$3.85 a gallon for gas? Are you kidding me? How did this happen? Weren't the Iraqis supposed to be giving up their oil? Didn't we put an oil man in the White House for this very reason? 

Wain Bennett is a practicing attorney in Philadelphia who blogs at The Field Negro.

If you have heard this joke before hang with me while I tell it again.

I went on a blind date with a very attractive woman last night. When I say her I was so taken by her beauty that I asked her what she wanted to do. She told me she wanted to go to the most expensive place in town; so I took her to the gas station......Okay, so it's not exactly Pryoresque.

But I thought of that joke today while I was gassing up my car. $3.85 a gallon? Are you kidding me? And yet, as someone pointed out, a gallon of gas is still cheaper than a gallon of milk.

Honestly I don't know how some people are making it in this country. I do alright money wise, and I even noticed that the cost of things like groceries have shot up over the past few weeks. I suspect that this has something to do with the cost of fuel as well. After all, someone has to drive those groceries to the grocery store.

But how did this happen? Weren't the Iraqis supposed to be giving up their oil to us after we kicked their asses? Didn't we put an oil man in the White House for this very reason?

11.6 billion in one quarter that's how much Exxon made in profits last quarter. Nothing wrong with that of course, this is A-merry-ca, if the market demands it, they have every right to make money. But at what point does the market stop demanding it? When do A-merry-cans say enough? I suspect that if gas was $6 a gallon mofos would still be driving around in Ford Excursions, Hummers, and all sorts of big ass fuel guzzlers. And most folks would still jump in their cars and drive a quarter mile on a beautiful day to buy a newspaper, instead of just hoofing it. This is what we have become as A-merry-cans, we are lazy, and spoiled.

Now the conservatives are blaming the dumbocrats: They won't drill in the ANWR(Arctic National Wikdife Refuge), the damn environmentalist won't let us explore nuclear energy as an alternative to what we have now, we can drill off the coasts, and on an on. That, of course, is bullshit. Because no matter how much oil the oil companies drill, they will still not release it all to the market. No, they will hold back to create demand just like the Arabs are doing now. We have been down this road before. Give these corporations a chance to make more profit and guess what they will do? Make more profit. And if you think they will pass it down to you, the consumer, I have a slightly cracked bell here in Philly to sell you.

So now one of the hottest sellers at Pep Boys is the gas caplock. This is the case because people steal gas now, and it's only getting worse. People in our area have been going to the mall with a full tank of gas, and after a full day of shopping, they find themselves heading back to a car with an empty tank of gas. Talk about a mood killer.

Every now and then I see signs that A-merry-cans are reaching their breaking point. But then as I sat stuck in traffic on Bustleton Avenue this Saturday--- of all days, I had to rethink my position. Here in A-merry-ca we are still driving every damn where, and it doesn't look like the gas price is effecting our habits very much.

So we will keep bitching and moaning, the oil companies, and Manny Moe and Jack will continue to get rich, and the politricksters that we send to Washington will keep pointing fingers at each other to score political points.

I should have bought a hybrid.

[Original Link]

Quincy LeNear and Deondray Gossett are the creators of The DL Chronicles, which won a GLAAD Award on Saturday for outstanding television mini-series.

This piece is written by two authors. The first part is written by Deondray Gossett and the second part by Quincy LeNear.

The DL Chronicles, a small, gay-themed TV show about the sexually duplicitous lives of African American men, is rapidly becoming the cornerstone for dialogue and enlightenment about an otherwise obscure and taboo subject in the African American community.

Just shy of its first season's bow on the gay and lesbian network, here! TV and the 2nd season currently in production, The DL Chronicles has been nominated for a GLAAD Media Award for Outstanding Television Movie, Mini Series, or Anthology, putting it and the subject matter once again in the media limelight.  The only difference this time is we get the whole, unbiased story.

It seems hardly anyone is unaware of the DL phenomenon with the subject making headlines from the columns of The New York Times to BET specials, but so often these pieces only succeed at recognizing the symptom, and do little to explain the causes.  The DL Chronicles stubbornly keeps begging the question, why? Through its character explorations, you come to find out that there is never any one answer, nor is there any one particular way to be on the DL.  The series never takes a side, but simply holds a mirror up to society and lets it decide what the DL is, why it happens, and what parts they play in the phenomenon.

Whatever the black community thought they knew about the DL or black, gay men in general, this show will force them to grapple with new information and insight.

We are proud to learn that our audience has now reached past "the choir" and is now watched by straight, black men and women across the country and overseas, as well as Latinos and Whites. By watching the show, it seems that the burning questions and curiosities that were on the minds of so many straight people can now be answered in a discrete way without the embarrassment or confrontation.  The show has become the hot topic at the barber shops and beauty salons, and having been eavesdropping on some of these discussions, I have found many of the conversations to be devoid of scandalous and sensational rhetoric, but rather full of questions, introspection, and people who are sincerely seeking clarity and understanding on a topic that is rarely openly discussed in a healthy and non-homophobic manner.

