Ticket Notice: Sunday guests -- Nader, Pawlenty, Rendell, Jindal, Crocker
ABC's "This Week With George Stephanopoulos": Supreme Court decisions, presidential politics: Rep. Rahm Emanuel (D-Ill.); Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R-Minn.), independent presidential candidate Ralph Nader. Panel: Arianna Huffington, the Huffington Post; Byron York, the National Review; Hugh Hewitt, townhall.com; Katrina vanden Heuvel, the Nation. 8 a.m.
CBS' "Face the Nation": Campaign 2008, North Korea: McCain supporter Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.), Obama supporter retired Gen. Wesley Clark; David Sanger, the New York Times. Moderator Bob Schieffer. 8:30 a.m.
CNN's "Late Edition with Wolf Blitzer": Iraq: Ryan Crocker, U.S. ambassador to Iraq; oil and the economy: Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Obama supporter Gov. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.), McCain supporter Gov. Bobby Jindal (R-La.), pictured; the Clinton role in the election: Clinton campaign chairman Terry McAuliffe. Panel: Ed Henry, Amy Walter, Kate Bolduan. Guest moderator: Candy Crowley. 8 a.m.
"Fox News Sunday With Chris Wallace": Politics: Gov. Edward G. Rendell (D-Pa.), former U.S. Rep. Rob Portman (R-Ohio); effect of third-party candidates on the election: Bob Barr, Libertarian Party presidential candidate; Carol Joynt, Nathans Restaurant and Q&A Cafe. Panel: Brit Hume, Mara Liasson, Bill Kristol, Juan Williams. 8 a.m.
NBC's "Meet the Press": presidential politics: Govs. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.), Dave Freudenthal (D-Wyo.) and Bill Ritter Jr. (D-Colo.). Political analysis: Chuck Todd. Moderator: Tom Brokaw. 8 a.m. Rebroadcast on MSNBC at 3 and 11 p.m.
--Andrew Malcolm
Photo credit: Office of the Louisiana governor
Andrew Malcolm's immigrant parents repeatedly stressed the importance of active participation in a democracy. Early lessons included learning the alphabetical list of states by watching televised roll calls of national political conventions. That childhood exposure led to a lifelong fascination with politics, including 40-plus years of covering them and a brief stint practicing them as press secretary to Laura Bush in 1999-2000. A veteran foreign and national correspondent, Malcolm served on the Times Editorial Board and was a Pulitzer finalist in 2004. He is the author of 10 nonfiction books and father of four.
Johanna Neuman is a veteran Washington correspondent for both The Los Angeles Times and USA Today, having covered presidents and politics as far back as Ronald Reagan. A former president of the White House Correspondents Assn., she authored a book on media and foreign policy, “Lights, Camera, Wars.” Most recently she was co-author of the 
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Nader Hits Obama Between the Eyes!
Firing a direct political salvo at presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama... Ralph Nader 'outs' Obama––hitting him right between the eyes.
Whether or not one agrees with the policies or political positions of Nader the 2008 independent presidential candidate, you have to give him credit for calling Obama out and not backing down on his 'call out'. And that boldness is the mark of a true leader!
Like it or not, Nader is one of the few––if not the only–– politician this entire 16-month election process who has had the guts to 'in-your-face' challenge the soon-to-be-Democratic candidate in the arena he [Obama] has dominated... and has rendered unspeakable by anyone else: RACE.
Now, what is unfortunate is that it took a white man [Nader] to actuate the conversation, and to place (front and center in the political debate) these core issues that plague African-Americans in rural and urban communities coast-to-coast. But more disturbing is 'why' Senator Obama fails to address those important issues, as raised here by Nader, i.e.:
"I haven't heard him [Senator Obama] have a strong crackdown on economic exploitation in the ghettos. Payday loans, predatory lending, asbestos, lead. What's keeping him from doing that?" [And...
"...why don't you support single-payer national health insurance, which is supported by a majority of doctors and the American people? Why do you favor expanding the military budget which is replete with waste, fraud and abuse?" [And...
"...why don't you come out and support an immediate increase of the minimum wage to $10 an hour? [And for Obama to address...
"...'cracking down on corporate crime, curbing the violence of toxic environmental racism, and extending clean, affordable public transit, among other issues'. When can we expect the authenticity of hope and change?"
Instead of responding to these legitimate questions from Nader, Obama chose to pooh-pooh his response by saying: "Ralph Nader is trying to get attention. ... It's a shame, because if you look at his legacy in terms of consumer protection, it's an extraordinary one. But at this point, he's somebody who's trying to get attention."
So, let's take the 'need-to-get-attention' aspect off the table. Now, Obama needs to answer Nader's questions–– especially with over 95% of Obama's expected votes-to-victory in the Fall coming from African Americans. What is being demanded by Blacks from him for this support? What kinds of promises will he give to African Americans for this overwhelming backing?
Here of late, the junior Senator from Illinois has made his rounds–– making promises to the Jewish community to lay U.S. lives on the line (if need be) for Israel's security. He continues to meet with, and make commitments to white women–– assuring he will be sensitive to equal pay, abortion rights, and other white women issues if they will come back to the Democratic fold. And, what about Michelle Obama, who is on record pledging to the Gay and Lesbian voter base that Barack will unabashedly fight for equal rights for the Gay community.
Well and good, as nobody is 'hating' on what he has to say to other groups to get their votes! But, Nader's right... and his brazen comments should tweak interest in the Black community. Why has Obama been so silent on what Blacks can realistically expect to receive from an Obama presidency? Surely the reason for his silence is not––as Nader has doggedly thrown onto the political landscape, and refuses to back-up-off-this statement:
"Obama is talking white. "He wants to show that he is not a threatening . . . another politically threatening African-American politician," Nader said.
"He wants to appeal to white guilt. You appeal to white guilt not by coming on as black is beautiful, black is powerful. Basically he's coming on as someone who is not going to threaten the white power structure, whether it's corporate or whether it's simply oligarchic. And they love it. Whites just eat it up."
Nader's challenge to Obama cannot, and should not, be dismissed as the debate which leads to the road to the White House transpires in coffee houses, living rooms and social gatherings across America. Senator Obama... Black America needs your response.
www.vberryhill-soulvoice.blogspot.com
Posted by: Vivian Berryhill | June 28, 2008 at 01:12 PM
I want to see MTP really press the Gov. on off-shore drilling and alternative energy. He has the potential to be a breath of fresh air, in an "off-message" sort of way.
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"High-energy Politics"
http://ilfamilypolitics.blogspot.com
Posted by: Julia Kelly | June 28, 2008 at 03:42 PM
Obama's position on predatory lending is without substance. No limit on interest rates for debts (just fees) and no call for a return to usury laws in the states. His sponsors in the financial industry won't allow it. When Obama cut the
legs out from Rev. Wright, it was because his former pastor was alienating non-minority voters with straight talk, with the truth. Nader has the guts to demand specifics from Obama. Will anyone else?
Posted by: steve conn | June 28, 2008 at 04:04 PM
The Green Party's Cynthia McKinney - the leader in delegates going into the Green Party Presidential Nominating Convention in Chicago July 10-13 - has take strong positive positions.
Former Congresswoman McKinney has said a great deal more on point.
The truth is, McKinney and the Green Party are the most likley to get the unhappy women Hillary voters.
Posted by: Ron Fisher | June 28, 2008 at 06:31 PM
The only way to avoid living in the corpocracy is to vote for someone that rails against
that control. Nader has ALWAYS pursued that end for the benefit of the constitution, and
all of the people in this country. I'm not proud to be american, I'm shocked by how this
country has ignored the transformation to ignorance. Dwight Eisenhower tried to warn us,
control of this country is no longer the peoples', and if we don't vote our conscience now,
when will we? We as a people, should display a society that believes in and promotes
fairness and justice in this country as an example for other governments to emulate. This is
America's responsibility.
Beware the military / industrial / corporate complex.
Posted by: Tim Matthews | June 28, 2008 at 10:12 PM