Anecdote:
Roger Wilkins was a part of a panel on the legacy of Martin Luther King after 40 years-- Progressive Movement in a Democratic Era: The Lessons of King and the Civil Rights Movement. He, Taylor Branch and Reverend Jesse Jackson discussed how the actions at Selma had effects that extended far beyond Selma. Wilkins advised, "Don't worry if you don't bring instant results because they will help those come after you."
For example, Taylor Branch told how, in Alabama, women were legally proscribed from serving on juries. The human rights marches in Selma led to changes so women could become jurors.
The 'keyhole democracy' is THEIR (the right's) democracy. The 'open door' democracy is our democracy and we're winning around the world. Reverend Jesse Jackson
Jesse Jackson, Responding to Fox News on Rev Wright's Remarks:
After the panel, a Fox noise crew got in Reverend Jackson's face and insisted he comment on Reverend Wright's widely replayed remarks that were beleaguering Obama. Here's how Rev. Jackson replied:
I hope we will be allowed to express our views and our priorities. I think this is a great season of growth and reconciliation. And I see men voting for Hillary in great numbers and whites voting for Barack in great numbers. They're the conduits for a new and a better America.
There will be reactions all over the place about it but I think it is a great moment in history and I want to put, embrace up the hopes into that, and i hope that Barack's address today will end the focus on the candidates and not on the supporters and the surrogates as the case may be.
So that's all that I have to say about that and-- I do not want you to harrass me with your agenda, please.
Earlier, reverend Jackson had said, "While some are focused on the horse race, I'm interested in who's in the wagon and who isn't" and "This campaign is not about surrogates, it's about candidates. Let's keep our hope alive. " I'm guessing the Fox reporter didn't get anything worth using.
As soon as I left the panel discussion, I went to the press room. It was overflowing into the hallway. I looked in and Obama was giving his speech on race. So I watched it live, in a press room full of very serious looking journalists-- at least 50- and they all ranged from slack jawed awe to tears. I was both, by the end of the speech.
$350 Million to Get out the Vote
After the Obama speech, there was a press conference in which a coalition of organizations announced that over $350 million will be invested in getting out the vote for this election.
Insuring Bush's Place (low) in History
At a panel discussion on the Bush Legacy, the idea of making sure that Bush is not treated like Ronald Reagan, ie., lionized and made a hero was emphasized. There's a project-- the Bush Legacy Project-- that was presented by Brad Woodhouse, who presented a talk, The Bush Legacy and the Specter of a Third Bush Term. The project wants to insure that Bush does not get framed in history as a good president. John Podesta also on the panel, discussed how Bush was the worst president in history, and that the fact is not a partisan idea, and how the "Iraq quagmire has clearly eviscerated the strength of the greatest fighting force in the world... that this was a failure of vision.
They mentioned that there is, associated with SMU, where Bush's library (one shelf, one book ) is being established, a half billion dollar effort to promote a positive spin to Bush's legacy. The left will have to fight hard and invest serious money in making sure that the lie of a positive Bush presidency will not succeed.
One of the panelists reported that, apparently, they are comparing Bush to Abraham Lincoln, whose popularity faded near the end of his presidency. From the audience, someone shouted out, "Where's our John Wilkes Booth?" I turned, looking for the homeland security goons to show up.
Arrianna Huffington commented on McCain, "They should disqualify him from holding sharp scissors-- let alone being president." And, following up on Podesta's remarks about the evisceration of the USA's fighting forces and referring to her Greek heritage, she discussed how the Athenians (the first democracy) collapsed, after invading and getting mired in Sicily.
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