Early this morning on C-SPAN's Washington Journal, Carmen Rhodes of FRESC and Tom Lucero met once again to discuss one of Colorado's most deceptive ballot measures, Amendment 54 and take questions from callers around the country.

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It's been a busy week here at Protect Colorado's Future.  

On Monday, we were one of several groups that submitted petitions to the Secretary of State to place initiatives on the November ballot. We are proud to say that over 130,000 Coloradans joined us in signing petitions on behalf of the Just Cause initiative, a common sense measure that will protect good workers from being fired arbitrarily. Many voters who signed the petitions were shocked to learn that in Colorado you can be fired "at will" for taking a sick day, for your political views or even for having a bad haircut. With the unemployment rate in Colorado higher than it's been in almost 3 years, we believe this measure is critically important to Colorado's families and we are looking forward to seeing it on the ballot.  

Last week we also submitted petitions signed by more than 123,000 Coloradans for the Colorado Corporate Fraud initiative, a proposal aimed at holding corporate executives accountable for the fraud that happens within their companies. Colorado taxpayers spend billions every year cleaning up the messes made by corporate criminals. One only has to look at the case of Joe Nacchio, former CEO of the Denver-based communications company Qwest, to see why this initiative is important to Colorado. As the New York Timesexplained in an article on the issue earlier this year, this measure would bring "unprecedented individual accountability" and make Colorado a leader in the crackdown on corporate crime.  

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Oh boy. It seems fairly evident that after today, Rev. Wright's desire for the spotlight is going to become the major problem for the Obama campaign going into the Indiana primary and the North Carolina primary.

I hope the damage he will do to the Obama campaign will serve as a lesson to Midwestern African-American and Latino communities who have still not learned that racially fueled rage is counterproductive to 'our' economic and social advancement as 13% and approaching 24% of the U.S. population. While this rage it is certainly something that ANYONE who has ever been 'othered' whether that be because of weight, race, accent or disability can relate to, as Wright's big mouth tanking is proving, it doesn't get 'us' anywhere.

As a native South Sider, I want to apologize to all of the people who put their political faith and volunteer time in the Obama campaign. My fellow South Siders should be going to counseling instead of appearing before the National Press Club.

Growing up in what is one of the most segregated environs in the U.S., I certainly had my share of harrowing racial experiences, such as having my hair lit on fire in the middle of an English class, simply because of my race. I've been beat up in the basement of the Rock and Roll McDonald's by drunk Chicago Police officers who kicked me until I told them "I'm just another nigger" after they found my college ID in my wallet. Yes, I've had plenty of polarizing experiences but I do not let them define me or my relationships with white people. Grown ups get over things, put them in perspective and move on.

I left Chicago because I found the demands by my community to be angry and defiant. These demands would end in social isolation if one, as a man of color, didn't conform to this strange social norm: and yes it is strange in present day America. Nearly the entire Midwest is like this.One activist at the University of Wisconsin, Madison, Sara Tibebu even pressed false charges against me, telling police I was going to kidnap her (even though I do not have a car), and tried to get me kicked out of school because I refused to participate in that culture on the UW Madison campus. I was going to a top 50 University, what did I have to be angry about?

To the rest of my fellow Democrats of all races, I apologize for what this is doing to the party. Those who are the ilk of Rev. Wright, Rev. James Meeks and all the other rage filled creeps are only one, small faction of the Obama coalition. I don't believe Senator Obama, being a transplant, knew how insane these people could be. I mean that sincerely.

I hope the process of all you angry, angry people in the Midwest - angry as you go to good schools and drive luxury automobiles - totally ruining this thing for Senator Obama will serve as a lesson to all of you about what rage does when it is figured into  into equation for the velocity of hope.

These rage-filled people have held an iron-fist grip on the world of inner city activism. I hope that after what they did to Obama, this late in the campaign, they are driven from the fold of the Democratic Party forever. They have hurt us as a party for too many years with their counterproductive views mixed with a crabs-in-a-barrel mentality.

The Clintons' are also at fault for having not purged this cadre back in the 1990's then working to replace them with new leadership.

Maybe Nader will embrace them, he seems to be into pointless rage these days.

I am truly embarrassed for my side of the Windy City. Maybe those of us on the left need to stop avoiding the concept of a Black and Latino political class.

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This morning, I learned some interesting things about the election from the guys waiting for work at Labor Ready on Pratt Street in Baltimore this morning.

I have been gathering some initial data on research I plan to do on the day labor market, looking at policy strategies for supporting workers in this market and fostering upward mobility. Perhaps this is a pulse some of the other wonky types out there - those who are too afraid to get their hands dirty or are to scared of working class people - should put their finger on.

Follow this thread on:
http://thebrokeeconomist.blogspot.com/

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From THE ONION

...What I am saying is that under the watch of a black man that comet destroyed the entire Eastern seaboard. So, if history is any indicator, a vote for Barack Obama in 2008 is essentially a vote for the complete and total obliteration of the human race.

I guess I'm just sick of the harsh back and forth that is happening between progressive bloggers on this and other sites.  

(I also hope no one takes me seriously with this diary!)

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