Hillary Does The Right Thing

Hillary Clinton pulled no punches tonight as she challenged her supporters to reach deep inside themselves and remember that campaign 2008 was not about her or them but about others like the soldiers who have sacrificed everything so we can all live safely. She chastised the McCain agenda on wealth, health and his close ties to President Bush and she meant business.

For Hillary Clinton it was a perfect olive branch to Barack Obama and it was a sincere plea to her core constituents -- women. She quoted Harriet Tubman's history as a leader of slaves to freedom; the message was keep going and get going. In a moment that was anxious for many, Hillary Rodham Clinton resurrected the Clinton legacy and broguht many wayward Democrats back into the fold.

Well done Hillary, well done.


Tony Mottley is the producer of American Black Journal

American Black Journal

Summer Concer Series

MI Chronicle Speaks: Kilpatrick Must Go

This morning I drove to Ledyard street in Detroit's Cass Corridor to meet with MI Chronicle Editor Bankole Thompson. Thompson had agreed to an interview with us about his weekly news paper's new position that calls on Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to step down. The story was going to be a web-only exclusive on the ABJ blog. However, by the time I arrived the Chronicle's big boss, Sam Logan had squashed all media interviews. Logan does not want to give the appearance that the Chronicle is piling on the mayor. It's a missed opportunity for our web viewers and the news paper.

By any measure, the Chronicle calling for the mayor to step down is a big deal. As I spoke to Thompson on the street in front of Chronicle headquarters his cell phone rang at least 15 times.
Local and national media are buzzing about the Chronicle.

Critics of the Chronicle point to the paper's earlier position that called for letting the legal process play out and the fact that the city of Detroit and the Mayor make media buys in the weekly as signs that the paper has sold out. Today's headline may be late in coming but it's still a big blow to the mayor.

The black media has historically been a place where black leadership could get a fair hearing. When the so-called mainstream media is ready to throw them under the bus, they could rest assured that we would give them a chance to tell their side of the story. A fair hearing is not a free pass or an opportunity to pander to black folks. The Chronicle's action is a clear signal that whatever pass Mayor Kilpatrick thought he had has been revoked.


Tony Mottley is the producer of American Black Journal.

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American Black Journal Rev. Wright Controversy

American Black Journal - Mosaic Youth Theatre Episode

Check out this clip from American Black Journal. This segment features a behind the scenes look at the prodution about the Fisk University Jubilee Singers by the Detroit Mosaic Youth Theatre Episode.

Kilpatrick Becoming Invisible

Whether it’s by choice or just the way the situation has played out, those who want Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick to just go away may be getting their wish. The Mayor says it was his decision not to attend Monday night’s massive Barack Obama Joe Louis Arena rally.

According to a published report in the Detroit News Kilpatrick has seen the light.

"This is my choice," he said. "I want Barack Obama to have his moment," said Kilpatrick, who acknowledged his woes and media scrutiny could distract the presidential candidate.

He said he and Obama have had "numerous conversations," dating back to when they were both elected to their respective state legislatures, but he did not say when they last spoke.

It was strange to be at the gathering of at least 20,000 people and hear the names of local leaders announced and not hear the name of the mayor.

The next morning Detroit City Council members met with the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barrack Obama and reportedly the mayor was not included.

It seems the mayor finally realizes that there is a limit to the happy-face spin he can put on his legal predicament. Facing a more than a half dozen felony charges has a price. For Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick part of the price is making your self invisible when high profile events take place in your town.

Hey Hillary, It’s Midnight

Tuesday night’s election results signaled the beginning of the end of Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign for the Democrat nomination for President.

The turn of events brings to mind sports clichés.

One pundit said game over. Another said the band has taken the field, indicating the end of the contest. I’ve taken it to another level.

The sports world lives and dies by the cliché and Hillary’s campaign strategy fits perfectly. There have been many vaunted sports strategies, some have become legend. The Dallas Cowboys of the 70’s were known for their Flex Defense; Bill Walsh made the West Coast Offense a staple of pro football. In college basketball, Dean Smith ruled with the Four Corners Offense.

Hillary has crafted the Moving Metric strategy. It works like this, whatever metric she is closest to becomes the most important factor in deciding the nomination. At one point it was popular vote, then it was elected delegates, next it was the super delegates. When she fell short on all of the above she trotted out the Electoral College strategy. She just can’t make up her mind. Fortunately the voters in North Carolina by a large margin and in Indiana by two points have decided for her.

The Moving Metric doesn’t work. It’s effective to help explain a momentary stumble, but it can’t head off inevitable movement that is Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton has run out of excuses it’s time to do what smart teams do on third and forever, they punt.

Tony Mottley is the Producer of American Black Journal

Reverend Wright: The Whole Story

The Detroit Chapter NAACP’s decision to bring in Reverend Jeremiah Wright is a bold one. Wright has caused a tidal wave of controversy with his comments about Sept. 11th. Many thought those comments would sink Barack Obama’s bid for the Presidency, but the American people are smarter than that.

