Asean Johnson, 9, Takes on Liberal Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel and Saves His Elementary School

AtlantaBlackStar.com:

Asean Johnson, a firebrand of a 9-year-old boy, is being credited with helping to get his school, Marcus Garvey Elementary, off the list of 50 schools that will be closed in Chicago through his forceful and articulate advocacy  and standing up to Mayor Rahm Emanuel and the Chicago School Board.
 
Asean delivered several passionate speeches on behalf of his school—including one at a meeting in April that brought a tear to the eye of Chicago Public Schools CEO Barbara Byrd-Bennett, who called him “an articulate, learned young man,” according to the Chicago Tribune.

But it was his impromptu speech last week at a rally, when he didn’t even know he was going to be speaking and had no remarks prepared, that has brought him to national fame, including appearances on CNN with Wolf Blitzer and MSNBC with Melissa Harris-Perry.

A video of his remarks has gone viral, with more than 150,000 views. The video shows Asean climbing onto a metal folding chair so that he can see over the lectern. He introduces himself to the crowd, then tears into Mayor Emanuel, accusing him of “not caring about our schools.”

“You should be supporting these schools, not closing them,” he says, his voice rising in anger.

After calling the closings racist, Asean strikes a more conciliatory tone when he says, “We are black, and we are proud! We are white and we are proud! No matter what the color is, no matter if you’re Asian or Chinese, it doesn’t matter. You should not be closing these schools!”

Sensing the crowd’s support, he pumps his fist in the air and leads a chant: “Education is a right; that is why we have to fight!”

“I was so amazed because he was so well composed,” Chicago Teachers Union President Karen Lewis said, recalling how she also was brought to tears when she first heard Asean speak. “He just totally blew me away. He had on this suit, and he was so kind and so well-mannered and articulate and sweet and adorable. I thought, ‘This kid has it.’”

In a profile of Asean in the Tribune, he notes his fans are asking him to enter a life of politics, but he has another goal in mind, saying he wants to be a professional football player.

“President would be my second choice,” he said on the playground at Garvey Elementary. “And I might want to be a scientist or a lawyer. Those are going to be my two backup plans.”

RELATED: When Black Kids Want to Learn and the World Tells Them 'No'

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Hey, Boston: Leave Chick-fil-A Alone

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Freedom Of Speech, Religion And Chicken Sandwiches: Respecting Differences Of Opinion

Mediaite.com:

Chick-fil-A is in the middle of a media firestorm after its president, Dan Cathy, told the Baptist Press his company was “guilty as charged” for supporting the traditional family last week. Cathy was labeled a bigot by some, but reading Cathy’s quotes reveals there was nothing hateful in what he said.

“We are very much supportive of the family — the biblical definition of the family unit,” he said. “We are a family-owned business, a family-led business, and we are married to our first wives. We give God thanks for that.”

Cathy is president of a company that believe “in the importance of loving your neighbor as yourself.” “While my family and I believe in the Biblical definition of marriage, we love and respect anyone who disagrees,” he said. In light of these statements, the loaded term “bigot” seems a bit harsh. Of course, you can easily argue the term “supportive of the family” is a coded phrase that implicates that Cathy is not supportive of gay marriage. But it raises the question of whether someone can be pro-traditional marriage without being anti-gay.

Despite not supporting gay marriage, former Republican presidential candidate and Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman will be honord by the LGBT rights group Equality Utah in September at their annual Allies Dinner. While governor, Huntsman did say he supported civil unions for same-sex couples and legislation that protected gays and lesbians from discrimination in the workplace, however. But Brandie Balken, executive director of Equality Utah, told the Salt Lake Tribune honoring Huntsman wasn’t about a particular position he took.

“It’s much more about a person’s presence in the community and ability to create cultural and attitudinal change and truly their presence and their outward demonstration of Equality Utah’s values,” Balken said.

So both Chick-fil-A and Huntsman support traditional marriage, but the former is facing boycotts and the latter is being honored by an LGBT rights group. Everyone is allowed to their own opinion and freedom of speech, and Chick-fil-A hasn’t done anything illegal. There haven’t been any instances of the company discriminating against its employment or customers because of their sexuality at this time. But while we’re afforded freedom of speech, we don’t have the freedom from the consequences of our speech as illustrated by individuals boycotting Chick-fil-A.

