I personally hope that when and if the USDA/Obama offer Sherrod her job back she tells them to . . .

. . .go FUCK THEMSELVES.

Seriously, I love this president, but I'm pissed at him. Just like when a relative embarrasses the family.

send a message about r/w divisiveness and how it doesn't promote racial harmony, as she tried to do. She could make this a teaching moment, as could this admin. Don't get mad, get even.

Why did he waste so much time and money to even appoint these department heads ...~sigh~

the sarcasm, I didn't think I needed a tag

No worries, it happens to me a lot.

no worries :)

If we don't want the WH micromanaging, then we shouldn't like its initial reaction to the tape before all the facts were in. You can't have it both ways.

Best thing is for the WH to admit an early overreaction, apologize to Ms. Sherrod and offer her her job back. An official, sincere apology may not erase all the bad publicity and embarrassment but it is the right thing to do regardless.

When you're wrong, you're wrong. Make things as right as you can and move on.

. . .and his administration is in the position of reacting.

. . .I'm not wanting him to respond to these specific issues, but by not dealing with race he creates an environment that allows them to lead the discussion.

He's kind of got a lot of other things going on. He's not the only important minority in this country, even if he is the most important one.

They have drastically overcompensated on race issues since the Henry Louis Gates disaster. They think it is a distraction, so they shuttle it off immediately, and that message has gone down through the ranks. Obama doesn't want race interfering with the agenda, largely based on an analysis that is partially correct: that race has always served as the key way of throwing up roadblocks for any Obama agenda. But the problem is that this analysis has led to a completely unbalanced response, whereby they let the racists "moderate the debate," as you say, rather than engaging. They need to find a way to address these attacks without letting them become major distractions to the agenda. This is, as you know, monstrously difficult, given the deeply racist nature of the country, but they have to find a better way than this. Your call for another "More Perfect Union" speech was excellent, by the way.

You do realize Obama didn't hire her. And it was not Obama who hired her. She's in a separate department run by someone he hired to run it. That person had authority. Secondly, what issue does he avoid? What I seem to get from you is that you want Obama to basically end racism in America. America was built on it and America would never be America without racism, so of our almost 300 year history you want him to respond to these things.

Obama doesn't create any such environment, you know that is ridiculous. He doesn't own these people. You should know as well as anyone and this is posted continuously FoxNews is even known for interrupting his speeches and going into other topics. It's known for having pundits talk over the President to skew what's being said. And you're telling me that Obama is creating this environment? What would you like him to do? Take control of the media? This is not Cuba and I doubt that would go over well. Obama at times can manipulate the system but when shit is out of his hands it's out of his hands and I doubt he can do anything. I think to blame him for the environment is even more ludicrous than to blame him for her firing as so many on DU have.

Don't you think that might have given the right wing liars credibility and influenced the decision to fire her?

NT

Why is it that no one seems to find them at fault, when they started all this?

. . .I feel this situation, Van Jones, ACORN, et al, happened because the White House has allowed them to lead the discussion on race.

I posted this yesterday.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=433x381014

let the ball drop, acted cowardly, didn't act at all. But instead of you just lobbing criticism, why not hope this admin learns from this? I can hope after this incident where they've been almost immediately proven wrong, they will rethink any future incidents and act or react slowly after all the facts are in.

The situations are different.

. . .that is the lesson. As long as the White House is cautious on race this will continue to happen. The right wants to talk about race because they know Obama doesn't and in the process they are setting back race relations in this country.

doing; they know it, too, but it is another hot-button issue they might be reluctant to address. It needs to happen, especially now.

And yes, I saw the piece. You castigating the WH doesn't help. Do you honestly think you're informing them of something they're unaware of?

Edit to add:

And your respectful tone in your letter is certainly different than what you're writing here. Why should Ms. Sherrod lower herself to the same plane as faux?

This is castigating? Really?

-snip-
Mr. President, I know you have a lot on your plate, but this problem will not go away if the administration doesn’t address it immediately. Its not just a discussion of race that this country needs, it needs an open and ongoing dialogue on race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation, social class, tolerance and how we celebrate our diversity.

Americans want to get along with one another, sometimes they just need a leader to show them how. I am confident you that leader.

As an African American I cannot tell you how proud I am of the example that you and the first family set for all Americans.

As a progressive I’m thrilled with your legislative victories and accomplishments (yes, despite what the blogs say, happy progressives do exist).

As an American I and others need you to be the President who went to Philadelphia to deliver that speech as a candidate, not because you are first African American President, but because you are the man who made this country believe in “A More Perfect Union.”
-snip-

That is castigating? Babylonsister you know I'm one of POTUS's biggest fans on DU and reluctant to criticize him, however he is not above criticism and when I wrote this piece I went out of my way to make sure it was balanced.

This OP is crap. Why should Sherrod lower herself?

Go fight with someone else. I believe we both want the same thing.

. . .I'm on their side, but they need to pay a price with their base for this (so should the NAACP). These are people we support, love and will fight for. They need to do the same for us.

Jeeze. Every freaking day this admin 'pays a price' from some r/w nutjob and an entire whacko teabag org. just because of the color of the president's skin. They've been paying the price every day.

I think you and everyone else need to cut them some slack.

I'm done, and you can shove that righteous indignation wherever you want, but I'm not buying it.

Based on Van Jones' interviews---he resigned because of the negative light of the push---and they took the resignation. He wasn't pushed into resignation by Vilsack.

but you have to take into account that the NAACP was originally pushing her to be fired. That position gave the "controversy" some legitimacy.

Again, I hope this is an incident people will learn from. Once burned, twice shy? I can hope.

That fact is, tho, that we should have seen this coming. This is what these wingers do. They did it to Kerry with Swiftboating, they did it with ACORN, they will continue to do it and we simply cannot fall for it and react accordingly.

I am hopeful that this is a big wake up call to all progressives. Start digging into the story before reacting. Investigate.

The bad thing is that the RW has figured that we will overreact immediately and start calling for heads to roll. They figure we won't do due diligence.

NO MORE! If something like this surfaces again, we should be saying that we are investigating the allegations and then shut up and do it. At the very least, if someone like Ms. Sherrod is involved, a chance for her to give her side of the story should be offered. It would have never been this huge embarrassment had that simple step been taken.

There is a big lesson learned here.

She, the USDA/President go after the real culprits Fox News and the right wing hacks with a vengence.

She should take the high road and let the attack dogs take any road to get Fox.

with OP

But not because it would be a slap in the face of President Obama. Because it would send a message that women should never bend over and just 'take it'. And let this be a lesson to all women everywhere.

Fight. Fight. Fight. Go get YOURS. If I were her? I'd be looking for a position in the Private Sector on day one. She can hang out for a bit until 'something better comes along'.

Sorry - but I've been embattled in a work environment . . . She's going to resent her 'employers' for a long time. . .

:bounce: