Barack Obama’s Sister Souljah Opportunity
Back in June of 1992 when speaking to a gathering of Jesse Jackson’s Rainbow Coalition, then-presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Bill Clinton, repudiated the African-American hip-hop artist/activist Lisa Williamson (AKA Sister Souljah) for her comments suggesting blacks should stop killing blacks and should instead “have a week” where they “kill white people.”
This became the first “Sister Souljah moment” where a politician excoriates an extremist associated with his political party in order to distance himself from such extremism and better appeal to the political center as Bill Clinton did so well in the 1992 campaign and indeed throughout his political career (well, except his first two years in the White House).
Now, his successor as presumptive Democratic nominee has a great opportunity for his own Sister Souljah moment. Via Instapundit, we learn that the Reverend Al Sharpton, a radical activist to whom Democratic presidential candidates traditionally pander despite his demagogic history, faces federal scrutiny with the “IRS sending out a flurry of subpoenas to his most generous corporate donors.”
While Sharpton calls this a “fishing expedition,”
The IRS and the US Attorney’s Office in Brooklyn have an ongoing probe into Sharpton’s finances going back to his 2004 run for president and stewardship of NAN [Sharpton's National Action Network].
Last year, [Democratic New York] state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo began a probe of NAN because it failed to follow state financial-disclosure regulations for nonprofits.
Obama should demand that Sharpton and his donors comply with the subpoenas and promise that in an Obama Administration, the Justice Department would aggressively pursue this investigation, filing charges when warranted. He would say further that he believes the facts warrant an investigation given that “As of 2006, the most recent year that financial documents for the group [NAN] are publicly available, it owed $1.9 million in payroll taxes and penalties.“
Sharpton wouldn’t be able to play the race card against Obama (though he will certainly try). Obama’s candor on this issue could help distance himself from the angry New York minister. And could even have the added benefit of silencing this charlatan.
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I can see it now: “You half white interloper!”
But seriously, Pussama has gone on to prove himself dangerously ignorant and incompetent in the GWOT. What makes you think he could competently tackle this issue?
Comment by ThatGayConservative — June 20, 2008 @ 3:03 am - June 20, 2008
Finally - someone has the cojones to finally take on Al Sharpton as the charlatan that he is.
Next stop - Jesse Jackson.
Regards,
Peter H.
Comment by Peter Hughes — June 20, 2008 @ 11:12 am - June 20, 2008
In the 2004 Democrat Presidential primaries, Al Sharpton shared the stage with John Kerry, Howard Dean, Wesley Clark, John Edwards, Joe Lieberman, Dick Gephardt and Dennis Kucinich.
Everyone of those upstanding Democrat leaders had the opportunity to have a Sister Soujah moment with the Reverand Al. Instead, they chose to legitimize his audacious candidacy by treating his race baiting, lies and political shakedowns as unimportant.
On February 10, 2004, Sharpton got 3% of the Virginia primary vote and four days later he got 20% of the Washington, D.C. primary vote. He has a strong appeal among the angry black voters and he can turn them out.
The Democrats depend on these firebrands to carry water for them. At the same time, they know they can’t let them get too far up the ladder for fear of losing control of the outcome. They have a sufficient plenty of the Hastings, Jeffersons, Waters, Jacksons, Sharptons, Conyers, etc. to keep them on their toes. But they are not about to play hand grenades with them.
Going back to Adam Clayton Powell, the Democrat game plan is that if the district will elect him, he is a valued member of the party. Even if a member is under indictment, the Democrats will insist on whistling past the graveyard. Witness the fact that William Jefferson is defiantly running for another term. No party leader has arranged for him to cede his seat to a candidate of character.
Democrats have a long history of protecting bullies and crooked politicians. They ran the segregated South with an iron fist. Now they have flip-flopped and they are the campions of minority demagogues and rogues. It is in their DNA to see politics through the Tammany Hall prism.
Obama and Sharpton are cut from the same cloth. Where Sharpton is slick, Obama is smooth. But they are both peddling the same snake oil to the same people. Obama has clicked with the white people and he has soared past any point that Sharpton could ever reach. But, Obama still needs Sharpton in the ‘hood to get the dirty work done.
Both Obama and Sharpton are after the master in the big house. They are going to run him out and take over the plantation and spread the goodies around to all the little people. It was ever thus with the socialist demagogue and their ambition to be the ruling class.
Comment by heliotrope — June 20, 2008 @ 11:31 am - June 20, 2008