Scanner : Martin Luther King

Into The Wild: The Last of the Democratic Delegates

Brian Fairbanks — Thu, 28 Aug 2008 18:49:00 GMT

This post was written by Sean Flanagan, who is filling in this week...

Finally, after what feels like months of mud slinging back and forth, followed by weeks of uncertainty, Hillary Clinton last night released her diehard delegates into the wild...

Hillary Clinton, who once was the party's dream candidate, has lately been accused of being the kid on the playground that keeps trying a little too hard to be popular and then getting aggressive when they don't come out on top. But luckily, she triumphantly swept aside all that nasty pigeonholing and came out on top at the end of her '08 story.

"The story is that we are working as a team" - Berman

As promised, former President Clinton appeared Wednesday night, suddenly and strongly endorsing Obama as a man "ready for the job."

Though ever charming, Homeslice Bill could hardly get a word in edgewise over the constant cheers and cat calls. The delegates, Democratic wives and husbands, and platoons of Obama supporters fluttered around the convention like it was the last show of a great rock band.

Let's hope that's not the case... after all, there's always 2016. As for Obama/Biden '08, they leave unanswered questions in their wake:

1) Can Obama charge forward to deal with his own baggage?
2) Can Joe Biden make any more awkward references to Georgia? Hopefully, Obama won't hand him the microphone tonight.

Think of it this way - President Barack Obama is the living embodiment of the work, accomplishment and dreams of all of the great African-American men we still celebrate today: MLK, Malcom X, Frederick Douglas. If Barack Obama goes on to win, will he become our greatest black American?

Some great moments in time to consider:

MLK JR.'s Speech
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PbUtL_0vAJk

Sidney Poitier in Guess Whose Coming to Dinner
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=opuEwG0jCPA

Tracy Morgan Out Crazies Britney Spears
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2whjt_C_bP

NOTE: Opinions of our guest bloggers do not necessarily reflect the opinions of other Scanner bloggers, Nerve, or the world at large.

Related:

Freaky FAA Tapes Reveal Obama's Plane Nearly Crashed On July 7th

While You Were Sleeping: Colin Powell To Endorse?

Classy Hillary Clinton Nominates Obama To The Tearful Strains Of Her Supporters' Hand Claps

Hillary Clinton Strikes Back... Or Plays Nice... Tonight At The DNC

Scanner Roundtable: Who's Your VP?

While You Were Sleeping: Dancing With The B-Listers

Pras On Homelessness, Obama, Oprah, and ... Sex?

Katie Halper — Tue, 15 Apr 2008 20:41:00 GMT

Scanner Katie recently interviewed Pras Michel of The Fugees, about his latest project, Skid Row, a documentary in which Pras goes undercover for 9 days and nights as a homeless person in downtown LA’s notorious Skid Row. I met up with Pras in a hotel lobby in Manhattan to discuss the film. Pras talked to me about Muhammed Ali, why he likes Obama and doesn’t go for Bill Cosby, how Oprah and Snoop could help the “lost African-American generation” by meeting face to face, and why we’re in a “transitional moment.” But when I asked Pras about what surprised him most about Skid Row, we started talking about sex.

Katie: What surprised you most about Skid Row?

Pras: I met someone who said he hadn't been distracted by women in three years. That's how he stayed clean. Any little distraction and he would have slipped back. In my world, I think about sex -- I mean I don't think I think about sex like the average man does --

Which is 24/7?

Which is 24/7, I'm probably like ...

22/6?

22/6

No really, more like 22/7 right?

Yeah ... I can't lie to you -- sex was nowhere on my mind. Maybe because I was getting acclimated. But if I was there longer, I probably would have adapted.

And I surprised myself. When you're homeless a lot of things go out the window because it's all about survival. I had to do certain things I don't do. Like I'm not one of those people who smiles. It doesn't mean I'm not happy. It's just not part of my temperament. I never had to do that before. But on Skid Row, when I was looking for money, a guy said to "smile". He was gay. I'm not homophobic, far from it. Most guys would get offended. I wouldn't get offended, I just wouldn't smile. But on Skid Row when this guy offered me $5 to smile, I'm thinking, I have to eat. So I smiled for him. And another woman said to me, "Come on brother, it can't be that bad. Smile." And I smiled for her too.

[Read the full interview on Alternet.]

John Conyers: On Our To Do List

Katie Halper — Mon, 07 Apr 2008 16:00:00 GMT

John Conyers is one sexy beast of a congressman. This civil rights activist is a rainbow lover and shows much love for Americans, Albanians and the people of Darfur. Conyers speaks the universal language of love and his website whispers sweet ~~nothings~~ significant things in English, Arabic and Spanish. The Congressman is a giver-- not a taker, who would love to spoil you, the American people, rotten. He wants to lavish you in health care coverage. And he's going to give you tips on avoiding uncomfortable premature housing ejaculation. This "congressman with benefits" is all about getting you benefits. His long, righteous voting record shows how much he loves women and jazz, a killer combo.

The Congressman knows how to spice things up, play rough, and give tit for tat. Watch a coy Conyers humiliate a bodacious blond after the jump.

