- Created on 06 June 2013
Susan Rice Follows Trend of Black National Security Advisors
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Susan Rice has been selected for a new role as national security advisor, making her the third African American to hold the position.
Gen. Colin Powell held the position in the 80's under the Reagan Administration and Condoleezza Rice held the position during the 1990s, working under George W. Bush.
President Obama announced the repositioning Wednesday morning. Rice will work directly with the president as his senior advisor. She is expected to begin working from the White House in July and will operate out of its "Situation Room" in times of crisis.
Rice didn't need Senate or special interest approval to get the position. There are many reservations from Republicans and conservatives about her views and decisions. She's been called a "black radical," according to Colorlines, and Republicans disagree with her Benghazi plan and her investment in the Keystone oil pipeline, which was a conflict of interest for her role as Secretary of State.
The position, which has been occupied by Tom Donilon, may even be more influential than Secretary of State. Some have speculated that Rice now essentially being current Secretary of State John Kerry's boss could cause the two to butt heads.
Samantha Power will take over for Rice as the U.N. ambassador. She's worked on Obama's National Security Council and her nomination will have to be confirmed before the Senate.
- Created on 05 June 2013
Georgia Senator Saxby Chambliss Says Military Rapes Are the Result of Hormones
(CNN) -- Representatives from both political parties on Tuesday slammed U.S. Sen. Saxby Chambliss after he said that hormones may be partly responsible for sexual assaults in the military.
His controversial comments came during a Senate Armed Services Committee hearing on the subject.
Addressing top military officials, Chambliss, R-Georgia, said: "The young folks that are coming into each of your services are anywhere from 17 to 22-23. Gee whiz -- the hormone level created by nature sets in place the possibility for these types of things to occur.
"So we've got to be very careful on how we address it on our side, but guys, we're not doing our job. You're not doing yours, and we're not doing ours with the rates that we are seeing on sexual assaults.
"As I said to start with, you recognize it. We recognize it, and we got to figure this thing out because we simply can't tolerate it."
The response was swift.
Republican Rep. Mike Turner, co-chairman of the military sexual assault prevention caucus, issued a statement saying criminals, not hormones, cause sexual assaults.
"Perpetuating this line of thinking does nothing to help change the culture of our military. We must be focused on combating this issue directly. The numbers speak for themselves," the Ohio representative said.
Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, D-Florida, called for Chambliss to apologize.
"For a United States senator, or anyone, to write off sexual assault and the personal violation of a woman or a man to the raging hormones of youth shows just how dramatically out of touch the Republican Party is," she told MSNBC.
"I think he should think about whether if, God forbid, a sexual assault happened to a daughter of his, would he think it was OK for a senator to just chalk the assault up to raging hormones?"
- Created on 05 June 2013
Michelle Obama to Heckler: ‘Listen to Me or You Can Take the Mic’
President Barack Obama may have a problem with confrontation, but First Lady Michelle Obama certainly does not.
Ellen Sturtz, 56, a lesbian activist protesting President Obama’s delay in signing an anti-discrimination executive order, paid $500 to heckle the FLOTUS at a private Democratic Party fundraiser in Washington, D.C.
Refusing to be
...
- Created on 05 June 2013
Reparations Activist and Assata Shakur Lawyer Chokwe Lumumba Elected New Mayor of Jackson, Miss.
Chokwe Lumumba, 65, is the new mayor of Jackson, Miss., winning the general election with 87 percent of the vote, reports Fight Back! News.
...“I’m just delighted. I feel wonderfully well about the people and their vote. Our slogan has been the people must decide and the people gave us an outstanding mandate today for pos
- Created on 04 June 2013
Turkish Demonstrations Turn Violent as Crowd Pushes Against Government Decisions
What seemed to have been a disapproval for the commercialization of Gezi Park in Taksim Square has turned into an outright war against Turkish parliament and Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan.
"Police were there (Taksim Square) yesterday; they'll be on duty today and also tomorrow because Taksim Square cannot be an area where extremists are running wild," Erdogan said in his speech.
Tear gas and other methods were reported to be used against hundreds of protestors who garnered bricks and paving slabs as weapons against anyone who attempted to silence their message.
BBC reported that the crowd chanted "unite against fascism" and "government resign." Witnesses say many are crossing the bridge between Asia and Europe and all forms of public transport have ceased.
Violence like this has not been seen in Turkey in a while, prompting the summoning of officers from other areas to help control the scene. Officials estimate a dozen have been hospitalized and more than 60 detained.
Although Erdogan says protestors have used the Gezi Park case as an excuse to create tension, many say the angst might just be one of the last straws for a growingly angry Turkish youth. Young people have taken issue with the gradual Islamization of the country that in their eyes has been prompted by the government.
Things like Parliament's decision to restrict the sale and consumption of alcoholic drinks was prompted with civil disobedience by demonstrators who expressed their disdain for that ordinance by gathering in a park in Ankara and drinking alcohol.
