Meet Ron Christie, Political Commentator

RON CHRISTIE

There are some folks that never cease to amaze me and Ron Christie is on of those mind boggling people. Christie, the Black Republican apologist and strategist is forever trying to convince us that White right-wing reactionary Republicans like Sarah Palin, Dick Cheney and Russ Limbaugh always mean just the opposite or something other than what they've stated or written or that they are badly misquoted, misunderstood, or misinterpreted. He sees history quite differently than I remember it, especially the Bush II White House years.

As I listen to Ron Christie on various talk shows and news programs, I had to take a minute and find out more about him. Maybe I could learn why he thinks the way he does or at least the way he says he thinks.

A native of Palo Alto, California, he received his B.A. from Haverford College and his J.D. from the George Washington University National Law Center. Christie serves as an Adjunct Professor of Strategic Advocacy at the George Washington University Graduate School of Political Management. He also teaches a course on strategic advocacy at his alma mater, Haverford College, where he has been appointed a Visiting Assistant Professor of Political Science.

Mr. Christie, a veteran senior advisor of both the White House and the Congress, brings years of government relations experience. Most recently, Christie served as Vice President of Navigators LLC, a full service strategic consulting and communications firm. He also has served as Executive Vice President and Director of Global Government Affairs at Ruder Finn and Of Counsel at the DC law firm of Patton Boggs, LLP. From 2002 to 2004, he was Acting Director of USA Freedom Corps and special assistant to President George W. Bush. He began service at the White House in 2001 as deputy assistant to Vice President Cheney for domestic policy, advising the Vice President on policy initiatives in health care, budget, tax and other policy areas.

Prior to joining the Vice President's staff, he briefly served as counsel to U.S. Senator George Allen (R-VA). He also served as senior advisor to former House Budget Committee Chairman John Kasich (R-OH).

Active in international affairs, he was elected to the Council on Foreign Relations in 2001, a distinguished group devoted to promoting improved understanding of international affairs through the free exchange of ideas. While serving in the White House, Christie was asked by President Bush to lead an American delegation to an international conference on volunteerism and civic engagement hosted by then Prime Minister Tony Blair in London, England. Subsequent to the volunteerism summit, Christie worked with then Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown to devise an expanded call for civic engagement in Great Britain.

As a frequent commentator on current political events, he has appeared as a political/legal analyst on The Situation Room with Wolf Blitzer, Lou Dobbs Tonight, Hardball with Chris Matthews, Fox News Sunday, Hannity & Colmes, The O'Reilly Factor, and The Tavis Smiley Show. Christie also serves as a weekly Contributor and Panelist on National Public Radio's "News and Notes" program. A noted political strategist and skilled orator, Christie is a contributing columnist for The Hill, a leading Capitol Hill newspaper, and is one of their featured writers on The Pundit's Blog.

All this information lets me know that Christie is well educated, well connected and has worked closely with GOP persons and issues. None of it makes me understand how Christie can defend Dick Cheney or George Bush and their administration or policies, but I guess you don't bite the hand that feeds you.

Ron Christie is Founder and CEO of Christie Strategies, a full-service communications and issues management firm in Washington, D.C. He is also the author of the book Black in the White House published by Nelson Current in January 2006. His next work, Acting White: The Birth and Death of a Racial Slur will be published by St. Martin's Press/Thomas Dunne Books in 2010.

"Rather than focusing on so-called "Black issues," Republicans will continue to gain traction with Black folks by discussing their vision of economic reform, technological advances to compete in the 21st Century, and insisting that teachers and schools be held accountable for results in educating our children." Ron Christie

This Christmas Day the song goes "Do you hear what I hear" and "Do you see what I see?" Well Ron, my answer is no.

SOURCE: Speakers Bureau

Party-Switching

PARKER GRIFFITH


Pennsylvania Rep. Chris Carney (D) announced tonight that he would not switch to the Republican party despite a personal phone call today from Sen. John McCain (Ariz.) urging him to do so. The most recent member of Congress to switch parties is Sen. Arlen Specter (D-Pa.), who announced his decision in April.

Carney won the northeastern Pennsylvania 10th district in 2006 thanks, in large part to the scandal surrounding then Rep. Don Sherwood (R). Carney won re-election in 2008despite the fact that McCain won the seat 54 percent to 45 percent. According to the Washington Post vote database, Carney has voted with the Democratic majority 90.8 percent of the time in the 111th Congress. Republicans have been aggressively courting candidates to challenge Carney in 2010.

McCain's call to Carney signals a coordinated Republican effort to capitalize on the party switch on Tuesday of Alabama Rep. Parker Griffith, the first Democrat to switch to the GOP since Rep. Rodney Alexander in 2004.

Democratic Rep. Parker Griffith announced Tuesday that he's switching parties – saying he can no longer align himself “with a party that continues to pursue legislation that is bad for our country, hurts our economy and drives us further and further into debt.”

Griffith, who captured his seat in a close 2008 open seat contest, will become the first Republican to hold the historically Democratic, Huntsville-based district. A radiation oncologist who founded a cancer treatment center, Griffith cited the Democratic health care bill as a major reason for his switch.