Claiming Your Power As An Artist

When we got the idea to create a series about African American men who lead double lives, we knew that it would be a hot topic and would probably get a little attention.  We had absolutely no idea of the wide reaching effects it would have nor the magnitude of its success.  Our goals were small - very small.   We simply wanted to create a worthy piece of art with integrity, artistry, and class and make a few bucks.  We didn't set out to change the world.  It all started with a small idea.

But what is the value of an idea when you assume that you are not in a position of power, nor armed with a surplus of cash?

We were just two starving artists, beating the pavement, and working day jobs to survive. We were also two young, black males from inner city communities who also happened to be gay.  What did we have?  What were our advantages?   We certainly had many believed disadvantages; however, we refused to submit to defeat.

Often times we abort our dreams believing that we lack.  Failure is often the inability to recognize your own power.  We can miss the forest for the trees.

One of the greatest lessons learned in creating The DL Chronicles was recognizing the abundance that surrounds me, and my ability to tap into it at any moment.  From absolutely zero, with the support of a lot of talented and passionate people, we created a successful TV series that is acknowledged and respected across the world.  On many occasions it seemed it wouldn't happen, but we forced ourselves to think out of the box and looked at the situation from a different perspective; a bookshelf thus became an Asian-styled dinner table, and so on.

Ultimately, The DL Chronicles represents the ingenuity and resourcefulness that is abundant to us all and is a reminder of the tenacity and creativity of our community. Claim your power as an artist.  We don't serve ourselves by thinking small but we serve the world by thinking big.

Senator Barack Obama now holds a majority of all black superdelegates, according to a new tally. More than half of all African American superdelegates (52 percent) say they will support the Illinois senator, while just under a third say they support Senator Hillary Clinton (31 percent). Almost 17 percent of African American superdelegates are still "uncommitted."

As of last week, Senator Obama now holds a majority of the members of the Congressional Black Caucus in his column. With last week's defection of New Jersey congressman Donald Payne, Obama now has 24 of the 43 members of the Congressional Black Caucus. Senator Clinton has 15 members of the Caucus. Five members of the Caucus are uncommitted.

The five uncommitted CBC members are Jim Clyburn of South Carolina, William Jefferson of Louisiana, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Michigan and Al Wynn of Maryland. Michigan delegates are not included in most media tallies until the Democratic Party decides how to apportion them, and Al Wynn is leaving his seat early after he was defeated in a primary election by Donna Edwards.

At least two of Obama's black caucus supporters are converts from the Clinton camp. Rep. John Lewis of Georgia and Rep. Donald Payne of New Jersey were previously Clinton supporters who switched to Obama in recent weeks.

Seven of Hillary Clinton's black superdelegates are from her home state of New York, and 8 of Barack Obama's black superdelegates are from his home state of Illinois.

There are several notable holdouts, including Al Gore's 2000 campaign manager Donna Brazile, former Clinton Administration Labor Secretary Alexis Herman, Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick and Bill Clinton's 1992 deputy campaign manager Lottie Shackelford, who is now vice chair of the Democratic National Committee. All are uncommitted.

The two candidates split the nation's two black governors. Obama counts Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick as a supporter of his campaign, while Clinton counts New York Governor David Paterson as a supporter of her campaign. Both governors are superdelegates.

The Daily Voice published the list after internal discussion with its editorial board. "Our editorial board made the decision to publish the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all 109 African American superdelegates," wrote Daily Voice editor Keith Boykin. Boykin said the online newspaper also chose to publish a few home telephone numbers "when those numbers were provided by the superdelegates themselves in a public forum."

The list is described as "in progress" and Boykin said the purpose of publishing the list was not to harass the superdelegates but to provide what "valuable public information" to readers.

But there is another subgroup we don't know as much about -- the black superdelegates. It's almost impossible to find a good list on the Internet of African American superdelegates. So we decided to create our own. It's a work in progress, and it will change rapidly, but we believe this is the most accurate and complete, publicly available list of black superdelegates.

First, it's difficult to determine exactly who is or is not African American. We based our decisions on publicly available information. Using that approach, we were able to identify 109 black superdelegates.

Next, we had to figure out which superdelegates were supporting whom. That was even more challenging. We searched through multiple databases and sometimes came up with conflicting information. We tried to base our categorizations on information that was available in reliable public sources, such as newspapers and the candidates' own web sites.

Then we had to find contact information for everyone on our list. It was such a daunting task that we are still updating it as we publish this list. Our editorial board made the decision to publish the names, addresses and telephone numbers of all 109 African American superdelegates. In some cases, we made the decision to publish home telephone numbers, but only when those numbers were provided by the superdelegates themselves in a public forum.

We are also in the process of collecting email addresses for the 109 African American superdelegates on our list. We will be updating our list to include that information as we collect it.

Our purpose in publishing this information is not to harass the superdelegates or to violate their rights to privacy. Our purpose is to provide what we consider to be valuable public information to our readers.

We invite you to comment or email us to help us update this list, and we hope you will use this information responsibly and conscientiously.

• 4,049 total delegates
• 2,025 delegates needed to win nomination
• 796 total superdelegates (20% of total)
• 109 African American superdelegates
• 57 black superdelegates for Obama (52%)
• 34 black superdelegates for Clinton (31%)
• 18 "uncommitted" black superdelegates (16.5%) 
• Superdelegates yet to be named and delegates from Michigan and Florida are not included in most media tallies
• Superdelegates from Michigan and Florida are included in The Daily Voice tally
• One superdelegate, Rep. Al Wynn (D-MD), will be resigning his seat in June and will not be a superdelegate at the Democratic National Convention in August

 The Black Superdelegates

(List in Formation)

OBAMA SUPERDELEGATES (57)

Yvette Alexander
Democratic National Committee Member
City Council, District of Columbia
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 400 
Washington, DC 20004 
Ph:  202.724.8068 
Email: Email contact page
Source: Washington Post, The Hilltop 

The Rev. Willie Barrow
Co-Chairperson
Rainbow-PUSH Coalition
930 East 50th Street
Chicago, IL 60615-2702
Ph: 773-373-3366
Source: Barack Obama Campaign

The Honorable Sanford D. Bishop, Jr.
Georgia, 2nd District
U.S. House of Representatives
2429 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-3631
Email: Email contact page
Source: The Hill

Cordelia Lewis Burks
Vice Chair
Indiana Democratic Party
1 N Capitol Ste 200
Indianapolis, IN 46204
800-223-3387
Note: Clinton won home state
Source: New York Times

The Honorable G.K. Butterfield
North Carolina, 1st District
U.S. House of Representatives
413 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-3101
Email: Email contact page
Source: Raleigh News & Observer

Carol Ann Campbell
Former City Council Member, 4th District
City Hall, Room 404
Philadelphia, PA 19107-3290
Ph: (215) 686-3416, (215) 686-3417
Source: Pittsburgh Tribune-Review

The Honorable Andre Carson
U.S. House of Representatives
2455 Rayburn HOB
Washington, D.C. 20515
(202) 225-4011
Email: Email contact page
Source: Chicago Sun-Times/AP

The Honorable William Lacy Clay, Jr.
Missouri, 1st District
U.S. House of Representatives
434 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-2406
Email: Email contact page
Source: The Hill

The Honorable John Conyers, Jr.
Michigan, 14th District
U.S. House of Representatives
2426 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-5126
Email: Email contact page
Source: Politico.com

Dr. Jeanette Council
Vice-Chairman
Cumberland County Commission
County Courthouse
117 Dick Street, Room 505
Fayetteville, NC 28301
Ph: 910-437-1921

Mike Cryor
Chairman, Maryland Democratic Party
188 Main Street Suite 1
Annapolis, MD  21401
Ph: 410-269-8818
Email: mcryor@mddems.org
Web: http://www.mddems.org/ht/d/sp/i/1169538

The Honorable Yvonne Davis
Texas House of Representatives
Room CAP GW.7
P.O. Box 2910
Austin, TX 78768
(512) 463-0598
Email: http://www.house.state.tx.us/members/email.php?dist=111&rep=yvonne.davis
Source: http://thepage.time.com/four-superdelegates-endorse-obama/

The Honorable Elijah E. Cummings
Maryland, 7th District
U.S. House of Representatives
2235 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-4741

The Honorable Joyce Cusack
House of Representatives
316 The Capitol
402 South Monroe Street
Tallahassee, FL 32399-1300
Phone: (850) 488-0580

The Honorable Artur Davis
Alabama, 7th District
U.S. House of Representatives
208 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-2665

The Honorable Danny K. Davis
Illinois, 7th District
U.S. House of Representatives
2159 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-5006 

The Honorable Lois DeBerry
House of Representatives
15 Legislative Plaza
Nashville, TN 37243-0191
Ph: (615) 741-3830

Arrington Dixon
Arrington Dixon And Associates, Inc.
2401 Shannon Place, SE  
Washington  DC  20020 
Ph:  (202) 889-0123 

The Honorable Al Edwards
4913 1/2 Griggs Rd.
Houston, TX 77021
Ph:713-741-8800
Source: Houston Chronicle, New York Times, Dallas Morning News

The Honorable Keith Ellison
Minnesota, 5th District
U.S. House of Representatives
1130 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Ph. 202-225-4755

The Honorable Chaka Fattah
Pennsylvania, 2nd District
U.S. House of Representatives
2301 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-4001

The Honorable Adrian Fenty
Mayor, District of Columbia
Executive Office of the Mayor
John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, Suite 600
Washington, DC 20004
Ph: (202) 727-2980

Ken Foxworth
Minnesota DNC Member
Ken Foxworth
614 4th St.; #503
Minneapolis, MN 55404

Lauren Dugas Glover
First Vice Chair,
Maryland Democratic Party
188 Main Street Suite 1
Annapolis, MD  21401
410-269-8818 (main)
Email: lglover@mddems.org
Source: MSNBC, Baltimore Sun

