Mad the President Isn't Identified as Biracial? Get Over It

By: Gregory P. Kane

A word of advice to those white people who resent President Obama being called black: Please get over it!

The latest whiner was a letter writer to the Baltimore Sun. (Make that what’s left of the Baltimore Sun; owner Smilin’ Sam Zell and Tribune Company mismanagers continue to run what was once a great newspaper into the ground.) As a white American, she wrote, she resented the constant reference to Obama as black. He’s “biracial,” she insisted, with a white mommy and those white grandparents who lived out in Kansas.

I rolled my eyes and chuckled as I read the woman’s whimpering screed. “Now, this character knows that if Obama were an ax murderer and not president of the United States, he couldn’t be black enough for her,” I said to myself, then added, “So, the one-drop rule has finally come back to bite white folks in the butt, has it?” And it has.

Mad the President Isn't Identified as Biracial? Get Over It....

Closing Prayer Gets Some Laughs

The Reverend Joseph Lowery utters the most memorable lines at the Obama inauguration not spoken by President Obama himself.

Mary Frances Berry Responds to John Tanner

Mary Frances Berry at American Constitution Society panel.

The History of African-Americans in Washington

As Barack Obama prepares to become the country's first black president, the AP looks back at the long history of African-Americans in the nation's capitol.

African-American man hopes for Bradley Effect

A conservative African-American man at a Norm Coleman rally in Mora, MN hopes the Bradley Effect comes into play to prevent an Obama presidency. The Bradley Effect is the alleged tendency among some voters to tell pollsters they'll vote for a black candidate, but actually vote for their white opponent.

Has the Government Been a Friend or Foe for Minority Groups?

The Cato Institute's Casey Lartigue discusses whether the government has been overall a friend or an adversary for American minority groups.



"Race and the State," featuring Bruce Bartlett and Casey Lartigue.

Is government more likely to be the friend or adversary of minority groups? Has it been liberals, conservatives, or libertarians like William Lloyd Garrison and Frederick Douglass who have been the most consistent defenders of everyone's rights? What does history suggest would be the best public policy for racial minorities in the 21st century?

Bruce Bartlett, a former Reagan administration economist with a provocative new book, and Casey Lartigue, coeditor of Educational Freedom in Urban America and a controversial former XM 169 talk show host, will discuss these questions - Cato Institute

Casey Lartigue is a former policy analyst with Cato's Center for Educational Freedom. His research expertise includes school choice, teacher quality and minority education. His writings have been published in USA Today, Ed. magazine published at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, Education Week, the New York Post, the Washington Times, Asian Week and the Washington Post.

Before joining the Center, he worked as a staff writer at Cato. He has spoken at the National Press Club, Harvard Law School, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, been a guest on the Rush Limbaugh Show, and testified before Congress on school choice in the nation's capital.

Prior to joining Cato, Lartigue taught English and worked as a language examiner in Taiwan and South Korea. Lartigue received a bachelor's degree from the Harvard University Extension School and a master's degree from the Harvard Graduate School of Education.

UPI VIDEO NEWS 01.07.08

Dr. Phil to dedicate show to Britney Spears.

TV therapist Dr. Phil McGraw will apparently dedicate one of his shows this week to Britney Spears. The TV host will devote a show, set to air on Wednesday, focusing on the pop star's problems. McGraw says he went to visit Spears when she was being released from the hospital over the weekend. The singer spent 72 hours on mental lockdown at the facility following a custody dispute at her home. McGraw says after talking to her, it's evident she is in need of serious medical attention.

Actor Jack Black is going to be a dad for the second time. Black tells reporters he and his wife Tanya Haden are expecting another baby. There's no word yet on a due date. The pair, who married in March of 2006, already have a 1 and a half year old son named Samuel Wyatt.

Film Critics are calling "There Will Be Blood" the best film of 2007. The National Society of Film Critics also awarded the movie's star Daniel Day-Lewis best actor at the annual ceremony. Paul Thomas Anderson also grabbed best director for the film. Other honors went to Julie Christie, who took best actress for "Away from her" and best supporting actress went to Cate Blanchett for "I'm Not There."

"National Treasure: Book of Secrets" is holding on to the number one spot at U.S. box offices. The film, starring Nicolas Cage and Diane Kruger, has held the top spot for 3 weeks in a row...this weekend taking in more than 20 million dollars in ticket sales. Will Smith's "I am Legend" grabbed number 2 followed by "Juno" starring Ellen Page. That's all according to Box Office Mojo.

This year's Palm Springs International Film festival brought in some of Hollywood's biggest stars. High School Musical stars Zac Efron and Vanessa Hudgens attended a gala at the festival over the weekend. Efron and actress Nikki Blonsky were honored with the rising star awards at the event. Bruce Willis also presented producer Jerry Weintraub with the SAG Foundation Award, honoring him for his work in the film industry. Other stars like John Travolta and Oscar winner Halle Berry were also in Palm Springs for the gala.

UPI VIDEO NEWS 12.11.07

Colorado shooter intended to kill many more.

A gunman who stormed a missionary training center and a church in Colorado Sunday apparently intended to shoot many more victims before he was gunned down himself. Twenty-four year old Matthew Murray killed four people, two at the training center and two at the New Life Church in Colorado Springs. At the church, Murray carried an assault rifle, two handguns and as many as a thousand rounds of ammunition. The gunman was fatally shot by a church security guard.

Former NFL superstar Michael Vick is behind bars, serving time for financing a dogfighting ring and helping to kill pit bulls that didn't fight well. Yesterday, he was sentenced to 23 months in prison in federal court in Richmond, Virginia. Federal sentencing guidelines recommended a sentence of 12 to 18 months. In court yesterday, Vick said he's willing to deal with the consequences and accept responsibility for his actions.

Meanwhile, former media mogul Conrad Black is serving time for his role in defrauding shareholders and skimming cash from his Hollinger International newspaper conglomerate. A federal judge sentenced Black yesterday to six and a half years in prison. He was also ordered to pay back 6 million dollars. Black has vowed to appeal his conviction and has ten days to begin the process.

Two car bombings in Algeria have left at least 45 dead. The attacks happened earlier today, hitting a residential area and the U.N. offices in Algiers. There's been no immediate claim of responsibility for the incident and no initial report on the number of people injured. Scores of people have already been killed in Algeria this year. Many of the bombings have been attributed to Al-Qaida militants.