Liberal Activist and Democratic Party Operative Jesse Jackson wasted no time in charging that the Davis Campaign had received calls from over 30,000 California residents who Mr. Jackson claimed were being disenfranchised, could not find polling places, and that there were not enough polling place available in an appearance on Fox News's Hannity and Colmes.

Host Sean Hannity pressed Mr. Jackson on the fact that if Mr. Davis did, in fact, win this recall election, would Mr. Jackson and other activists move ahead with their threatened and promised lawsuits that claimed that mostly Democrat and minority voters were disfranchised because of punch card ballots. Mr. Jackson answered Mr. Hannity's question with a resounding "no."

You see it is only disenfranchisement when Democrats lose elections. . Read More

More Op Eds By Kevin L. Martin

September marks the beginning of the political season in Washington DC and the Democratic Party has jumped at the chance to oppose President Bush and his handling of Iraq. The nine Democratic Presidential Candidates and their allies in Congress are calling upon President Bush to turn over authority in Iraq to the United Nations in return for a promise of an international coalition of peacekeepers to stabilize the country. President Bush and his advisors for their part have payed little heed to the unwanted advice of these Democrats and some of his fellow Republicans who are looking to play politics in an election year. . . . Read More

More Op Eds by Kevin L. Martin

Two African Visions: George W. Bush and William Jefferson Clinton

Take the presidency of William J. Clinton: He remains wildly popular with African Americans, seems to be concerned about the suffering of people worldwide and never misses the chance to appear with African Leaders like Nelson Mandela.

Then there is the Presidency of George W. Bush: He is mistrusted by (liberal) African Americans, seems standoffish about the suffering of people worldwide and is shunned by African Leaders like Nelson Mandela for his failure to work with the United Nation on key issues.

Yes -- I have given you what would be the standard comparison of the two men that the so-called mainstream press has portrayed. Those (African) Americans who have foolishly bought into this shallow conception have no business calling themselves African-Americans -- when "sellout" is a better term.

The left wing media and press are not concerned at all for the human suffering and civil war in Liberia. Their main concern is for the nine Democrat Candidates who are seeking the White House in 2004. Liberia offers them the chance to create a wedge issue and to once again portray George W. Bush as a racist and his recent trip to Africa as some type grand photo-op devoid of any real substance. The left wing press has gone to all the old Democrat players in seeking venomous commentary from the (Democrat) black leadership - - in quoting Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Elijah Cummings the Congressional Black Caucus and newcomer Susan Rice.

You see when it comes down to Africa -- it is George W. Bush that has done more for Africa than all the so-called black leaders combined.

Remember the debates that lead up to the 2000 General Election and how black Democrats promised us that "if George W. Bush was elected that Africa would be nowhere on his agenda?" This statement was coming from a group of blackened hypocrites, who 6 years earlier stood by and watched the wholesale slaughter of 800,000 of their brethren.

To understand my last statement, I must take you back nearly 10 years to the African Nation of Rwanda. For many months and years tribal hatred had been simmering between the Tutsis and Hutus.

On April 6th 1994, the downing of a government aircraft carrying Rwandan President Habyarimana became the catalyst for the worst ethnic strife since World War II.

United State Ambassador to the United Nation Madeline Albright and State Department Officials such as Anthony Lake, Christine Shelly and Mike McCurry could not even bring themselves to the point of letting the term "ethnic cleansing" pass their lips because of pressure from Clinton Officials.

Mr. Clinton's semi-intelligent approach towards ethnic cleansing and the general suffering of Africans was not limited to Rwanda, but extended to the Congo, Sierra Leone, Sudan, Liberia and Mauritania. African Americans in the United States have for too long failed to understand their historical connection to Africa.

I wonder if Bill Clinton would enjoy the same amount of support in our community if his foreign policy record towards Africa was fully exposed?

Beyond the photo-op diplomacy with selected leaders from African Nations like Ghana and African Americans who craved political power (i.e. Jesse Jackson's appointment as special envoy to Africa in 1997) there is nothing of genuine substance in former president's Clinton's foreign policy towards Africa.

Bill Clinton's policy towards Africa should be labeled "racist and selective" since it was basically rooted in the purpose of political gain.

Remember this is the same President who went to war on the pretext of ethnic cleansing to save fair-skinned Muslims in the Eastern European Nation of Bosnia and the Serbian province Kosovo. Note the timing: Coming right after the Clinton's loss of the Democratic majority Congress (Bosnia) and during his Impeachment (Kosovo).

Bull Connor and Senator Robert Byrd could not have written a more self-serving foreign policy.

Now fast forward nearly 10 years: To the present, with George Bush in the White House and black Democrats and leaders demanding that he deploy US Troops to end the warfare in Liberia - - and the lack of US Troops taking part in Liberian Peacekeeping Operations would be considered "racist" by this crowd.

Funny -- when did Liberia become an issue for the Congressional Black (Democrat) Caucus and self-styled leaders like Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton and Susan Rice?

But Bush took action. Charles Taylor has finally departed Liberia after 14 years in power (first a warlord and then its president).