The Honorable Al Green
Texas, 9th District
U.S. House of Representatives
1529 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-7508

Janice Griffin
President, Griffin and Associates
2201 Wilson Blvd. #602
Arlington, VA 22201
Ph: 703-469-1917
Email: janicegriffin08@mac.com
Web: http://jgriffinandassociates.com/about_us
Source: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0408/9698_Page2.html
http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/superdelegates/delegates/index.html#310

Inola Henry
Democratic National Committee Member
2232 W. 24th; Apt. 302
Los Angeles, CA 90018

The Honorable Steven Horsford
Nevada Senate
401 S. Carson Street
Carson City, NV 89701-4747
800-978-2878

The Honorable Constance Howard
Illinois State Representative - 34th District
270-S Stratton Office Building
Springfield, IL 62706
(217) 782-6476

The Honorable Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.
Illinois, 2nd District
U.S. House of Representatives
2419 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D. C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-0773

Ben Jeffers
Former Chairman
Louisiana Democratic Party
701 Government Street
Baton Rouge, LA  70802
Ph: (225) 336-4155 (main)
Email: info@lademo.org
Source: http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080406/ELECTION/804060319/1002/NEWS
Source: http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/superdelegates/delegates/index.html#289

The Honorable Hank Johnson
Georgia , 4th District
U.S. House of Representatives
1133 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Ph. 202-225-1605

The Honorable Eddie Bernice Johnson
Texas, 30th District
U.S. House of Representatives
1511 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-8885

The Honorable Emil Jones Jr.
President of the Senate
Senator 14th District
327 Capitol Building
Springfield, IL   62706 
(217) 782-2728

The Honorable Raymond Jordan
11 Ingersoll Grove
Springfield, MA 01109
Ph:860-240-4800
Note: Served in the Clinton Administration
Source: http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/superdelegates/delegates/index.html#333

The Honorable Barbara Lee
California, 9th District
U.S. House of Representatives
2444 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-2661 

The Honorable John Lewis
Georgia, 5th District
U. S. House of Representatives
343 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-3801

Leon Lynch
Vice President, Retired
United Steel Workers of America
5 Gateway Ctr.
Pittsburgh, PA 15222
Ph: 412-562-2307
Source: http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/valleyindependent/teenscene/s_553804.html

The Honorable Mark Mallory
Mayor of Cincinnati
801 Plum St. Rm 150
Cincinnati, OH 45202-1979
Ph: (513) 352-3250

The Honorable Jennifer McClellan
Virginia House of Delegates
General Assembly Building
P.O. Box 406
Richmond, Virginia 23218
Ph: (804) 698-1071

The Honorable Rhine McLin
Mayor of Dayton, Ohio
Mayor's Office
City Hall, Second Floor
101 W. Third Street, Dayton, Ohio 45402
Ph: 937-333-3636

The Honorable Gwendolynne Moore
Wisconsin, 4th District
U.S. House of Representatives
1408 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-4572

The Honorable Eleanor Holmes Norton
Delegate, District of Columbia
U.S. House of Representatives
2136 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-8050

The Honorable Barack Obama
U.S. Senate - Illinois
713 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20510
Ph: 202-224-2854 

The Honorable Deval Patrick
Governor of Massachusetts
Massachusetts State House
Office of the Governor
Room 360
Boston, MA 02133
Ph: 617.725.4005

The Honorable Donald M. Payne
New Jersey, 10th District
U.S. House of Representatives
2209 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-3436

Johnnie Patton
Mississippi Democratic Party National Committeewoman
Jackson Municipal Airport Authority Commissioner
Post Office Box 98109
Suite 300
Jackson, MS 39298-8109
Ph: 601.939.5631

Karren Pope-Onwukwe
Law Offices of Karren Pope-Onwukwe
9801 Greenbelt Road, Suite 103 B
Lanham, Maryland 20706
Ph: (301) 927-3145

The Honorable Dana L. Redd
Vice President, Camden, NJ City Council
City Hall, 520 Market St..
Ph: 856-757-7118
State Senator
The Victor Lofts
One Market St.
Suite 203
Camden, NJ 08102
Ph: (856) 225-9068

The Honorable Bobby L. Rush
Illinois, 1st District
U.S. House of Representatives
2416 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-4372

Christine "Roz" Samuels
28 The Crescent
Montclair, NJ 07042
Ph:973-643-8430

The Honorable Robert C. Scott
Virginia, 3rd District
U. S. House of Representatives
1201 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-8351

Marianne Spraggins
Attorney and President, Buy Hold America
2500 Peachtree Rd. Apt. 705 S
Atlanta, GA 30305
Ph:917-513-3057
Source: http://www.politico.com/superdelegates/latestupdates.html
Source: http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/superdelegates/delegates/index.html#490

The Honorable Bennie Thompson
Mississippi, 2nd District
U. S. House of Representatives
2432 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-5876

