Senator Obama Slams President Bush for Linking Accounts To Blacks Life Span

Chicago Tribune ^ | 3.11.05 | Jeff Zeleny

[petercooper]

Obama's only 1/2 black. He should shut up

[HitmanLV]

Nice to hear that Senator Obama is still there - widely heralded as a superstar in the run-up to his lopsided election victory, he slipped into almost immediate national obscurity starting at around November 10th, 2004 or so.

To me, he just reminds me of 100s of other preachy empty suit lawyer types I worked alongside in two major NYC law firms. That makes sense, since I think he haunted some Chicago law firms before his turn at public service.

[dannyboy72]

no hable ingles

[hchutch]

Yeah, this is pure BS on the part of Barack Obama.

[rdcorso]

One of the main reasons for the fall of the democratic party has to do with being truthful.They still feel that the truth can be manipulated to support an agenda by arguing about the definition of a word like is.Most people would call their tactics lying but they still don't see it that way.They will continue to lose elections as long as there remains a shortage of people dumb enough to vote for them.We still should remain vigilant since they are working real hard to change the amount of dumb people in this country.

[k2blader]

Thanks, liberal (R)'s.

[PetroniDE]

no hable ingles

Then how come you POST in English ????

I now demand $1.25 Million --- Keep it up, you will soon go bankrupt !!! ROFLOL.

[lepton]

'It is puzzling to me that we are even having this debate about whether Social Security is good for African-Americans,' said Obama, an Illinois Democrat.

'I frankly found the statement somewhat offensive.'

I object!

On what grounds?

Because it destroys my case...

[upcountryhorseman]

I wonder if he is taking his ideas from the socialist Government of Kenya?

[hershey]

Obama making a name for himself. Idiot.

[cfrels]

DITTO!

[cfrels]

Diversion, another issue altogether, can't debate the issue, change the subject...typical Democrat tactic...

[Dahoser]

Well Senator Obama, you need look to your ideological and racial home at what's really offensive in that context:

"The man is on the Court. You know, I hope his wife feeds him lots of eggs and butter and he dies early like many black men do, of heart disease. Well, that’s how I feel. He is an absolutely reprehensible person."

   -- USA Today columnist and Pacifica Radio talk show host Julianne Malveaux on Justice Clarence Thomas, November 4, 1994 PBS To the Contrary.

Thanks MRC for supplying the quote.

[Diana in Wisconsin]

"Harry Reid playing the race card."

The DimoWits are REALLY getting sloppy about this. I expected them to play the race card last week! What took them so long?

My step-Mom just died of cancer. She was 67. She received TWO years of her Social Security money (a total of about $24K) after contributing to the system working as an accountant for 45 YEARS.

Don't kid yourselves; no matter what our race, sex or income level, we're ALL being duped. :(

[Dianna]

I think Obama is offended by Bush's insinuation that the solution to the racial disparity in life excectancy is SS privitization, and not changes in sentancing guidelines, public education, poverty, healthcare, and a variety of other issues that contribute mush more to blacks not living longer that their inability in invest in private accounts.

Well, if the topic of Bush's speech was, "Racial Disparity in Life Expectation", then I suppose Obama could have a point. But it wasn't. The speech was about social security.

I don't think it is a small point that many black men lose all of their SS contributions because of premature death. Wouldn't it be a far better thing if those men could pass along a nest egg to their children? Perhaps you'd rather we did nothing and they can send their money to me (white female)?

Besides that, what the heck is the President of the United States supposed to say to make black men "be more healthy"? Geez...

[Jred1116]

Our mistaken opinion that blacks die sooner because they're not 'healthy' enough underscores the problem of ignorance and apathy concerning the racial disparity in life expectancies. Again, it was Bush who first attempted to tie race in with Social Security, not Obama. Now that Bush has made it an issue, Obama and many other blacks are offended that rather than make health care more affordable, satisfactory public education more accessible, or sentencing guidelines more racially objective, Bush is actually touting personal accounts as a more viable alternative. Black men would rather their average life expectancy grow above 49 years than have the option of investing in personal accounts.

[gopwinsin04]

It's a Ponzi scheme.

[Jred1116]

hehehe Yea, I guess GWB doesn't 'insinuate' much of anything does he... poor choice of words on my part. However, Bush is using the racial disparity in life expectancies to help sell his social security plan to minorities. As a result, Obama and many other blacks are offended that rather than explore the reasons behind that racial disparity in life expectancies, such as racist sentencing guidelines, unaffordable health care, poor public school systems, and tax plans that disparage the impoverished, Bush is touting personal accounts as a method of trying to live with this racial disparity in life expectancies.

[Dianna]

Obama and many other blacks are offended that rather than make health care more affordable, satisfactory public education more accessible, or sentencing guidelines more racially objective, Bush is actually touting personal accounts as a more viable alternative. Black men would rather their average life expectancy grow above 49 years than have the option of investing in personal accounts.

Local democrat governments are in charge of local schools. It isn't Bush's responsibility. Vouchers seem to be going nowhere, and wouldn't help the truly poor anyway.

Tort reform will help with health care affordability, but the whole system needs a major overhaul. Medical savings accounts are probably not helpful for the poor.

I'm not well versed enough about sentencing guidelines to know if you have a point, but given that you've bashed Bush over problems he's actually attempted to come up with solutions for, I'd say you're probably just a malcontent.

Perhaps the ultimate solution for black men whose life expectancy is compromised is for them to stop relying upon the President of the United States to solve all their problems. Maybe there is something they can do to help themselves out.