Roland S. Martin from Creators Syndicate

The Rev. Jackson Owes God, Not Obama, an Apology for 07/11/2008

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

GULF OF MEXICO — There have been two constants in this presidential campaign: Sen. Barack Obama will discuss his faith openly and present some of today's most troublesome issues through a moral prism, and the Rev. Jesse Jackson Sr. will say something outlandish and stupid for which he will have to apologize.

First, he told a reporter in South Carolina last year that Obama was " ...

Updated: Fri Jul 11, 2008

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McCain Right, Obama Wrong on School Vouchers for 07/18/2008

Fri, 18 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

"All I want is for my children to get the best education they can."

That statement, along with so many others, has been a consistent one that I've heard on my radio show and in discussions with parents for years, especially those who are stuck with inner-city schools with decrepit buildings that lack critical resources.

And for the past 20 years, one of the most talked-a ...

Updated: Fri Jul 18, 2008

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Ghanaian Slave Castles: Where Beauty and Brutality Coexist for 07/25/2008

Fri, 25 Jul 2008 00:00:00 -0700

ELMINA, Ghana — It is truly stunning to look out into the Atlantic Ocean and see the beauty of the beach and waves along the coastline of this Ghanaian fishing town and then listen to them crash onto the shores below the Elmina Slave Castle.

But if you close your eyes, you also can hear the banging of chains and the rustling of the feet of slaves — bunched in groups of 400 wo ...

Updated: Fri Jul 25, 2008

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Obama and McCain Should Help Fight Black AIDS for 08/01/2008

Fri, 01 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

I initially wanted to write about Sen. John McCain's double talk on the issue of affirmative action. Based on his various statements, I'm not sure where in the heck he stands. Another potential topic was the silliness over getting a new press release each day about Sen. Barack Obama canceling a visit to troops in Germany. Another potential topic was each candidate's vice presidential pick.

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Updated: Fri Aug 01, 2008

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Why Bill Clinton's Still Upset for 08/08/2008

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Poor Bill.

He's stuck in no man's land — no longer able to stand before adoring crowds of African-Americans, who welcomed him as the "nation's first black president" with thunderous applause and all kinds of pats on the back — and he clearly is having issues dealing with the new world order.

Almost two months after Sen. Barack Obama captured the Democratic pr ...

Updated: Fri Aug 08, 2008

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Media's Job Is To Focus on Facts, Not Rumors for 08/15/2008

Fri, 15 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Three recent stories are prime examples of how important it is for the media to confront the reality of rumors in the age of the Internet.

One week before comedian Bernie Mac passed away, text messages and e-mails were flying all over the country with reports that he had died. I was in New York, and friends and colleagues from Chicago to Dallas to Los Angeles were saying they knew for su ...

Updated: Fri Aug 15, 2008

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Obama and McCain's Mantra Should Be 'Just Win, Baby' for 08/22/2008

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

To all the Obamaites who continue to send e-mails asserting that Sen. John McCain was given the questions prior to Saturday's forum at Pastor Rick Warren's Saddleback Church, please give it a rest.

Even a child can figure out that if you are going to a church that is socially conservative, abortion and gay marriage are going to come up. I didn't even have to watch the two-hour "civi ...

Updated: Fri Aug 22, 2008

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Race Is Obama's To Win or Lose for 08/29/2008

Fri, 29 Aug 2008 00:00:00 -0700

DENVER — All throughout the week, strategists, analysts and pundits were chirping and complaining that the party's convention was too soft in the beginning by not blasting away at Sen. John McCain and President George W. Bush.

My CNN colleague James Carville, one of the chief architects of Bill Clinton's victory in 1992, was among those leading voices, believing that the Democrats ...

Updated: Fri Aug 29, 2008

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Pregnancy of Palin Daughter Cannot Be Ignored for 09/02/2008

Tue, 02 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

It didn't take Republicans long — or even some Democrats — to try to dissuade those of us in the media from focusing on the news that Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's 17-year-old daughter is five months pregnant and plans on marrying the father.

Aides to Sen. John McCain quickly took to the airwaves to deplore any conversation regarding Bristol Palin, saying the issue is a private m ...

Updated: Tue Sep 02, 2008

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Community Organizers Put Country First for 09/05/2008

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

The Republicans have made it clear where their focus is this week with their convention slogan, "Country First."

With the abundance of flags, chants of "USA, USA" and tributes to those in the military, they have been laying it on thick, which is traditional at GOP conventions.

Sen. John McCain often has talked about the need for Americans to dedicate themselves ...