Even during this week’s Pennsylvania debate ABC News' moderators couldn’t let the Wright issue go. Barack Obama was forced to answer over and over again why he did not leave the church, why he gave money to the church and why he waited so long to react to the comments. Before we all rush to judgment we should realize that Reverend Wright was quoting from a report he heard on Fox News.

Here is the sermon that Reverend Wright made to his congregation after September 11 titled, “The Day of Jerusalem’s Fall.” It was delivered on Sept. 16, 2001

“I heard Ambassador Peck on an interview yesterday did anybody else see or hear him? He was on FOX News, this is a white man, and he was upsetting the FOX News commentators to no end, he pointed out, a white man, an ambassador, he pointed out that what Malcolm X said when he was silenced by Elijah Mohammad was in fact true, he said Americas chickens, are coming home to roost.”

“We took this country by terror away from the Sioux, the Apache, Arikara, the Comanche, the Arapaho, the Navajo. Terrorism.

“We took Africans away from their country to build our way of ease and kept them enslaved and living in fear. Terrorism.

“We bombed Grenada and killed innocent civilians, babies, non-military personnel.

“We bombed the black civilian community of Panama with stealth bombers and killed unarmed teenage and toddlers, pregnant mothers and hard working fathers.

“We bombed Qaddafi’s home, and killed his child. Blessed are they who bash your children’s head against the rock.

“We bombed Iraq. We killed unarmed civilians trying to make a living. We bombed a plant in Sudan to pay back for the attack on our embassy, killed hundreds of hard working people, mothers and fathers who left home to go that day not knowing that they’d never get back home.

“We bombed Hiroshima. We bombed Nagasaki, and we nuked far more than the thousands in New York and the Pentagon and we never batted an eye.

“Kids playing in the playground. Mothers picking up children after school. Civilians, not soldiers, people just trying to make it day by day.

“We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans, and now we are indignant because the stuff that we have done overseas is now brought right back into our own front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to roost.

“Violence begets violence. Hatred begets hatred. And terrorism begets terrorism. A white ambassador said that y’all, not a black militant. Not a reverend who preaches about racism. An ambassador whose eyes are wide open and who is trying to get us to wake up and move away from this dangerous precipice upon which we are now poised. The ambassador said the people we have wounded don’t have the military capability we have. But they do have individuals who are willing to die and take thousands with them. And we need to come to grips with that.”

Strong words for sure, but I still believe in the right to free speech. Wright and other preachers should be allowed to express ideas freely from the pulpit without fear of retribution. More people seem outraged about what the Reverend said after Sept. 11^th than the actions President George W. Bush took in leading our country into a war in Iraq on false pretenses. Five years later I wonder which is worse?

Tony Mottley is the producer of American Black Journal

Text Messages Key to Kilpatrick/Beatty Defense

From the get-go Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick’s $750.00 per hour legal mouth piece attacked the admissibility of what he feels is the key element in Wayne County Prosecutor’s case against the Mayor. In his Monday press conference following Worthy’s announcement of the 12 count indictment against Kilpatrick and Beatty, Webb trotted out the Stored Communications Act, a Federal statute that he says has been violated by the Detroit Free Press in its acquisition of the damaging text messages.

I doubt that a room full of lawyers could accurately decipher the act, but the consensus from the legal eagles that we’ve spoken with indicates that it is very unlikely that the Webb challenge will be successful. Webb’s argument refers to the text messages as being “fruit from the poisonous tree”. The problem is Worthy didn’t get her copies of the messages from the Freep, she got her copies by court ordered subpoena. We haven't heard the last of this. Come back to this blog as we will continue to update the story.

On Monday afternoon we hooked up with the Michigan Chronicle’s Senior Editor Bankole Thompson and recorded his interview with Kym Worthy. Click on the links to your right to hear Worthy’s unfiltered comments about the case.

Tony Mottley is the producer of American Black Journal.

McCain Knows Which Iraqi’s We’re Fighting – Doesn’t He?

While traveling in the Middle East to promote his foreign policy expertise Senator John McCain misidentified which broad category of Iraqi extremists are allegedly receiving support from Iran. Really?

There is no way Senator McCain doesn’t know what’s going on in Iraq, right? Could he be confused by President Bush’s claims about al-Qaeda’s presence in Iraq? Say it isn’t so Senator.

McCain said several times that Iran, a predominately Shiite country, was supplying the mostly Sunni militant group, al-Qaeda. In fact, officials have said they believe Iran is helping Shiite extremists in Iraq.

Speaking to reporters in Amman, the Jordanian capital, McCain said he and two Senate colleagues traveling with him continue to be concerned about Iranian operatives "taking al-Qaeda into Iran, training them and sending them back."

Pressed to elaborate, McCain said it was "common knowledge and has been reported in the media that al-Qaeda is going back into Iran and receiving training and are coming back into Iraq from Iran, that's well known. And it's unfortunate." A few moments later, Sen. Joseph Lieberman, standing just behind McCain, stepped forward and whispered in the presidential candidate's ear. McCain then said: "I'm sorry, the Iranians are training extremists, not al-Qaeda."