Everett Ward
Democratic National Committee Member
3112 Falconhurst Dr.
Wake Forest, NC 27587
Ph: 919-733-2520

The Honorable Melvin L. Watt
North Carolina, 12th District
U. S. House of Representatives
2236 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-1510 

Margie Gavin Woods
Democratic National Committee Member
Will County Board
1219 Rowell Ave.
Joliet, IL 60433
Ph: 815-722-6924

CLINTON SUPERDELEGATES (34)

The Honorable Corrine Brown
Florida, 3rd District
U.S. House of Representatives
2336 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-0123 

Yolanda Caraway
President & CEO
The Caraway Group
1010 Wisconsin Avenue, NW, Suite 550
Washington, D.C.  20007
Ph: (202) 965-2810

The Honorable Donna Christian-Christensen
Delegate, Virgin Islands
U.S. House of Representatives
1510 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-1790

The Honorable Yvette Clarke
New York, 11th District
U.S. House of Representatives
1029 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Ph: 202-225-6231

The Honorable Emanuel Cleaver II
Missouri, 5th District
U. S. House of Representatives
1641 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-4535 

The Honorable Vivian E. Cook
Assemblywoman - 32nd Assembly District
LOB 331
Albany, NY 12248
518-455-4203

Martha Dixon
National Committeewoman
Arkansas Democratic Party
1300 West Capitol Avenue
Little Rock, AR 72201
Ph: 501.374.2361

The Honorable Herman Farrell Jr.
New York State Assembly - 71st Assembly District
LOB 923
Albany, NY 12248
Ph: 518-455-5491
Email: farrelh@ assembly.state.ny.us
Web: http://assembly.state.ny.us/mem/?ad=071
Source: http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2008/02/27/a-clinton-victory-certified/

Joel Ferguson
Michigan State University
Board of Trustees
1223 Turner, Suite 300
Lansing MI 48906
(517) 371-2515
Office of the Secretary of the Board of Trustees
450 Administration Building
East Lansing MI 48824-1046
Ph: (517) 353-4647

Hartina Flournoy
1517 30th St., NW #C12
Washington, DC 20007
202/393-6334
-OR-
American Federation of Teachers, AFL-CIO
555 New Jersey Ave. N.W.
Washington, DC 20001
Ph: 202-393-6334

The Honorable Alcee L. Hastings
Florida, 23rd District
U.S. House of Representatives
2353 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-1313 

Alice A. Huffman
President, California NAACP
California State Conference of the NAACP
1315 I Street, Suite 200
Sacramento, CA 95814
Ph: (916) 498-1898
Ph: (916) 498-1890

The Honorable Sheila Jackson Lee
Texas, 18th District
U.S. House of Representatives
2435 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-3816

Ben Johnson
Porter Novelli
501 Oneida Pl., NW
Washington, DC 20011
Ph: 202/973-5800 Main
Ph: 202/973-5899 Direct
ben.johnson@porternovelli.com

The Honorable Stephanie Tubbs Jones
Ohio, 11th District
U.S. House of Representatives
1009 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-7032 

Dr. Randy B. Kelley
Alabama Democratic Party
Democratic National Committee Member
1527 Litchfield Ave
Gadsden, AL 35903-2635
(256) 492-1091
rankelley@yahoo.com

The Honorable Yvonne Kennedy
Alabama House of Representatives
97th District - Mobile
Room 537-C
11 S. Union Street
Montgomery, AL 36130
(334) 242-7737
Home Phone: (251) 438-9509
Work Phone: (251) 690-6416

Hon. Myron Lowery
Chairman, Memphis Charter Commission
125 N. Main St., 5th floor
Memphis, TN 38103
Ph: (901) 576-6500

The Honorable Kendrick B. Meek
Florida, 17th District
U.S. House of Representatives
1039 Longworth House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Ph: 202-225-4506

The Honorable Gregory W. Meeks
New York, 6th District
U.S. House of Representatives
2342 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, DC 20515
Ph: 202-225-3461

Glenard Middleton
Executive Director, Maryland Council 67
President, Maryland Public Employees, Local 44
1410 Bush Street, Suite A
Baltimore, MD 21230
Phone: (410) 837-7278
afscme@afscme67.org

Minyon Moore
Dewey Square Group
1001 G Street NW
Suite 400E
Washington DC  20001
Ph: 202 638 5616

The Honorable David A. Paterson
Governor of New York
State Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
Ph: 518-474-8390

The Honorable Renee' Gill Pratt
New Orleans City Council
District B
City Hall, Room 2W10
1300 Perdido Street
New Orleans, Louisiana  70112
Phone:(504) 658-1020
Email: Pratt@nocitycouncil.com
Source: http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/superdelegates/delegates/index.html#288
Source: http://www.nola.com/news/t-p/capital/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1210225019270110.xml&coll=1

The Honorable Charles B. Rangel
New York, 15th District
U.S. House of Representatives
2354 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-4365