The issue of people of faith not supporting gay marriage for religious reasons is reminiscent in some ways to the argument over contraception earlier this year. The ultimate compromise in a debate over a contraceptive coverage policy allowed religious hospitals and universities the freedom to not offer contraception if it violated their religious beliefs. Polls showed a majority of Catholics supported the compromise.

In dealing with issues many feel are moral issues, seeking a compromise and respecting those with differing views is more helpful than throwing around the word “bigot.” Nevada’s Sen. Harry Reid, who converted to Mormonism while in college, offered a solution when he first voiced his support of gay marriage.

“My personal belief is that marriage is between a man and a woman. But in a civil society, I believe that people should be able to marry whomever they want, and it’s no business of mine if two men or two women want to get married,” Reid said.

Like the debate over contraceptive coverage, gay marriage is a theological issue for some. But as Reid said, living in a civil society means that sometimes people will chose to do things with their lives that you wouldn’t chose to do with yours. Whether that means supporting traditional marriage or supporting gay marriage, respecting people of differing opinons and seeking solutions is more helpful than fighting hate with hate.

Really now, the anti-Christian, no-morals-to-speak-of, radical Left is mad that the owner of a privately run, Christian, chicken joint supports traditional marriage...yunno, like most Americans do. Therefore, taking a page from the Saul Alinsky playbook and of course, using the race card, they're even calling those who still believe in the historical definition of marriage being between a man and woman "bigots" while threatening Chick-fil-A with gay "kiss-in"'s and boycotts. Right, and so self-righteous these loons are they actually believe that that kind of stuff will get Christians to finally put down their bibles and listen to the creeds from hypocritical, smug, anti-God, white social liberals instead.

RELATED: Rahm backs down: We never said we’d block Chick-fil-A from Chicago, says spokesman

Rahm Emanuel Transition Team Member Resigns Over Ethics Violations

Chicago thuggery, run by Democrats for decades now, continues and to think she even helped Barry get elected:

A top member of Mayor-elect Rahm Emanuel's transition team abruptly resigned after the Tribune inquired about recent findings that she violated state ethics rules by using taxpayer resources for political purposes while serving as executive director of the Illinois Board of Higher Education.


Judy Erwin, a former state lawmaker who also co-chaired Emanuel's mayoral campaign, stepped down from her high-level state job last summer, was fined and promised to never seek a state job after conceding that she conducted political business on state time, according to a newly filed ethics report.


Erwin admitted using her office e-mail and phone while working on a campaign committee for then-presidential candidate Barack Obama, using staff resources to plan her trip to the 2008 Democratic National Convention and engaging in campaign fundraising activity while on the job, the state's Executive Ethics Commission ruled in a decision filed Feb. 16.


The state report went largely unnoticed, however, and Erwin told the Tribune she had not informed Emanuel of the findings before Friday, when the newspaper began its inquiries. She had been named to Emanuel's seven-member transition team just a day earlier.

Rahm Emanuel Elected Mayor of Chicago

YahooNews.com:

Former White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel was elected mayor of Chicago on Tuesday, easily overwhelming five rivals to take the helm of the nation's third-largest city as it prepares to chart a new course without the retiring Richard M. Daley.


With 97 percent of the precincts reporting, Emanuel had trounced five opponents with 55 percent of the vote — a margin that allowed him to avoid an April runoff. He needed more than 50 percent of the vote to win outright.


It was the city's first mayoral race in more than 60 years without an incumbent on the ballot and the first in more than two decades without Daley among the candidates. Daley and his father have led Chicago for more than 43 out of the last 56 years.


Emanuel called the victory "humbling" and thanked Daley for his lifetime of service, saying the outgoing mayor had "earned a special place in our hearts and our history."


But he added: "We have not won anything until a kid can go to school thinking of their studies and not their safety. Until the parent of that child is thinking about their work and not where they are going to find work, we have not won anything."

It's the Chicago Way.

Rahm Emanuel Back On Ballot

Anyone with an awareness of Chicago-style politics should've known that there was no way Ramn Emanuel was down for the count, despite what some judges said:

The Illinois Supreme Court has halted the Chicago Board of Elections from printing any mayoral ballots without Rahm Emanuel's name on them.


The high court is still determining whether to consider an appeal filed by Emanuel after a state appeals court ruled that he could not run for Chicago mayor because he didn't live in the city for a year before the Feb. 22 vote.


