Rodney King and the four-letter word we don’t want to talk about

By Jack Hoffman

There aren’t enough superlatives to describe the brilliance and eloquence articulated by Barack Obama in his recent speech on race – a speech, even acclaimed by many of his detracters. And criticized by those who for one reason or another never heard parts of the entire speech and already had some pre-conceived agenda. Oh, sure you can grab a line or two and have some questions about its meaning, but to actually change the political winds from a few outtakes out of thousands of sermons by a former pastor I find quite shallow.

Before the ink was dried, the speech was on the hate mongers script to define Obama’s credibility by comparing him with the incendiary remarks of the Reverend Jeremiah Wright: A potential president who showed us honesty, bravery, and courage on a hot and dangerous topic called race, but just as important he showed character and loyalty by not throwing someone under the wheels who had so much meaning in his life and thousands of others.

Continue reading Can’t we all just get along? →

By Jack Hoffman

I know the following might piss some of my loyal women readers including my editor and publisher. Hillary you have got to get out of this race now. You are endangering any chance the Democrats might have in recapturing the White House.

In the words of the infamous sportscaster Len Berman, lets roll the video back two weeks before the March 4th elections. The media buzz at that time was, including the words of Billy, was Hillary had to win Ohio and Texas to continue her candidacy. The polls at that time were showing Obama with a high single digit lead in Texas and he was closing in on Hillary’s margin in Ohio. In order to stop the Obama momentum it was decided that a change within the campaign had to be made. So added to the vernacular of the Karl Rove negative political thinking was “kitchen sink politics” throw whatever you can out there and see how it flies.

It first began with a photo of Obama dressed in a native Kenyan outfit, something that is customary that all foreign dignitaries usually wear- the why is obvious- a subliminal message to keep the Muslim rumors alive.

Continue reading It’s all over now →

By Jack Hoffman

I want to ride to the ridge where the west commences/ gaze at the moon until I lose my senses/can’t look at hobbles, and I can’t stand fences/ so don’t fence me in.” Sung by Gene Autry.Words and Lyrics by Cole Porter.

It seems every time I hear about tightening our borders, especially with a fence, I want to scream out: “You phony fools! You’re duping the American people again!”

Continue reading Don’t fence me in! →

By Jack Hoffman

This is a country that takes human rights seriously.” “We do not torture.” “It’s against our laws and against our values.” That’s your Vice President Dick Cheney.

Just a few days ago, before a Senate sub-committee, General Michael Hayden, head of the C.I.A., admitted the intelligence service did in fact use water-boarding – but only on one prisoner. He would add he claimed it was legal then and now it is not. He must have heard Bob Dylan’s song The Times are a Changing. I guess that just burns the last remnant of pants Mr. Bush has left on him. I thought he ran out of clothes long ago! Denying the use and advocacy of torture – we can add a few more falsehoods. Ever since these denials, evidence of brutal treatment of prisoners in this war seems to transform these folks into piles of mandacious dung – shit that this administration has accumulated since the first day it came into power.

Continue reading In the name of national security?! →