Dr. Joe L. Reed
Chairman, Alabama Democratic Conference
424 S. Decatur St. 
Montgomery, AL  36104
(334) 263-4040 

Evelyn Richardson
Democratic National Committee Member
6908 Kedron St.
Pittsburgh, PA 15208
Source: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/08041/856368-176.stm

The Honorable Laura Richardson
California, 37th District
U.S. House of Representatives
2233 Rayburn House Office Buiding
Washington, DC 20515
Ph: 202-225-7924

The Honorable David Scott
Georgia, 13th District
U. S. House of Representatives
417 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-2939 

The Honorable Ron Sims
King County Executive
701 Fifth Ave. Suite 3210
Seattle, WA 98104
Ph: 206-296-4040
http://www.metrokc.gov/exec/

Michael Thurmond
Georgia Labor Commissioner
Georgia Department of Labor
148 Andrew Young International Boulevard, Northeast
Atlanta, GA 30303-1751
Ph: 404-232-7300
Ph: 404-463-0904
http://www.dol.state.ga.us/contact_subject.htm

The Honorable Edolphus Towns
New York, 10th District
U. S. House of Representatives
2232 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D. C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-5936 

The Honorable Maxine Waters
California, 35th District
U.S. House of Representatives
2344  Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-2201 

The Honorable Diane E. Watson
California, 33rd District
U.S. House of Representatives
125 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-7084 

UNDECLARED SUPERDELEGATES (18)

Tina Abbott
Michigan Democratic State Central Committee
606 Townsend
Lansing, MI 48933
(517) 371-5410
-OR-
Wayne State University
Board of Governors
656 West Kirby
Room 4231 FAB
Detroit, MI 48202
(313) 577-2034
Source: http://www.politico.com/superdelegates/
Source: http://blackpoliticsontheweb.com/african-american-superdelegates-tracker/

The Honorable Joyce Beatty
Ohio House of Representatives
District 27/Minority Leader
77 S. High St, 14th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215-6111
Ph: (614) 466-5343
Email: district27@ohr.state.oh.us

Anita Bonds
Chair, DC Democratic Committee
1225 19th Street, N.W., Suite 800
Washington, DC 20036
Ph: 202-347-7261
Ph: 202-737-3367, 202-550-0619, 202-745-1818
Email: anc5c@erols.com, atreetop@erols.com or dcbonsa@yahoo.com
-OR-
District of Columbia Democratic State Committee
1341 G Street NW, Suite 720
Washington, DC 20005
Ph: 202.347.7260
Source: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/story/2008/05/02/ST2008050203875.html?hpid=topnews
Source: http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/5/4/193742/0024

Donna Brazile
Democratic National Committee Member-at-Large
P.O. Box 15369
Washington, DC 20003
Ph: 202/628-8081
Email: info@brazileassociates.com

The Honorable James E. Clyburn
South Carolina, 6th District
U.S. House of Representatives
2135 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-3315 

The Honorable Gilda Cobb-Hunter
District 66 - Orangeburg Co.
112 Estate Court
Orangeburg, SC 29115
 Ph: (803) 534-2448; Home (803) 531-1257
-OR-
309C Blatt Bldg.
Columbia, SC 29201
(803) 734-2809  
Email: gch@schouse.org
Source: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2008/primaries/superdelegates/search.php?e0=1&e1=0&e2=0&e3=0&e4=0&e5=0&e6=0&e7=0&e8=0&a=&q=0&b=1&n=&t=&x=0&s=4&d=

Dr. Inez Crutchfield
3507 Geneva Cir.
Nashville, TN 37209
Ph: 615-320-1420
Notes: 83-years-old
Source: http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080430/NEWS0206/804300444/1006/NEWS01
Source: http://my.barackobama.com/page/event/detail/organizing/4rsxd

Carnelia Pettis Fondren
Vice Chair, Mississippi Democratic Party
832 North Congress Street
Oxford, MS 39202
Ph: 888-674-3367 (toll free), 601-969-2913 (local)
-OR-
835 Hwy. 6
W Oxford, MS 38655
Ph: 662-234-3304
Source: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2008/primaries/superdelegates/search.php?e0=1&e1=0&e2=0&e3=0&e4=0&e5=0&e6=0&e7=0&e8=0&a=&q=0&b=1&n=&t=&x=0&s=4&d=
Source: http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/superdelegates/delegates/index.html#402

The Honorable Yvonne Gates
500 S. Grand Central Pkwy.
PO Box 551601
Las Vegas, NV 89155
Source: http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/superdelegates/delegates/index.html#434

The Honorable Alexis Herman
1333 H St., NW
Washington, D.C. 20005
Ph: 202-833-8800
-OR-
Democratic National Committee
430 S Capitol St SE
Washington, DC 20003
Ph: 202/863-8000

The Honorable William J. Jefferson
Louisiana, 2nd District
U.S. House of Representatives
2113 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-6636
Source: http://www.pbs.org/newshour/vote2008/primaries/superdelegates/search.php?e0=1&e1=0&e2=0&e3=0&e4=0&e5=0&e6=0&e7=0&e8=0&a=&q=0&b=1&n=&t=&x=0&s=4&d=
Source: http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/superdelegates/delegates/index.html#294

