yet the outreach efforts by Clinton and Obama should serve as an example to all Democratic officeholders that ignoring voters who feel strongly about their faith, and public policy, will continue to lead to losses.

Sunday’s forum, which will be held at held at Messiah College in Grantham, Penn., will allow each candidate to speak for 40 minutes on various moral issues, including poverty, global AIDS, climate change and human rights. These are all vital issues that we should want to hear our presidential candidates discuss at length, and it’s time that our debates and discussions with the candidates went beyond the war in Iraq, illegal immigration and terrorism.

While on the surface it looks good for Democrats to embrace those in the faith world, they are some serious potential land mines they are going to have to confront.

I have always maintained that people of faith who are conservative need to move beyond the issues of abortion and homosexuality and broaden what are deemed faith issues, the Democratic Party is going to have to begin to have some serious discussions as to how it’s going to confront social issues and not deal with abortion and homosexuality.

For instance, I got an email last week from several gay party activists who are disturbed that the Rev. James Meeks, founder and pastor of Salem Baptist Church, the second-largest church in Illinois, has endorsed Obama. Why? Because Meeks opposes abortion and homosexuality. I know him well because I am a member of the same church.

In January, gay supporters of Obama were aghast that his campaign would allow gospel singer Donnie McClurkin to participate in a gospel tour around South Carolina because he has discussed being a former homosexual who converted to being a heterosexual.

This is no different from gay activists being less than thrilled to see Sen. Hillary Clinton touting the endorsement of the Rev. Harold Mayberry, a Bay Area pastor who is anti-gay marriage.

And when several gay bloggers heard that President Bush’s spiritual adviser, the Rev. Kirbyjon Caldwell, pastor of Houston’s Windsor Village United Methodist Church – the largest UMC congregation in the country – was backing Obama, they also cited his opposition to homosexuality, forcing the campaign to say he would in no way be campaigning on behalf of the candidate. Thus far, they have remained true to that, not making Caldwell available on behalf of the campaign since that endorsement came down three months ago.

In talking with officials from the Obama and Clinton campaigns, I jokingly said that if they were both trying to use only the black pastors who would pass muster by their gay and pro-choice supporters, they might be able to find two in the whole country!

If the Democratic Party is serious about fostering a relationship with the faith community, they are going to have to come to grips with the fact that there are Democrats of faith who are pro-life and anti-gay marriage, but who are in agreement on other social issues such as the response to the rapid rise of HIV/AIDS and eradicating poverty.

Gay rights and pro-choice activists are clearly not going to back down from advancing their agenda, but they can be assured that people of faith are not going to be silent for the sake of a political party.

What is clear is that in the political realm, there must be an understanding of the secular and theological worlds. And there are clear examples when folks who operated in the secular world want to apply their standards to those in the theological world, and vice versa.

It was wrong of the party in 1992 to deny Pennsylvania Sen. Robert Casey Sr. a speaking slot at its national convention because he was going to speak on his support of life. If the Republicans could allow Colin Powell to say he supported affirmative action at their convention in 2000, then surely the Democrats can stand to hear someone disagree with one of their primary issues.

Is there room for people with opposing views on various issues to support either Obama or Clinton? Absolutely. But if either campaign is hell-bent on silencing their faith supporters because of such a disagreement, they risk alienating them, thus depriving the party of a broader constituency to take back the White House.

In other words, ignore the churchgoing folks, and you don’t stand a prayer of winning.

Ariz. black publisher: I've never spoken to John McCain

NEW YORK - I just got off the plane from Chicago and while in the car on the way to CNN, I came across this article on Politico.com: Arizona blacks: Where's McCain?

In the piece, many of the traditional black organizations talk about not having any relationship with Sen. John McCain, the senior senator from the state, and the Republican presidential nominee.

This from Clovis Campbell Jr., a Democratic state senator and publisher of the largest black paper in the state.

“As far as I’ve seen, he has no relationship with the African-American community in Arizona,” said Cloves Campbell Jr., publisher of the Arizona Informant and a Democratic state representative from Phoenix.
“He’s never been to the paper,” said Campbell. “We’ve called to get interviews, but there has never been any response. I’ve never talked to him.”