Griffith’s party switch will not come as a surprise to those familiar with his voting record, which is one of the most conservative among Democrats. "He has bucked the Democratic leadership on nearly all of its major domestic initiatives, including the stimulus package, health care legislation, the cap-and trade energy bill and financial regulatory reform. "He was one of only 11 House Democrats to vote against the stimulus.

Republicans insist there are others like Griffith out there and that the legislative course the House majority has steered is acting as a impetus to push Democrats out of the party.

Again, a single seat like Griffith's doesn't make a huge difference in the grand scheme of the battle for the House where Democrats hold a 40-seat majority. But, the symbolic import of a Democrat abandoning the party when it hold all the levers of power in Washington should not be underestimated.


Sources: The Fix Blog, Washington Post, Huffington Post

Senate Passes Healthcare Bill

After months of wrangling, the Democratic-controlled Senate passed President Barack Obama's health care plan by a 60-39 vote this morning. The votes were casts strictly along party lines.

It was a year long process to get to this fork in the road with lots of negotiation, compromise, and agony. It was a learning experience for me since this is the first time I followed a bill so closely and the first time I rose and fell with each media item and with every news report. What a roller coaster ride. It makes me wonder how we ever get anything done.

There are somethings I'll remember like the party of no, the hold outs, the issues of abortion and immigration, but most of all I'll remember the 30 million American who will now be insured under this legislation. It may not be everything I wished for, but it's certainly more than we had. We've taken more than sixty year to get this far, so thank God for some progress.

I wonder how the large amounts of money spent to derail healthcare could have been better spent to help the sick and needy. I question the public figures who were more interested in their personal fifteen minutes of fame than the fate of numerous Americans. I guess if I understood the game better, I'd know this is business as usual. I'll just chalk it up as another lesson learned.

CIA Cuts Blackwater Ties

The C.I.A. has terminated its contract with Blackwater Worldwide (now called Xe Services) that employed the security company to load bombs on drones used by the agency in Pakistan and Afghanistan. The New York Times had revealed the existence of the deal, which paid Blackwater employees to assemble and load Hellfire missiles and laser-guided bombs on secret bases, in August, writing about disputes between the contractor and some C.I.A. employees, who accused the Blackwater operatives of shoddy work and poor weapon assembly (one story held that a bomb dropped off a Predator drone before the drone had launched its payload). "At this time, Blackwater is not involved in any C.I.A. operations other than in a security or support role," said agency spokesman George Little. C.I.A. employees are taking over the jobs performed by Blackwater's workers at the drone bases.

In April 2002, the CIA paid Blackwater more than $5 million to deploy a small team of men inside Afghanistan during the early stages of US operations in the country. A month later, Erik Prince, the company's owner and a former Navy SEAL, flew to Afghanistan as part of the original twenty-man Blackwater contingent. Blackwater worked for the CIA at its station in Kabul as well as in Shkin, along the Afghanistan-Pakistan border, where they operated out of a mud fortress known as the Alamo. It was the beginning of a long relationship between Blackwater, Prince and the CIA.

The CIA's decision to hire contractors from Blackwater USA for a covert assassination program in 2004 was part of an expanding relationship in which the agency has relied on the widely criticized firm for tasks including guarding CIA lockups and loading missiles on Predator aircraft, according to current and former U.S. government officials.

The 2004 contract cemented what was then a burgeoning relationship with Blackwater, setting the stage for a series of departures by senior CIA officials who took high-level positions with the North Carolina security company.

U.S. officials familiar with the targeted-killing program said that Blackwater's involvement was limited in scope and duration, and that the arrangement ended several years before CIA Director Leon E. Panetta killed the program two months ago.

The program was kept secret from Congress for nearly eight years before Panetta told lawmakers about it in June. CIA officials have emphasized that the program was never operational and that it did not lead to the capture or killing of a single terrorism suspect.

It appears the mercenary firm has a long and dark history with the CIA. Were they Bush and Cheney's private hit men?

I wonder what we could discover if as much media attention was spent on Blackwater and its activities as is currently being spent on Tiger Wood's infidelities. Makes you wonder.

Eagles Vote Award to Michael Vick

Team mates recognize Michael Vick and the sports world is up in arms about it.

Vick won the Ed Block Courage Award, voted on by his teammates on the Philadelphia Eagles, after the once-disgraced star quarterback returned to the league after spending 18 months in a federal prison for his role in a dogfighting ring.

"It means a great deal to me," Vick said Wednesday. "I was voted unanimously by my teammates. They know what I've been through. I've been through a lot. It's been great to come back and have an opportunity to play and be with a great group of guys. I'm just ecstatic about that and I enjoy every day."

The Ed Block Award honors players who exemplify commitment to the principles of sportsmanship and courage. Each of the 32 NFL teams selects a recipient.

"I've overcome a lot, more than probably one single individual can handle or bear," Vick said. "You ask certain people to walk through my shoes, they probably couldn't do. Probably 95 percent of the people in this world because nobody had to endure what I've been through, situations I've been put in, situations I put myself in and decisions I have made, whether they have been good or bad.