On Tuesday, the high court said that if any ballots are printed, they must include the former White House chief of staff's name while the court decides whether to take the case.


The Chicago Board of Election Commissioners has said it would begin printing ballots without Emanuel's name on Tuesday. Messages left for Chicago election officials weren't immediately returned.


The former White House chief of staff asked Illinois' highest court Tuesday to overturn a ruling that knocked him off the ballot for Chicago mayor, calling the decision "squarely inconsistent" with previous rulings on the state's election law.

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Rahm Emanuel Quits, But Is He Eligible To Be Mayor Of Chicago?

Funny that he didn't clear up this matter before he quit, that's if he's really running for mayor:

Attorney Burt Odelson, a noted elction-law expert, is predicting Rahm Emanuel will be ineligible for mayor because he is not a legal resident of Chicago.

Odelson told Roe and Roeper on WLS Radio that when Emanuel leased out his Chicago home he could no longer claim he is a resident.

“He rented his house out in Sept 09 and has not been back since and has no residency in Chicago,” Odelson said.

Odelson says he has been involved in several residency cases in Illinois that “the law is clear.”

Rahm Emanuel All But Certain To Leave White House

Damn, even Barry's good buddies are starting to jump ship:

Three Democratic sources close to Rahm Emanuel tell CNN that the White House chief of staff informed senior colleagues he is all but certain to run for mayor of Chicago, and will leave the White House to take the final exploratory steps. 


Close associates are already building a campaign team according to sources. 

An announcement by Emanuel is expected to be scheduled for Friday, sources said. 

One of the sources, a prominent Democrat close to the White House chief of staff, told CNN, "We see nothing that will stop a run. But you don't announce a campaign for mayor of Chicago in Washington, D.C. You leave and go home and finish your business there." 


The second source said Democratic pollster Stanley Greenberg's research of a possible mayoral run for Emanuel was "very positive. He has some obvious things to deal with, but it was very encouraging." 

Asked what the potential issues were, the source said "nothing you wouldn't expect. Just reminding people Chicago always was before Washington."

Black Democrat Lawmakers Irate Over Rahm Emanuel's $1.5 Billion Promise to Sen. Lincoln, Accuse Obama Of Ignoring Black Farmers

When you know black liberals will vote for you come hell or high water, why should you ever be motivated to ever help them out?

African-American lawmakers are irate that the Obama administration has promised Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) $1.5 billion in farm aid while claiming it can’t pay a landmark legal settlement with black farmers.


Six members of the Congressional Black Caucus wrote to President Obama on Thursday calling on him to find a way to compensate black farmers who suffered discrimination in government loan programs during the 1980s and 1990s.


The letter was spurred by behind-the-scenes deal-making in the Senate as part of an effort to pass small-business legislation.


White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel promised Lincoln, who sponsored the provision, that the administration would find a way to pay out $1.5 million in disaster assistance to farmers while they wait for programs in the 2008 farm bill to be implemented.


At the same time, the administration has told black farmers it lacks the funds to pay a $1.2 billion agreement they reached with the Department of Agriculture in 1999 to settle the Pigford class-action lawsuit.


The agriculture disaster relief had been included in the small-business bill until Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) pulled it at the last minute in a bid for GOP support.


Members of the black caucus say that if the administration can find $1.5 billion within its administrative funds to pay mostly white farmers in Arkansas and other states, it should be able to pay black farmers who suffered discrimination.


“The current hardships experienced by other farmers should not trump hardships placed on African Americans and Native Americans by the U.S. Department of Agriculture in the past,” they wrote.

White House Chief Rahm Emanuel Calls Liberal Group "F***ing Retarded"

ABCNews.com:

White House chief of staff Rahm Emanuel apologized to the head of the Special Olympics today after the Wall Street Journal reported the fiery Chicagoan privately called a group of liberal activists "f---ing retarded."

Last August, Emanuel "showed up at a weekly strategy session featuring liberal groups and White House aides," the Journal's Peter Wallsten reported. "Some attendees said they were planning to air ads attacking conservative Democrats who were balking at Mr. Obama's health-care overhaul. 'F—ing retarded,' Mr. Emanuel scolded the group, according to several participants. He warned them not to alienate lawmakers whose votes would be needed on health care and other top legislative items."