Founded in 1971 by Campbell’s father, also once a state legislator, the Informant is a weekly that serves the 4 percent of the state’s population that is African-American.

“We’ve had conversations with Kyl several times; we even had [former Rep.] J.D. Hayworth in the office,” said the younger Campbell.

Nor has McCain ever been to his church, Campbell said. Tanner Chapel A.M.E. is the oldest African-American congregation in the state and is located in downtown Phoenix.

“I’ve seen Barack Obama more times in person in my life than I’ve ever seen John McCain,” said Campbell, 46, who backs the Illinois senator.

Folks, read the story. This simply confirms the issues Republicans have with black folks: out of sight, out of mind.

Republicans need to stop being scared of black folks

I was on CNN's "Election Center" on Friday and was debating former Ohio Secretary of State Ken Blackwell regarding African Americans and the GOP.

The starting point of the discussion was Sen. John McCain's apology at the Lorraine Motel earlier in the day for voting against making the birthday of the slain civil rights leader a federal holiday.

But instead of using his time wisely to speak forcefully on what the GOP can do to reach African Americans, Blackwell tried this weak argument of showing how a number of Republicans aided in passing civil rights legislation in the 1960s, when many southern Dixiecrats, fought the measures.

Blackwell was right in his assessment, as well as mentioning that President Abraham Lincoln, who signed the Emancipation Proclamation, was a Republican.

But what he conveniently left out, and I quickly reminded him, is that when the national Democratic Party embraced civil rights, those Dixiecrats became...Republicans!

He also didn't mention the advent of the Southern Strategy, first used by Richard Nixon in 1968, to use race as a way for Republicans to appeal to whites. Those racial appeals have been used for years, and it wasn't until Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman apologized two years ago that the party owned up to the practice.

That's the history. Now the future.

I've longed believed that it's not in the best interest of African Americans to vote largely for one party. But what I also understand is that only the Democratic Party talks to black voters in a meaningful way. Call it paternalism or pandering or politics, but the bottom line is they do reach out.

The GOP? They ignore.

There are many issues that Republicans can use to find common ground with African Americans, but they don't. Many have the view that African Americans only care about welfare and affirmative action. That is utterly ridiculous.

The issues range from education, to growing black businesses, to expanding opportunities beyond the inner city. But to deal with them, Republicans must build a track record.

First start with a conversation, then follow up with action.

Sen. John McCain would be wise to begin that process now. But his record has been weak. He skipped out on the black conventions last year; skipped the Tavis Smiley debate as well; and has done nothing to cultivate relationships with black media.

With an increasingly number of African Americans, especially the young, refusing to call themselves Democrats, an opportunity does exist for the party. But their absolute fear of African Americans must end before black folks will trust even sitting down with them.

Question of the Day: Have you ever voted Republican and would you do so if they spoke to issues that concern you?

All I want for my 18th birthday is a 'voter registration card'

MEMPHIS - On Saturday, my wife and I walked through the National Civil Rights Museum, and nothing was more moving to me than to see the wall honoring those killed during the movement. And what so powerful was that most of them were killed over the right to vote.

Forgive me if I don't have any patience for those who continue to suggest that voting doesn't matter. Sorry if I offend any African American who proudly proclaims they don't care about voting and they get a verbal pimp slap for being so callous, stupid and ignorant.

Walking through that museum only reaffirmed in me why voting is the most precious thing we all could do. There was a quote on one of the walls where a young lady said all that she wanted was a voter registration card for her 18th birthday. Can you imagine that? It wasn't a car, a wad of cash or the latest designer clothes. For her, it was all about that voter registration card.

And then I visited the room where King stayed when he was killed in Memphis. With Mahalia Jackson softly singing from the speakers King's favorite song, "Precious Lord," I couldn't help but stop and look out the window to the spot where King was killed, and then across the street, where some 200 feet away the shot that felled him was fired. I'll never forget one old black woman in front of me shaken by the sight, declaring, "Oh, Lord Jesus!" She then walked over to a display on King's last day and just knelt and prayed. You just don't forget moments like that.