The animal rights group, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals, issued a statement reprimanding the Eagles for giving Vick the award.

"The Philadelphia Eagles fumbled when they gave Michael Vick the Ed Block Courage Award, which was named after a man who advocated in behalf of abused children," the PETA statement read. "Michael Vick should not be the person anyone points to as a model of sportsmanship, even though he has now exchanged dogs for touchdowns after serving time for extreme cruelty to animals. We wish him well in educating others, but this is not appropriate and does not mark a joyous moment in NFL history."

Funny, once again folks rally against an African American public figure being recognized with a notable award. Once again, the award is "not timely". Once again, there's hope that the person will do something in the future to deserve the award. Once again, there are those that are "more deserving". Once again, granting this award to this person is a "slap in the face to past receipients".

Once again, I don't agree with the obvious stance against the award in this case, as with the controversy surrounding the recent Nobel Peace prize awarded Barack Obama. A person makes mistakes, pays for their poor judgement, and tries to rehabilitate. Then, they move on with their lives. One mistake should not be a life sentence.

Source: Sports Illustrated and ESPN

FLOTUS 68% Favorable Rating

Michelle Obama scored an overall 68 percent favorable rating in a Marist Poll released on Tuesday, but only 37 percent of those registered voters say she has changed the role of first lady for the better.

Other findings:

*The 68 percent "favorable impression" shows a partisan divide: 85 percent of Democrats, 53 percent of Republicans and 61 percent of Independents viewed her favorably.

*On her performance as first lady, 57 percent of registered voters told Marist she was "doing well" in her position, up from 50 percent when Marist asked the same question in March.

*The same number, 57 percent, said Mrs. Obama has lived up to their expectations.

*On the fashion front, 41 percent say Mrs. Obama has changed fashion for the better; 39 percent said she has had no impact at all.

*On whether she has "revolutionized" the role of first lady, 37 percent say she has changed it for the better, which is down from 43 percent in April.

The survey of 1,034 U.S. residents -- age 18 and up -- was taken Dec. 2, 3 and 7, and included 858 registered voters. The margin of error is 3 percent.

Source: Lynn Sweet, The Daily FLOTUS Blog, Politics Daily

"The Black Frame of Mind"

I actually thought I'd never find anything comical in something Rush Limbaugh said on his show. Well, once again I was wrong.

On a recent show Rush said the following:

“ I got two more stories in the stack today about how black unemployment is through the roof. Black unemployment is terrible. The black frame of mind is terrible, they’re depressed, they’re down — Obama’s not doing anything for ‘em. How is that hoax and change workin’ for ya? They’re all livid. I mean, they thought there were gonna be an exact 180-degree economic reversal and it’s done nothing but get bad for everybody, but they’re especially upset about it because they look at him as one of them, and now they feel abandoned. And I’m sure Tiger Woods’ choice of females not helping ‘em out with their attitudes there either.”

What would Rush Limbaugh know about "the black frame of mind"? When did this man ever talk with or listen to a black person? And, what does Tiger Woods choice of female have to do with anything?

What a joke...Rush Limbaugh's comments on "the black frame of mind". Spare me, please!

More Birthier Drivel

On the North Dakota Republican Party website homepage they have a joke of the day, and today the joke was on the president. The picture shows the party crashing Salahis shaking hands with the president and he asks can he see their invitation, and they reply can I see your birth certificate. Funny stuff? No its more birther nonsense that the Republicans keep spewing. When the political director of the North Dakota Republican party was questioned about it he said “it’s a joke.” It’s simply nothing funny about this birther drivel and things like this just emboldened the movement.

Mark Sanford Avoids Impeachment

SC Drops Sanford Impeachment

Per an article in the Daily Beast, Mark Sanford lives another day: A seven-member South Carolina House subcommittee voted on Wednesday to drop efforts to impeach Governor Sanford. Five members have announced how they will vote: four will vote against impeachment; one will vote for it. Public Policy Polling points out that Sanford, with a 36-percent approval rating, is still more popular than several of the country’s governors, including Arnold Schwarzenegger, David Paterson, and Ed Rendell.

Ain't politics just grand?

FLOTUS on Point!

Say what you will about the "Gate Crashers" at President Obama's First White House State Dinner, but don't overlook our First Lady, Michelle Obama. She was a study in style and grace in her classy ensemble. I felt well represented!

The Infamous Tee Shirt

Please don't buy this t-shirt: I would not wish or pray this on any Leader.

Psalm 109: 8-13

Let his years be few; let someone else take his position
May his children become fatherless, and his wife a widow
May his children wander as beggars and be driven from their ruined homes
May creditors seize his entire estate, and strangers take all he has earned.
Let no one be kind to him; let no one pity his fatherless children.
May all his offspring die. May his family name be blotted out in a single generation.


Let's not let the enemy get over on us!!
Although this story is in the Bible, it is in the old testament about people who were oppressed. The old testament tells us what happened. The New testament, Jesus teaches us what to do and to pray for our enemies!!
Like these who came up with this shirt!