Al-Qaeda in Iraq is a predominantly Sunni militant group which is blamed for deadly mass killings of Shiites, along with attacks on U.S. forces. Some extremist Sunni consider Shiites to be heretics and therefore legitimate targets of attack.

How could McCain keep getting this wrong? While it’s hard to make a factual argument that John McCain is not versed on foreign affairs, his repeated gaffes lend credence to some who argue that he’s too old to be president. The age issue is the 800 lb gorilla in the McCain candidacy and it’s an issue most don’t want to address but you have to wonder. If McCain, who turns 72 in August, wins, he would be the oldest person ever inaugurated as president.

Here’s what Anna Quindlen of Newsweek wrote about McCain and the issue of age.

… the senator is not your average man of his age. He takes stairs slowly and cannot lift his arms to comb his hair. One reason few people want to address his age, or his infirmity, is the valor of his Vietnam service. It's humbling to consider that he broke both arms and a leg when his fighter jet was shot down, then suffered fractured shoulders and broken ribs when he was tortured during five and a half years as a POW.

No one wants to say John McCain is too old be President. He’s a war hero and is widely respected for his independent views. But a few more lapses like the four he had this week and his candidacy might be doomed.

Kilpatrick Saga A Tale of Squandered Potential

Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick's ending comments from his State of the City speech are the talk of the town. It's a good time to take a step back and make a broad assessment of what's happened.

After his speech at the Democratic convention in 2000 his star was on the rise. As the youngest person ever elected as Detroit Mayor, Kilpatrick came into office with hope and optimism. His charisma and oratory skills shone through.

So what happened?

The answer is between him and his God. There very well may be a wide spread conspiracy afoot to take him down. The media bloodhounds may be out to get him. But the reality is that no matter how much he protests most of his most serious wounds are self inflicted.

I won't even touch the so-called text message scandal except to point out that the Mayor's response to Chief of Staff Beatty's alert that Gary Brown had been fired is very telling.

Since when does a Chief of Staff unilaterally fire a Deputy Police Chief without first discussing it with the Mayor and/or the Chief of Police?
The published text messages reveal that Beatty received an anonymous memo indicating Brown was conducting a "secret" investigation of the Mayor. Excuse me, but isn't the Chief of Internal Affairs supposed to conduct "secret" investigations?
What did the memo actually say? Why did Beatty shred the memo without showing it to Kilpatrick or Chief Jerry Oliver? Why did Oliver say he knew nothing about the memo? How did Beatty determine so quickly that the memo had merit? Was there ever really a memo?

These are all questions about which we may never know the answers. What we do know is that if the Mayor had handled this initial crisis with more wisdom all of the other drama may have never played out.

But he didn't. Now the city is on the verge of losing a young visionary of seemingly limitless potential because he exercised extremely poor judgment and now he's left the city of Detroit in a lurch.

By American Black Journal producer Tony Mottley

Kilpatrick Attack on Cockrel Up-Close and Personal

You just knew when the Mayor turned his attention to Detroit City Council President Ken Cockrel, Jr. it was going to get ugly. As the camera settled on Cockrel, who chose a seat in the audience rather than his usual spot on stage, you could see him sink into his seat.

In a moment more Godfather than State of the City, the blast of verbal assault spewed forth. “President Cockrel, we have much more serious issues affecting our city than whether we attend a speech or not. I love you, and I love what you've done in our city, and at this moment in our history we must start to turn to each other and not on each other.”

As Kilpatrick blew the smoke away from both barrels, it was clear he was taking no prisoners. Stunned by the attack, Cockrel brought forth a tight smile – the kind that crosses the face of a prize fighter before he crashes to the canvas in a heap.

You all know the rest. The N-word, the threats, the lynch mob comments and so on and so forth. But to me this was personal.

I grew up a great admirer of Ken’s dad, Ken Cockrel, Sr. Ken’s father was a brilliant attorney and dynamic speaker. Cockrel, Sr. was an often-controversial, often-inspirational figure in Detroit politics, from his emergence as a radical black activist and lawyer in the 1960s, through a term on the Detroit City Council, to speculation that he would run for mayor before he died of a heart attack in 1989 at the age of 50.

One of the first programs I produced when I began my tenure with Black Journal was a tribute to Ken Cockrel, Sr. It was then that I first met Ken Cockrel, Jr. In a gesture of thanks and kindness I will never forget, a few weeks after the program aired the younger Cockrel sent over a framed portrait of his dad that included hand a written thank you note. It was touching and classy.

To see this man humiliated in front of the entire city was appalling. None of us know the ins and outs of what takes place between Council and the Mayor. But knowing Ken professionally for the past fifteen years I can say with certainty that he’s done nothing to merit the attempt at public castration that Mayor Kilpatrick tried to pull at the end of the State of the City address. Now we can add Ken Cockrel, Jr. to the long list of people that Mayor Kilpatrick owes an apology.

By American Black Journal producer Tony Mottley