Updated: Fri Sep 05, 2008

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Race, Age and Gender Are Taboo in This Election for 09/12/2008

Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

One of the most intriguing conversations I had at either the Democratic convention or the Republican convention was with a white labor leader from Ohio.

I can't remember his name, but he made it clear that he is going all around the Rust Belt looking his white union brothers and sisters in the eye and essentially shaming them into supporting Sen. Barack Obama for president.

No, he ...

Updated: Fri Sep 12, 2008

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McCain and Obama Are Fighting for Middle-Class Voters for 09/19/2008

Fri, 19 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

If you are a member of America's middle class this election year, you are sort of like a blue-chip football recruit, lavished with praise, attention and adoration from fawning coaches and alumni who would love nothing more than to land the prized player to win the national championship.

For "coach" John McCain and "coach" Barack Obama, the title to win is president of ...

Updated: Fri Sep 19, 2008

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Christian Bookstore's Shameful Actions for 09/26/2008

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:00:00 -0700

In the 19 years since Teresa Hairston first published her magazine, Gospel Today, she never had faced a major situation with Christian bookstores across the country that carry the publication.

She's tackled a number of issues over the years and has featured a number of celebrities and ministers, ranging from Yolanda Adams to Bishop T.D. Jakes to Kirk Franklin.

But when the Atlanta ...

Updated: Fri Sep 26, 2008

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Doing 'OK' in Debates Is Not Good Enough for 10/03/2008

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

When Sens. Barack Obama and John McCain step onto the stage Tuesday night in Nashville, Tenn., for their second presidential debate, Americans shouldn't expect to see two candidates praised for not making a mistake, stringing together a coherent sentence, or proving who can look into the camera more often.

This is the most ticked that I have been since this campaign started last century. ...

Updated: Fri Oct 03, 2008

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Why the Ayers Case Is Risky for McCain-Palin for 10/10/2008

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

During the Democratic primaries, I wrote a column about how easy it is for any candidate to tar and feather another about his associations with less than acceptable figures.

Sen. Hillary Clinton tried to blast Sen. Barack Obama for unsolicited comments made by Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, and folks such as Fox News' Sean Hannity were happy to run with it, saying it was evidenc ...

Updated: Fri Oct 10, 2008

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Time for Palin To Answer Tough Questions for 10/17/2008

Fri, 17 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Do you know what was so great about Magic Johnson, Larry Bird and Michael Jordan? They were three of the biggest trash talkers in the history of the NBA, but they had the game to back it up.

Somebody should tell that to Gov. Sarah Palin.

Sen. John McCain's running mate has been running around the country, firing up her — yes, her, and not necessarily McCain's — loyal s ...

Updated: Fri Oct 17, 2008

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Republican Attacks Show Fear and Desperation for 10/24/2008

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

Watching Sen. John McCain and top Republicans swing wildly in their attempts to slam Sen. Barack Obama with less than two weeks to go before Election Day is like watching an old fighter — clearly out of gas, his legs turned to rubber, and all he can do is grab, hold, punch behind the back, anything to try to win.

McCain's campaign is no longer about issues. He and his supporters wa ...

Updated: Fri Oct 24, 2008

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Dean's 50-State Strategy Is a Plus for Obama for 10/31/2008

Fri, 31 Oct 2008 00:00:00 -0700

If Sen. Barack Obama is able to prevail over Sen. John McCain Tuesday, all of those Democrats who ripped Howard Dean's 50-state strategy during the past four years should call the head of the Democratic National Committee and offer a heartfelt apology.

First in line should be Sen. Charles Schumer of New York, Rep. Rahm Emanuel of Illinois and my CNN colleague and political strategist Jam ...

Updated: Fri Oct 31, 2008

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Thank You, President-Elect Barack Obama for 11/07/2008

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

The day after Sen. Barack Obama was elected the 44th president of the United States, my mom sent me the following text message: "I woke up this morning, did my prayer time and then turned on my TV to see if anything had changed. Thank God it hadn't."

That was the feeling among many African-Americans and others Nov. 5. Yes, indeed, the first African-American was elected to the m ...

Updated: Fri Nov 07, 2008

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Sarah Palin Is Not the Future of the GOP for 11/14/2008

Fri, 14 Nov 2008 00:00:00 -0800

After pretty much ignoring the national media during her 2.5 months as Sen. John McCain's running mate, Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin has been willing to sit down and chat with any man or woman with a pen, pad, audio recorder and video camera as of late, talking and talking and talking and …

It's been hilarious to watch as she says that she doesn't want to rehash the campaign but then l ...

Updated: Fri Nov 14, 2008

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