The Honorable Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick
Michigan, 13th District
U.S. House of Representatives
2264 Rayburn House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-2261

The Honorable Kwame Kilpatrick
Mayor, City of Detroit
Executive Office
Coleman A. Young Municipal Center
2 Woodward Ave., Ste. 1126
Detroit, MI 48226
(313) 224-3400
Email: http://www.ci.detroit.mi.us/Default.aspx?tabid=62&t=1238
Source: http://blogs.abcnews.com/politicalpunch/2008/03/mayor-kilpatric.html
Source: http://www.freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080509/NEWS15/805090421

Janee Murphy
16907 Candeleda De Avila
Tampa, FL 33613
Former Hillsborough County Party Chairman
Democratic National Committee Member

Gail Rasmussen
PO Box 61
Eagle Point, OR 97524
Ph: 541-830-6396
Source: http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/superdelegates/delegates/index.html#575
Source: http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080504/NEWS/805040324

Virgie Rollins
National Federation of Democratic Women
19432 Burlington Dr.
Detroit, MI 48203
Ph: 313-892-6199
Email: R0llinz55@hotmail.com

The Honorable Lottie Shackleford
Vice Chair, Democratic National Committee
430 S. Capitol St. SE
Washington DC 20003
Ph: 202-863-8175
-OR-
1720 Abigail St.
Little Rock, AR 72204
Web: http://www.democrats.org/a/party/shackelford.html
Source: http://www2.arkansasonline.com/news/2008/mar/08/arkansas-democrats-seat-last-superdelegate/
Source: http://politics.nytimes.com/election-guide/2008/results/superdelegates/delegates/index.html#32

The Honorable Albert Russell Wynn
Maryland, 4th District
U.S. House of Representatives
434 Cannon House Office Building
Washington, D.C.  20515
Ph: 202-225-8699 
Note: Rep. Wynn is resigning in June 2008

It's time for a vacation. All those 16-hour days out on the campaign trail seem to be having an effect on Barack Obama. Here he says he's campaigned in "57 states."

Lerone D. Wilson is executive editor of Blackline.

With the 2008 Democratic Primary drawing to a close, many will undoubtedly praise Hillary's ultimate fade from the limelight. But this I guarantee you: even the most vehement Hillary haters will miss her presence as this campaign season marches on. Here are the top things that we'll all miss about Hillary.

10. Getting Tired of Race - I must admit, Hillary's constant race baiting even had me tired of the whole race thing, and I write for Blackline. I mean, everyone enjoys some good old fashioned race baiting every now and then, but Hillary took it to another level. Sure it was annoying, but you have to admit, a couple times you said to yourself,  "wow, I never would've thought that one up. So bold. So innovative. So... clearly racist."

9. Spin - Every politician does it to some extent, and I'm sure we'll see a lot of it in the general election, but Hillary is certainly one of the best. She could convince you that the sky was purple, and raise $10 million on the promise that she would turn it blue again. In the end, however, it was unfortunately proven that the only thing that could eclipse her fund raising skills, was Mark Penn's invoicing skills.

8. Pantsuits - I've never seen anyone with such a commitment to pantsuits. Most women at least take it casual on the weekends, but Hillary is all business, all the time with those pantsuits. I have no doubt that if you happened to run into her on vacation in Cancun, she'd undoubtedly be lounging on the beach in the boldly colored pantsuit du jour. If only she was equally committed to other things, like real health care reform.

7. Hearing About White Male Voters - Oh you say you're tired of it now, but just wait. Sure we live in a society dominated by white males, but rarely do we have the occasion to talk about it overtly. You could go to Starbucks right now and boldly proclaim "White males have totally messed this whole election up," and not look like a black nationalist. In fact, you might even stir up some interesting discussion. Go ahead, try it.

6. Oprah - We've all thought at one time or another, "What is Oprah doing these days?" However we don't want to lower ourselves to watching the show. But Hillary Clinton's candidacy gave us the chance to watch Obama cater to older female voters via Oprah. Now you might say that the campaign is far from over, and she may be back. But come on, how much of her audience would actually vote for John McCain? If she did decide to return to the campaign trail however, Oprah could end it all right now by giving out free cars to those planning to vote for Obama... can I at least get an iPod?

5. Hillary 4U&Me - Needs no explanation.

4. Bill - In the same way that we all wonder what Oprah's doing but not enough to actually find out, so too do we wonder about Bill. From red-faced tirades to slick wordplay, he brought back all that was great about politics in the 90's. Too bad we have real problems now.

3. Pandering - You know people claim they don't like pandering, but the way I see it, someone really has to care about you to pretend they care about your problems, then pretend to try and fix them.

