Source: AP Images

Many widely regard President Bush’s handling of Hurricane Katrina as one of the biggest failures of his presidency. And during the dedication of his new library, it seems that President Bush probably wished things could have gone a little bit differently as well.

During his dedication speech Bush started off light and easy, joking: “There was a time in my life when I wasn’t likely to be found at a library, much less found one.” He honored the President Obama, President Jimmy Carter, his father, President George Bush Sr and President Clinton.

He got emotional toward the conclusion of his speech when he spoke about how, even during the darkest moments of his presidency, he was still inspired by the spirit and resolve of the American people.

“As president I had the privilege to see that character up close. I saw it in the first responders who charged up the stairs, into the flames to save people’s lives from the burning towers. I saw it in the Virginia Tech professor who barricaded his classroom door with his body until his students escaped to safety.

I saw it in the people of New Orleans who made homemade boats to rescue their neighbors during the floods. I saw it in the service members who laid down their lives to keep our country safe. I dedicate this library with an unshakable faith in the future of our country. It was the honor of a lifetime to lead a country as brave and as noble as the United States. Whatever challenges come before us, I will always believe our nation’s best days lie ahead.  God bless.”

Though I can say that George Bush probably wasn’t the best man to run the country, there’s at least a level of sincerity in his speech and subsequent emotion that I can’t help but empathize with. I don’t think he’s that great of an actor, that he’d be able to produce tears on command. But don’t take my word for it, check out the 12 minute speech and let us know whether you think he’s sincere or not.

Check out Bush’s entire speech on the next page. And let us know what you think about Bush’s speech and his reaction to discussing Katrina and the Iraq war.

Source: andmagazine.com

A number of names have popped up recently as possible rumor mill choices of people that Mitt Romney have considered to run with him for the November election as VP. There’s been Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, crazy a** New Jersey Governor Chris Christie, and now, news reports say that Romney is very much vouching for Condoleezza Rice (Dr. Rice as someone said we should point out on Facebook) to possibly run with him this year. If you were unaware, Rice was the secretary of state under the Bush administration and was the first African American female to do so. She is allegedly a frontrunner for the position according to The Drudge Report. According to ABC News, Matt Drudge, the founder of the popular news aggregation site, has connections amongst people in the Romney campaign’s circle, so he’s got the low-down.

But last time we heard, Rice was saying Oh Hell No to the concept of being Romney’s running mate, even though she is helping him raise money and supports his campaign:

“There is no way that I will do this, because it’s really not me. I know my strengths, and Gov. Romney needs to find someone who wants to run with him. I didn’t run for student council president. I don’t see myself in any way in elective office.”

But then again, that’s what everybody says before they inevitably say yes. But I’ll try and give Rice, or “Condi” as some like to call her, the benefit of the doubt.

It’s an interesting move, as Rice would be the diversity that you could say Romney’s team needs–she’s black, and she’s a woman, that could help him pull in votes with both of those demographics. However, ABC News says that a few of her political views don’t fall in line with social conservative Republicans, which could count against Romney. She wants to keep abortion legal and she is of course forever connected to the Bush era and the war, and that would be something that both Rice and Romney would have to speak on/explain to the public when the election heats up.

On top of all that, she could also come off looking like a “gimmick” according The Washington Times, something like what Sarah Palin’s crazy behind was when John McCain made the #FAIL decision to have her run on his ticket back in ’08. Either way, it would definitely make the campaign all the more interesting, especially since President Obama wants to keep Vice President Biden in place. But as Rice said, Romney truly needs to pick someone who wants the job, because if he reaches for someone just because of their name and experience and not because they want to take on the responsibility, it could backfire against him with the public, and make him an easy target for President Obama. One can only hope that Rice wouldn’t join the ticket as a VP candidate, but these days, expect the unexpected folks.

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It started off as any other Tuesday did. I was a freshman at SUNY Old Westbury in Old Westbury, Long Island. I woke up late for my 8:40 Freshman English class and while I hadn’t finished last night’s reading, I was heavily anticipating Jay-Z’s Blueprint album that I was going to pick up after class. I left the dorm at 8:45 and strolled into class late, took my seat and spent the next hour bored out of my mind with the lecture of the day. I had no idea that if I had stayed in my room one minute later with the news on that I’d see images of a plane flying into the North Tower creating mayhem in New York City.

Read the rest of this entry »

We all can remember where we were on the tragic day ten years ago. American life would never be the same again — how we boarded a plane, how we viewed our neighbors and how we viewed our service men. President Obama and The Root Reflect back on 9/11… Read and Reflect as well here…

George W. Bush made it clear that when he left office, he was leaving the spotlight for good.  The former president was invited to speak at Ground Zero tomorrow by Barack Obama in an effort to give credit to Bush for initiating efforts to eliminate Osama bin Laden. According to Politico, Bush wanted to “give Obama his moment,” although he appreciated the invitation.

