Prometheus 6

Once neutral, filmmaker Ken Burns picks Obama
by Jill Zuckman

Manchester, N.H. – New Hampshire resident and famed filmmaker Ken Burns said today that he is throwing his support behind Sen. Barack Obama for president, complaining that "recent events" and the negative tone of the campaign compelled him to come forward.

Burns, who lives in Walpole, said he had originally planned to stay neutral because there were things he liked about all the Democratic candidates for president.

When asked what specifically prompted him to come forward, Burns said, "Those recent events are pretty obvious."

Last week, Sen. Hillary Clinton's state co-chairman resigned his position after saying that Obama's acknowledged use of drugs as a young man would prevent him from getting elected president because of likely Republican attacks.

"I'm really just disappointed in the tone this campaign has taken on their part," Burns said, referring to Clinton. "I think she's getting some bad advice."

I would like to welcome Mr. Burns to the side of the angels. And in case you don't know what he's talking about, I am willing to be as specific as the Clinton campaign.

CLINTON CAMPAIGN COUNTY CHAIR PUSHING OBAMA SMEAR...

The infamous Obama-is-a-secret Muslim smear (repeatedly shown to be false) has been winging around the internet via an email forward since late December last year. As I documented for the Nation, it's a permutation of a charge first leveled by a fringe figure in Illinois, but has since been forwarded around by ordinary people either out of ignorance, credulousness or malice. We now have the first example of the smear being forwarded by a someone tied to a rival campaign. Yesterday, Gary Hart, the Jones County Chair of the Democratic party in Iowa (and a Dodd supporter) wrote a diary on DailyKos saying he'd been forwarded the infamous email by an unnamed "Clinton county chair."

Then there's this.

Third Clinton Volunteer Knew Of Smear E-Mail

A third volunteer for Hillary Clinton's campaign was aware of a propaganda e-mail alleging that Barack Obama is a Muslim who plans on "destroying the U.S. from the inside out."

"Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential Candidacy," the email reads. "Please forward to everyone you know. The Muslims have said they Plan on destroying the U.S. from the inside out, what better way to start than at The highest level."

Two Clinton volunteers, Linda Olson and Judy Rose, have already been asked to resign from the campaign for their roles in forwarding the e-mail. The AP reported yesterday that Olson, a volunteer coordinator in Iowa County, sent a version of the e-mail to 11 people, including Ben Young, a regional field director for Chris Dodd's campaign. Young passed it on to the AP.

It seems when Hillary says she is an “agent of change,” when she says she can work both sides of the street...um, aisle, this is what she was talking about.

At 8:21 a.m., Phil Singer of the Clinton camp e-mailed a Politico story on Sen. Barack Obama. His subject line was "Politico: Liberal views could haunt Obama," which was the headline of the story.

At 8:32 a.m., Danny Diaz of the Republican National Committee sent an e-mail with the same story, same subject line. The only difference between the two e-mails is that Diaz capitalized every letter in his headline.

Regardless of Hillary's assertion that such openly racist themes are not to be used by her campaign, they went for the “what will they believe about a Black man” analysis. And your proof that Hillary approved of it came from two seriously connected Democrats: Bill Shaheen and Bob Kerrey.

Oh, Shaheen took a hit for it? No...just watch to see what his next job is. He will suffer no damage for this.

Hillary's staff is using the exact rumors and the exact language we thought originated with Republicans, which suggests they were the ultimate source of the original slander. Is that the kind of "change agent" you want? You like NAFTA? That was the Clintons, as was the record increase in jailing Black men. And now that it's been admitted the disparity in drug sentencing (the ONLY acknowledged race problem in the justice system) was wrong she still want to keep over-sentenced Black men in jail. And she voted to invade Iraq. Then there's her anti-Progressive message.

Hillary is angling for the REPUBLICAN vote, not the Democratic vote.

If you want change you will not get it from Hillary. And I think the correct response to her free use of the exact type of racist imagery we attack Republican for...for her apparent coordination, or perhaps instigation, of the racist imagery in their attacks, for her essentially Republican position, is to deny her the nomination to run for the Presidency.

Let me show you something.

La. Pol's 'Buckwheat' Remark Draws Ire

HOUMA, La. (AP) -- A white state lawmaker in a runoff election called a black civil-rights veteran who had helped her campaign "Buckwheat," angering the NAACP, which urged voters to kick her out of office.

Rep. Carla Blanchard Dartez, a Democrat, acknowledged that she ended a Thursday night conversation with Hazel Boykin by saying, "Talk to you later, Buckwheat." Dartez had been thanking Boykin for driving voters to the polls.

The local branch of the NAACP responded appropriately.

On Monday, Jerome Boykin held a news conference asking voters to cast ballots against Dartez, who faces Republican Joe Harrison in Saturday's runoff.

"The NAACP is going to do all it can to see that she is not re-elected," he said. "At this point, the NAACP is not concerned about the Democratic Party or the Republican Party. If a Republican is elected because of her racist remarks, that's her responsibility."

As a result, Rep. Carla Blanchard Dartez, a Democrat, no longer has a job.

I want you to consider the message that is sent when a Democratic 'front runner' feels free to go openly racist against a Black candidate. How will you ever be able to point out the racism of the Southern Strategy when you support the Democratic version thereof? And you, open-minded white folk and EVERY BLACK PERSON IN THE COUNTRY know this is not the kind of change we seek. The Clintons, no less than Rep. Carla Blanchard Dartez, a Democrat, must be punished.

Now, I'm not going as far as Jerome Boykin did in saying, “If a Republican is elected because of her racist remarks, that's her responsibility." But then I don't have to. We're talking the primaries, not the national election. Throwing Hillary the hell out of the race in no way benefits Republicans. It would be far more effective in getting both Republican and Democratic attention than voting for Michael Steele or Ken Blackwell would have. It would end that “first black president” bullshit.

That's a personal goal of mine.

I am already an Obama supporter for selfish reasons. I am not hyping him in this. I will be perfectly satisfied to see all of Hillary's supporters move over to Edwards or Dodd. But Hillary must lose. If she doesn't, it's open season on Black people, probably for another century, because she will have shown it's an effective plan, a way to win. And though we may not be able to totally drive policy in the USofA, during the primaries we can do this. Without coordination with others, without a lot of money, without permission.

Think about that.

And vote Anyone But Clinton.