May this nation finally find a long sought and fought for peace in the wake of his departure. Charles Taylor would not be in exile today if it were not for the efforts of Bush Officials working with West African Leaders to bring about the deployment of African Peacekeepers.

Since taking office Bush has given Africa Nations a seat at the table of world leaders seeking to combating AIDS, global terrorism, slavery and the economic development, despite his poor showing among African Americans Voters in 2000.

Secretary of State Colin Powell has made meeting with and listening to the concerns of African Leaders a priority that even former President Jimmy Carter lashed out at him for doing so and Rwanda steadfast support of our actions in Iraq.

The records of these two presidents are, plain and simply, Bill Clinton may indeed enjoy the title of the "first African American (Black) President," but it should be George W. Bush that enjoys the title of the first President to bring Africa into the 21st century.

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Kevin L. Martin is an Advisor and Member of Project 21. He has served as the former Government and Political Affairs Director to the African American Republicans Leadership Council. He has appeared as a political commentator on FOX News. View a photo of Mr. Martin.

Posted by Douglas Oliver on August 13, 2003 at 12:40 PM

Black voters can take great pride in the fact that both parties are finally fighting for our votes, but it is the Democrat party that has the most to lose and the Republican party that could be a major beneficiary.

Black liberal Democrat activists Jesse Jackson, Julian Bond and Ron Waters have been howling up a storm over the recent outreach efforts by President Bush to black voters. Bush has taken the road less traveled and is taking his message past them in his effort to reach out to the black community.

For the 2nd year Bush has chose to address the more moderate Urban League's convention over the more radical NAACP. When the Democrat presidential candidates sought to rebut Mr. Bush at the convention, most of the candidates addressed a mostly empty auditorium. This should serve as an omen to the Democrat party; blacks feel that the Democrat party has taken them for granted for the last 35+ years.

Nowhere in the Democrat party do blacks hold any real leadership positions (other than ranking members, vice chairmanships and special committees). These positions only give black Democrats the illusion of leadership.

When Richard Gephardt stepped down in the wake of the Democrat's disastrous showing in the mid-term elections, Rep. Harold Ford (D-Tenn.) sought to lead the Democrats in the House

Ford found himself bullied and pushed out of the way by ultra-liberal Nancy Pelosi (D-Ca.) and her extremist backers. Mr. Ford found that some of his so-called friends later became his most rabid enemies in the battle to lead the Democrats. Congressional Black Caucus members stabbed him in the back, publicly disgraced him in stating that he was too much of a junior congressmen to lead the party in the house. Ron Waters openly stated that Ford was not liberal enough to lead the party in the house.

How did Ms. Pelosi repay the loyalty of the Congressional Black Caucus after she ascended to the top spot in the House? Appointing James Cylburn to a simply bootlick vice chairman position under the number 3 Democrat in the House.

The Democrat National Committee under the leadership of Chairman Terry McAuliffe has been no friend to blacks and black Democrat candidates either. Black candidates Ron Kirk and Carl McCall found that out when they received no money or support in their election bids in 2002. Under Chairman Terry McAuliffe's "Reign of Terror" everyone has become expendable for the right price, but blacks even more so. Black Democrat activists, lobbyist, and entry-level workers at party headquarters live in fear of the DNC's Anti-Affirmative Action Policy of "last hired, first fired." Simply put "when cash is tight at Party Headquarters and you are black, put your resume online quickly."

Mr. McAuliffe's chairmanship is as failed as it is tainted. One only needs to remember how the party's faithful were bullied into appointing him over the more qualified and moderate Maynard Jackson. Mr. McAuliffe's first move as chairman was to appoint Mr. Jackson to a purely token position within the DNC. Within a year's time Jackson had stepped down and basically went to his grave battling McAuliffe for the soul of the Democrat Party.

President Bush and his advisors seem to have gotten the message that past efforts of the Republican Party to reach out to black voters have been substandard at best and bad comedy at worst. The GOP's message has not reached those blacks it should have. It has lacked an authentic voice. It seemed that those in charge of outreach at the party's headquarters were more interested in personal enrichment and resume enhancements than bringing in new black voters.

Mr. Bush and Party Leaders need to replace those who headed the party's 2000 and 2002 minority voter outreach, since Republicans were not able increase their portion of the black vote. The only reason Republicans were able to retain control of the House and regain the Senate was due to discontent among minorities with the Democrat Party and its leadership. In other words, black voters stayed home.

The die has been cast for the 2004 general election, but I would caution both parties that blacks in America deserve respect. We will not stand by and have this election turned into a battle between panderers (Democrats) and panderers-lite (Republicans). Either respect us as people and fight for our votes or we will stay home again.

We deserve to be treated as individuals, as part of the American mosaic, and as patriots; not as an election year mistress or a mindless voting bloc for sale to the highest bidder

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Kevin L. Martin is an Advisor and Member of Project 21. He has served as the former Government and Political Affairs Director to the African American Republicans Leadership Council. He has appeared as a political commentator on FOX News.
View a photo of Mr. Martin.

Posted by Douglas Oliver on August 19, 2003 at 8:32 AM