The congressman has so much love, it's no surprise that he was the one who introduced the bill to make MLK Day a federal holiday. When Conyers criticized McCain for waiting 25 years to apologize for opposing MLK Day, an MSNBC anchor said, "silly, old, angry, black congressman. Don't you know that McCaine apologized for opposing MLK day! Or are you too old to hear or see that?" (I paraphrase)

The insatiable Conyers responded by tearing McCain a new one and teasing the anchor, all the while maintaining his composure and debonair, dapper, glasses-in-mouth demeanor:

Well look. I’m happy. That was in 1983, he didn’t make any apology, he didn’t make any apologies in 1987, so I guess I’m thrilled and forgiving that finally when he’s running for President he remembers to apologize. No, that’s great.

Congressman Conyers gave it hard and rough to McCain. So we have no choice but to give Conyers the props he deserves by putting him on our "To Do" List.

Sloppy Seconds: Heath Ledger's Birthday

Emily Farris — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:19:00 GMT

This piece of art is almost entirely composed of naked bodies. Look closely.

Billionaire/ media mogul/ environmentalist Ted Turner is worried that if global warming continues at its current rate, we'll either be dead or cannibals in 30 to 40 years.

We just wanted to remind you that John McCain voted against the creation of MLK Day. Politically motivated message complete, we now direct you to a serious, moving tribute to the man who was shot down in Memphis forty years ago today.

Annnnd back to trivial matters. Warning: next week we'll be posting exclusively in the beard typeface. Do not adjust your monitors.

And actor Heath Ledger would have turned 29 today.

-Scanner Brian for the broken Scanner Emily

Cheney Hearts Martin Luther King More Than McCain Does

Katie Halper — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 21:15:00 GMT

On the 40th anniversary of Martin Luther King's death, nothing says "I commemorate you" like a "my bad for voting against making you a holiday" statement (video after the jump) . John McCain-- on more than one occasion-- voted against making Martin Luther King's birthday a federal holiday. But that didn't stop him from commemorating King's death day in a speech at the Lorraine motel in Memphis TN, where King was killed. But before you judge McCain, you should know that when he voted against MLK day, he was young and wet behind the ears, a 47-year-old spring chicken who didn't know any better. And only radical Black Power members of congress like Dick Cheney and Newt Gingrich supported making MLK Day a federal holiday. Plus during the speech, McCain even let a black guy hold his umbrella, which shows you how down he is. More about McCain's other MLK opposition activities after the jump.

Whatever you think of McCain, or Martin Luther King, at least the presidential nominee doesn't half assedly oppose MLK-related commemorations. When it comes to NOT supporting Dr. King, Mr. McCain is in it to win it! Huffington Post points out that in addition to voting to oppose a state holiday in 1987 and a federal holiday in 1989, McCain voted in 1994 to cut funding for the commission that promoted King's holiday. And

In 1983 McCain did something not even Dick Cheney did: he voted in Congress against a federal holiday in honor of Dr. King, which President Reagan later signed into law. In 1987, McCain supported Arizona Governor Evan Mecham's action to rescind an executive order establishing a state holiday in Martin Luther King's honor. Even in 1989, when McCain finally came around and supported a state holiday, he said he was "still opposed to another federal holiday." As recently as 2000, McCain reportedly said he "resented it when people outside of Arizona got involved" in the issue.

If this Oscar Could Talk: He'd Say I Love You, Ruby Dee

Katie Halper — Tue, 26 Feb 2008 14:04:00 GMT

In times of crisis or injustice, when faith is tested and little makes sense, people often turn to a higher power for guidance. So, Sunday night when the awards made us doubt our faith in the Academy (again), we looked towards its creator and asked ourselves "What Would Oscar Do?" And we're pretty sure He would have GIVEN THE AWARD FOR BEST SUPPORTING ACTRESS TO RUBY DEE for her role in American Gangster. We have nothing against Tilda Swinton in Michael Clayton. But Ruby Dee is on another level. At 84 years old, Ruby's still got it and looked better than most of the people in the Kodak Theater.

She's made nearly 100 films, including the original Raisin in the Sun, performed in plays, recorded CD's and written books. She and her late husband Ossie Davis opened the doors for countless black actors. And the Academy loves black actors! (Well, maybe love is a little strong since over the last eighty years four black men have won for Best Actor and one black woman has won for Best actress. But they definitely like them.) Plus Ruby and Ossie were real activists: they attended the March on Washington, Ossie delivered Martin Luther King AND Malcolm X's eulogies, they defied McCarthyism and were blacklisted, and got arrested to draw attention to police brutality in the 1990s when they were in their 70s and 80s. Tilda's speech was cute and all. Who doesn't like a joke about George Clooney's nipples or the resemblance between a real person and the Oscar statue. Of course we'll never know, since this was probably Ruby's last chance to get an Academy Award ever, but we think that Ruby's speech would have been a little more inspiring and substantive. And of course, saving the greatest injustice for last, Ruby's dress was waaaaaaay nicer than Tilda's.