A White House official confirms that Emanuel made the remark and reports that Emanuel called Tim Shriver last week when the Journal story first appeared to apologize to the disabled community and the apology was accepted.

"The White House remains committed to addressing the concerns and needs of Americans living with disabilities and recognizes that derogatory remarks demean us all," the official said. The apology was first reported by Politico's Ben Smith.

Heh.

Rahm Emanuel Facing Possible Subpoena From Blagojevich Attorney

CNN.com:

The Illinois House panel considering impeachment charges against Gov. Rod Blagojevich has received a letter from the governor's attorney urging the panel to issue subpoenas to more than a dozen potential witnesses, including incoming White House Chief of Staff Rahm Emanuel.

Steve Brown, spokesman for Illinois House Speaker Michael Madigan, confirms to CNN that the impeachment panel received the letter from Blagojevich attorney Ed Genson.

"The committee has taken that letter under advisement," said Brown, noting the panel's next meeting is Monday morning.

Even if the panel moved ahead with such subpoenas, however, they could still be blocked by prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, who has previously expressed concern about the impeachment panel interfering with his ongoing criminal probe.

Nevertheless, the maneuvering by Blagojevich's camp could provide a distraction for President-elect Barack Obama and top aides just days after they tried to turn the page on the matter by issing an internal investigation claiming no wrongdoing by the transition team.

Genson, Blagojevich's attorney, did not immediately return a call seeking comment on his letter.

Barack tried to throw a blanket on this mess by conducting his own investigation that pretty much concluded that Emanuel did no wrong here. Good thing Gov. Blagojevich isn't having it. Democratic corruption in Illinois has been going on for too long now, it's about time the feds get involved and do something about it because Rod Blagojevich is being scapegoated.

Illinois Supreme Court Will Not Remove Rod Blagojevich

NYTimes.com:

Any prospect that the saga over Gov. Rod R. Blagojevich’s contested hold on power might end swiftly evaporated on Wednesday when the State Supreme Court refused to hear a request to remove him, and Mr. Blagojevich’s lawyer made it clear at an impeachment inquiry here that the governor had no intention of going quietly.

Without comment, the court denied an emergency request from Lisa Madigan, the state’s attorney general, to consider removing Mr. Blagojevich from office as well as a motion for a temporary restraining order that would have immediately stripped Mr. Blagojevich of many of his powers, including the authority to appoint someone to fill the United States Senate seat vacated by President-elect Barack Obama.

The ruling stirred consternation among some lawmakers here, many of whom had seen the request to the court as the fastest, straightest route to Mr. Blagojevich’s departure, even if a bit of a long shot.

Good. Madigan's attempt to get the governor ousted was nothing more than a weak, vindictive move by an attorney general whose long disliked Blagojevich. In fact Madigan's well-known desire to one day be governor herself presents a clear conflict of interest that should force Madigan to remove herself from this entire matter. As we're seeing with Obama pal Jesse Jackson Jr. proving to be a snitch for the Feds and Rahm Emanuel, Barack's new chief-of-staff, having had multiple talks with Blago about Obama's Senate seat, this scandal is just opening up as Inauguration Day inches closer and closer. Barack certainly doesn't want this mess still hanging over his head when he starts his presidency. Bottom line, Rod Blagojevich is being scapegoated to protect Barack Obama from the stink of corruption that's long festered in the president-elect's home town and state. And that's why Blagojevich needs continue to fight these allegations and not resign.

President-Elect Obama Takes A Swipe At Nancy Reagan

The President-Elect doesn't seem to be off to a good start what with hiring old Slick Willie cronies ("change"?!?) for his cabinet, pandering to lobbyists despite campaign pledges that he wouldn't and now making jokes at the expense of an 87-year-old widow:

President-elect Barack Obama called Nancy Reagan on Friday to apologize for a remark about seances he made during his first news conference earlier in the day.

When a reporter asked Obama if he had spoken with any ex-presidents since his election on Tuesday, he responded that he had spoken to all former presidents "that are living."

"I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any seances," he said.

Nancy Reagan, wife of 40th President Ronald Reagan, was derided in 1988 when his former chief of staff Donald Regan revealed in a book that the first lady had consulted an astrologer to determine the president's schedule.

Obama apologized to Reagan "for the careless and offhanded remark," Obama transition team spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said.