Although Bush was a handful while he was in office and an apparent puppet to his Republican cabinet, his commitment to living a life outside of politics is wonderful for Democrats. His silence on political issues and his lack of criticism certainly doesn’t help the Republican’s continuous efforts to undermine the Obama administration by any means necessary.

(New York Times) – President Obama invited former President George W. Bush to join him at ground zero in New York City on Thursday to mark the killing of Osama bin Laden, but Mr. Bush declined, a spokesman for the former president confirmed on Tuesday.  “President Bush will not be in attendance on Thursday,” said his spokesman, David Sherzer. “He appreciated the invite, but has chosen in his post-presidency to remain largely out of the spotlight. He continues to celebrate with Americans this important victory in the war on terror.”

Read More…

By J. Smith

According to The Huffington Post, the death of Osama bin Laden is life for the global market, especially in the Middle East. Economists say his death has decreased the risk of doing business around the globe and it has provided a needed boost to the broader economic recovery.

After President Obama made the official announcement of the al Qaeda leader’s death, the price of a barrel of oil fell; Japanese stocks rose to a post-earthquake high and U.S. stock futures surged. “We live in a new and potentially less dangerous world, headlines are declaring. It’s a change that promises more investment in Middle East countries, cheaper transportation costs and less risk the U.S. economy will tip back into recession,” The Huffington Post reports.

An economist at Wells Fargo said that it lowers the risk premium on almost anything. “It generally decreases what we would call event risk – in other words, a sudden outbreak of terrorism,” he said. Although news of his murder is being proclaimed as a victory around the world, this is a difficult situation to assess that I am cautious of celebrating so quickly. Is this a huge political and economic feat for the president or is it just the beginning of retaliation efforts that not only put the country in high danger, but put our financial future in even bigger jeopardy?

Bin Laden’s death comes at a time of major unrest in the Middle East and a major unbalanced budget at home. If the killing does not actually help the markets as much as expected, would we be able to handle the ramifications of it?

Read more: Bin Laden’s Death Gives Markets Boost of Optimism, Eases Fear of Recession

YouTube, created in 2005 has been the perfect solution to a boring day at the job or a lonely night at home. So if you’re at work, or at home and you feel a little stressed by life and all of it’s wonderful nuisances then this post will hopefully clear that up and crack you up in the process. Here are some of my favorite top YouTube vids that will have you cracking up at your desk. If you have your own office close the door, if not please put headphones on as some of the language is sure to be inappropriate.

When I first saw the video, via YouTube, of Kanye West delivering his now infamous Angry Black Man mantra, “George Bush Doesn’t Care About Black People,” I stood up and applauded. Finally someone, albeit it was Kanye West, had the courage to speak up for those who’d either witnessed or were personally affected by the government’s failure to act rapidly in response to Hurricane Katrina.

West’s statement, while not the most eloquent of phrasing, was raw, emotional and ironically hilarious, especially when you observe the face of co-presenter Mike Myers, who appeared to be caught between a state of bewilderment and mortification. Personally, I think that his remark, and the accompanying video, should be added to the National Archives to confirm the hurt and pain people of darker hue had to endure.

So you can imagine my utter amusement when former President George Bush, of all folks, listed West as one of the most disgusting moments of his presidency.  Really Bush?  West’s remarks were more upsetting than the two wars that you helped to start; the worst economic crash since the Great Depression that your administration oversaw; and the torture—which was authorized by your administration—at Guantanamo Bay and Abu Ghraib?

West’s remarks even hurt worse than the back spasm you must have received dodging, not one but two, shoes thrown at you by a disgruntled Iraqi journalist? If Bush is this shallow and ignorant about all the bad choices he made during his presidency that he should regret, than it’s safe to say that not only does George Bush not care about black people, but human life, regardless of what color.

And yet, it is West, not Bush, who is continuously being asked to apologize for what, I’m not quite sure.

Regardless, West has spent the last year through his music and interviews being remorseful. Even after he was baited by Matt Lauer of The Today Show to apologize to Bush (okay, technically it wasn’t so much as an apology as it was a show of empathy for the former president), West can’t seem to evolve past his bad-boy persona, depending on whom you ask.

What’s up with that?

According to Cord Jefferson, writer for The Root, West has an untreated mental problem and is probably in need of therapy. Despite not having any medical certification or ever having met West, Jefferson compares West’s “behavior” to symptoms common with bipolar disorder—a brain disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, energy and activity levels.

Of course, West has had his fair share of controversies: from the beat-down he gave a member of the paparazzi in the airport over an unsolicited picture, to the unforgettable “I’ma let you finish…” Taylor Swift incident, (although he expressed what many of us were thinking: how the heck did Swift win an award over Beyonce?) West’s knack for generating headlines even caught the attention of President Obama, who labeled him a “jackass” in an off-the-record comment.