I don't care if you are black, white, Hispanic, Asian, male, female, heterosexual, homosexual, from Texas or New York or Chicago, you need to make that trek to Memphis. And then consider some of the other civil rights monuments and museums in Birmingham, Atlanta and other southern cities.

I have 13 nieces and nephews, and I can guarantee you that before any of them turn 18 - they range in age from six months to 11 years old - they will visit these places. I will see to that.

What we know of in our history books is nothing - NOTHING - compared to seeing with our own eyes. Watching a movie or DVD pales in comparison to standing in the same places where our ancestors walked, fought and yes, died.

Memphis was a battleground in this war against Jim Crow and the vestiges of slavery. Birmingham was a battle in this war. Selma and Montgomery were battlegrounds in this war. And just like the Civil War, it may have been won, but the lingering feelings about the outcomes continue. Just do the math. From the first time a slave landed on this ground in 1619 to present day, African Americans have only truly been free from racial oppression 38 (assuming 1970 as the starting point) out of 389 years.

Now it's time for this generation to stand on the front lines and say, "It's our time to fight. It's our time to lead."

White conservative talkers should have been in Memphis

MEMPHIS - During the controversy surrounding the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, I saw many conservative talk show hosts, all white, reference the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. as they model for what a black pastor should be. Several kept uttering his words taken from the "I Have A Dream" speech from the 1963 March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom.

And as I looked at all the African American talk shows hosts in Memphis, I had to ask, "Where are the conservative talk show hosts?"

I wasn't scared to say it. Dr. King was a figure who went beyond black America. He inspired and led many whites, and folks like Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity, Glenn Beck, Lars Larson, Michael Savage, Laura Ingraham, Neal Boortz, Michael Medved should have been there to give their listeners a front row view of the day's events. They could have talked to many of the same leaders who were on the front lines during the 1960s.

I always get a kick out of these talkers who sit behind their microphones and talk about being true patriots and lovers of America. Well, guess what? There were few events over the last 40 years that were as patriotic as the Civil Rights Movement, where America was forced to accept that the U.S. Constitution was also meant for African Americans.

This was one of those events where they could have come out from hiding behind their microphones and interface with many of the folks they are always criticizing. We touted a “Conversation with Black America” on CNN, but imagine had these talkers showed up and we were able to show a “Conversation with White America”? That for me, is always the problem. When we talk about King, it’s always a talk among blacks, but to move a conversation forward about race in America, talking and hearing from white America is also important.

If you listen to their shows, be sure to ask them their thoughts. Where were they on April 4?

Reflections on 40th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination and why Obama should have been there

MEMPHIS - For many, the week leading up to the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. was a walk down the memory lane.

Hordes of reporters talked to ministers, civil rights leaders, sanitation workers and others about what it was like to march with Dr. King, and the events surrounding his last hours were like.

But for Martin Luther King III, he stayed on message: remembering April 4 was about recommitment to the causes his father fought for.

That point seemed to be in conflict during the five days I was in Memphis. I guess because remembering all of King's work is pretty easy compared to forging your own path.

During the last year of his life, King was focused on two primary issues: poverty and the war in Vietnam.

According to the latest CNN/Opinion Research poll, the top two issues today are the economy and the war in Iraq. Different times, but the issues remain the same.

As I talked throughout the day on CNN on Friday - with barely a voice due to allergies - I wanted our focus to remain on present day, and not get caught in the trap of the past. As a student of history, I appreciate the past because it sets us up for the present. But when we stay there, that's when we have problems.

There were so many people to commemorate the day, including Clarence B. Jones, King's personal attorney; Pastor Paula White; the Revs. Al Sharpton and Jesse Jackson Sr.; Rev. C.T. Vivian, one of the bravest men during the Civil Rights Movement; Rev. Benjamin Hooks; Rev. Wyatt Tee Walker; and of course, presidential candidates, Sens. Hillary Clinton and John McCain.