West is a talented artist with an eclectic personal flare that happens to have a habit of speaking his mind too freely at times. Though what he says can be alarming sometimes, if not downright politically incorrect, it is in no way less truthful or irrelevant to his personal reality. Though some may identity his actions with an egomaniac that has a mental illness, we shouldn’t be so dismissive about the man’s authenticity.

Watching what’s happening to West is like witnessing the same public flogging of Michael Jackson.  Despite his personal issues, Jackson had to endure years of malicious headlines that sought to vilify his every move and thought.  Of course, we have seen this done many times over recent years—from Britney Spears’ breakdown to the Tiger Woods’ extramarital affairs. All of these entertainers—who were once gems in the eyes of the public—have fallen from our finicky graces and made to beg continuously for our forgiveness.

West has chosen to bravely speak from the heart, which has sometimes struck a nerve within the mainstream. It is his willingness to run off at the mouth and follow his brain wherever it takes him that makes him a unique artist, whose lucid tongue has the ability to not only produce a hot track, but is not afraid to hold up a mirror and expose the world to all of its inglorious contradictions.

Charing Ball is the author of the blog People, Places & Things.

The buzz has already started about the release of former president George W. Bush‘s memoir, Decision Points, November 9. Crown Publishers in its pre-release hype promises that Bush will talk about the 14 decisions that he regarded as the most critical during his contentious two terms in office. The two decisions that have already garnered attention are to no surprise what he said and did during and after the 9/11 attacks that changed the course of law, public policy and warfare in Iraq and Afghanistan and the anti-terrorism battle.

The second was Hurricane Katrina and like 9/11 what Bush did and didn’t do when the hurricane savaged New Orleans and the Gulf. Kanye West gave the answer that grabbed media attention, got the majority of African-American heads nodding in agreement, and almost certainly stuck in the craw of Bush and White House officials.

West’s line, in case you forgot, was that “George Bush doesn’t care about black people.” It took five years and a direct question from NBC’s Matt Lauer about West’s quip to get a response from Bush. And he was emphatic: “I didn’t appreciate it then. I don’t appreciate it now. It’s one thing to say, ‘I don’t appreciate the way he’s handled his business.’ It’s another thing to say, ‘This man’s a racist.’ I resent it, it’s not true, and it was one of the most disgusting moments in my presidency.

There has previously been no record of Bush ever directly responding to West’s damning indictment, which branded Bush’s initial comatose response to the Katrina suffering as at best racially disinterested. At its worst, Kanye’s critique implied that Bush was a bigot and his alleged racial animus was enough to explain why he did not immediately send in the full might of the federal relief armada to help the mostly poor, black residents of the region that bore the brunt of the horror of the storm.

It was of course, easy for the legion of Bush critics, especially blacks, to think that Bush’s slow, and tepid reaction had a racial tinge to it. Bush had repeatedly snubbed the NAACP, and civil rights leaders, backed the legal challenge to affirmative action, assailed civil liberties protections in his Patriot Act, and nominated a pack of borderline-racially suspect, ultra conservative Supreme Court and federal judges.

Bush defenders quickly countered with Bush’s appointments of Condoleezza Rice, and Colin Powell to top administration positions, massive aid increase to fight AIDS and disease in Africa, and consistent support for minority business and black college funding to prove that Bush was not a racist. But that couldn’t wash away West’s implication that Bush was indifferent towards blacks.

There is no evidence that Bush, unlike Richard Nixon, was personally bigoted, and he was right to resent being called racist. He never publicly or privately uttered any anti-black quips, cracks, remarks or gaffes. There were plenty of them on Nixon’s released White House tapes. And from those that know him, worked closely with him, and that includes especially Condi Rice, Bush seemed to have at least a personal sensitivity toward African-Americans. But Bush was a doctrinaire conservative, who never wavered from his conservative principles, or his philosophy of how government should work: rely as little on it as possible, and stress the private sector as the best equipped to handle economic problems, even catastrophes.

Katrina taught Bush the bitter lesson that the federal government not only has a role but the responsibility to be the first and greatest responder to a major crisis that involves massive suffering, physical damage and loss of life. It would be nice to hear Bush admit that he learned that lesson from Katrina, and that the colossal blunder that he made in not responding with both guns blazing to the crisis, should never have happened and to warn other officials never to make the same mistake that he made.

The tragedy is that it took West’s racial dig at Bush over Katrina to shame him and the nation about the response. Crown Publishers says Mr. Bush “writes honestly and directly about his flaws and mistakes.” Let’s see if Bush acknowledges that West at least made him think about one of his greatest flaws and failures of his administration, namely his initial Katrina failure. That goes beyond simply expressing his personal disgust at being called a racist. I’m not optimistic that’s in the cards in Decision Points.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author and political analyst. His new book is How Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge (Middle Passage Press). Follow Earl Ofari Hutchinson on Twitter. This post was republished, with his permission, from his column at The Hutchinson Report.