Absent was Sen. Barack Obama.

And let me share a few words on that.

As I stood in the space that used to occupy Room 307 of the Lorraine Motel - now a part of the National Civil Rights Museum - and I looked across the crowd that stood in the rain and wind Friday, I tried to reconcile Obama not being there, and instead, staying in Indiana. My thoughts went back to my post about the Tavis Smiley affair, and the reality is that both are different.

I thought Obama should have been in Memphis because the nation's attention was focused on that day, and not Indiana, where he was. Had Obama been there he could have used the opportunity to further present himself in the image of King, someone who wasn't willing to shy away from the tough fights and stay focused on his work in the pulpit. To have Obama stand on that balcony would have meant that they may have killed the dreamer, but a potential Obama presidency represented the continuing of that dream. Had Obama been there he could have used the moment to make plain to America that King was not just a black man fighting for black rights, but someone who ended up freeing white Americans from their own racial prisons and forced them to truly embrace the U.S. Constitution they so dearly loved. Had Obama been there he could have met with the 18 black sanitation workers who are still on the job in Memphis because they don't have any city pensions. Yes, those men must still work because the racism in 1968 continues to affect their lives in 2008.

I've seen the talking points distributed by his campaign, suggesting that he was in Indiana because King's vision resonated across the nation. True, very true. But images have power, and the image of Obama on that balcony, speaking to the nation, would have meant more than him speaking in Indiana.

This, folks, was a missed opportunity by Obama.

Hannity punks out, doesn't show up to debate Sharpton

MEMPHIS - Sean Hannity told his Fox News Channel audience that he was looking forward to coming to Memphis on today to debate the Rev. Al Sharpton.

Well, Rev. Al is here. Hannity isn't.

See, trash talkers are afraid of real debates. Weak minds are unwilling to take their sorry ideas and debate them with those who have a differing opinion.

Sean Hannity is just that kind of person.

That's what cracks me up about these loud mouth right wing conservative talk show hosts. They sit behind their radio microphones and TV lapel mics and spew their hatred, but when challenged to debate their ideas before the very people they demonize, they stick their tails between their legs and run. I've debated them on television, and after whipping their butts, they don't want to do it again.

So I'm not shocked at all that he didn't show. Of course, he'll offer some sorry excuse, but we all know the real deal.

By the way, all of these conservative talk show hosts LOVE talking about the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. and his words, "the content of character," but why are they not doing their shows from Memphis? If they want to all of a sudden talk lovingly about Dr. King, why didn't they bring their radio shows here for the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's assassination? Why didn't they choose to march from city hall to the Lorraine Motel?

I'll tell you why...because had Dr. King been alive, they would have been one of his biggest critics. They only praise him because he's dead.

Again, just weak minds.

Black pastors say church is under attack

MEMPHIS - I've run into a bunch of black pastors here for the 40th anniversary of the assassination of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., and a consistent outcry from them is that the black church is under attack as a result of the hoopla over comments from the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

It was pretty interesting to see the outcry because whites and blacks definitely saw the preaching two different ways. Whites typically saw the comments of Wright as hateful and mean-spirited, yet African Americans just saw Wright speaking truthfully to uncomfortable issues of race in America.

Of course, there were other whites who agreed totally with Wright, while I got a few African Americans who emailed me saying they would never tolerate such preaching in their churches.

But what concerns many black preachers is that people will demand that they shy away from social issues while in the pulpit, thus depriving black congregations of a place where they can speak truth to power.

And I must concur with them.

Pastors traditionally represent the role of speaking with a prophetic voice. And in the tradition of prophets, that means saying uncomfortable things to those in power.

Remember the story from the Bible of David sleeping with Bathsheba? It was the prophet Nathan who held him accountable for his wrong actions.

The vicious attack that Wright has been under - his church announced today that they have received verbal and written threats - may cause other pastors to not speak as forcefully from the pulpit out of fear of being "YouTubed" and then attacked by conservative media outlets, especially talk radio and Fox News Channel.

And folks, that would be a shame.