2. Crying - When a female president was more of an abstract thought, people were called sexist for suggesting that a woman in the Oval Office would be far too emotional, crying during crisis, and keeping key decisions from being made. Nevertheless, Hillary proved to us all that crying in fact has the opposite effect, gaining support at critical political moments. If only Lincoln had known that, he could've avoided the Civil War, and freed the slaves with a good cry (no doubt with Vice President Johnson at his side holding the Kleenex.  "There there big guy, just let it all out").

1. Feeling Uncomfortable - Whether it was uncomfortable, out of place cackling, or an undeserved stare of death during a debate, Hillary always had that way of creating uncomfortable situations. Remember when she said how much of a pleasure it was to be on the stage with Barack Obama, and you couldn't figure out if she was genuinely likable, or if it was a trap? Hillary could gun down a bus load of nuns and you'd hate her for a minute, but then wonder if beneath that harsh exterior there's a genuine, thoughtful, and caring human being inside. Who knows, a few days later you might even miss her, and devise a list of clever reasons why.

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"Ribeau brings to Howard a complete academic resume having served as professor, dean and vice president," Parsons said in the release. "He has built a well-rounded and impressive resume as a scholar and academic leader in higher education and has a solid record as an effective fundraiser". 

Succeeding Patrick Swygert, Ribeau will assume his role on August 1. The university began the search for a new president after Swygert announced his resignation April 27 of last year in the wake of criticism from the university's faculty senate.

Simone Brown, a junior from Detroit, said she was concerned about how much the new president will be getting paid.  She said the facilities are not up-to-date and that some of the money being allocated for the current president's salary could have gone towards renovating the school.

"When people are doing tours, everything looks nice from the outside, but then when you go in the inside, they don't have what we need," said Brown, an accounting major, referring to the technology and resources available for students.

Brown said she would like to see Howard's new president encourage the alumni to donate to the school. Because government funding was cut back and tuition increased, the University has a dire need for funding, she said. The university has embarked upon a major fundraising effort, according to published reports and the office of communications.

Charreah Jackson, a 2007 Howard grad, said she was sad to see Swygert go and that she had always appreciated his leadership. Jackson, who was a staff member of student newspaper, The Hilltop, said that under Swygert's administration the staff "always had room to maneuver and get the story out."  

"I was glad to attend during his time at Howard," Jackson said.

Michelle D. Anderson is a student at Spelman College and a regular contributor to Black College Wire. 

Supporters of Kelly were mostly women, according to Associated Press correspondent Mark Carlson, who filed a video report. One man interviewed on camera demanded that Kelly be brought to justice, but a woman who was interviewed told AP that she felt compelled to show up to vouch for the singer's innocence.

Jasmyne Cannick is a critic and commentator based in Los Angeles who can be reached at www.jasmynecannick.com.

Writer and television news producer Rod McCullom is a frequent contributor to The Advocate and The Huffington Post. His blog is Rod 2.0.

Hillary should do whatever she wants. She has earned it.

After Tuesday's night's resounding and racially polarized win in North Carolina, the Democratic presidential nomination is within the grasp of Barack Obama. Hillary Clinton was hoping for a "game changer" on Tuesday, a strong win in Indiana and a tighter result in North Carolina, and, just the opposite happened. The huge popular vote margin Clinton earned in Pennsylvania was wiped out by Obama's win in North Carolina. Clinton is behind in almost metric and her path to the nomination, which once seemed a foregone conclusion, has become a cliffwalk that almost defies gravity.

"The math" is not in Clinton's favor. So be it. There are only three remaining weeks in the primary roster and Clinton will continue to compete. Good for her. That tenacity is probably one of her Bill and Hillary Clinton's best qualities and this explains why so many Democratic presidential losers--Hart, Kerry, Kennedy, Dukakis, Richardson, Dodd, Dukakis!--have come out against them. Particularly amusing is George McGovern's "advice" for Clinton to drop out. Thankfully, this is not the tone adopted by Obama, who recognizes Clinton is favored to win West Virginia, Kentucky and Puerto Rico by sizable margins, and, apparently does not want to marginalize Clinton or the 16 million plus voters who supported her. Bravo. Obama is willing to wait three or four weeks and let the process play out. So should everyone else.  

Most of the shrill and faux calls for "unity" and for Clinton to "drop out" are coming from the same repeat offenders who have threatened a race riot and engaged in a relentless smear campaign. Special mention goes to "progressive" bloggers, fellow "Democrats", cable "news" network MSNBC and black talk radio. They have perpetuated a breathtaking and fantastic virtual gangbang, a daily exercise in ridiculous racebaiting, lies, doctored videos, edited audio tapes, name-calling, offensive sexist jokes and double standards. Many of these "progressives" have  used discredited right-wing sources such as Bob Novak, headline writer Matt Drudge and anti-gay racist Rush Limbaugh as their assignment editors. Trash is trash, no matter who sweeps it up. If "bloggers" or "news" sources "report" doctored videos, blatant lies, inaccurate information, then everything they "report" is likely to be doctored, lies or inaccurate. It's called credibility, and, sadly, many self-described "progressives" and "Democrats" no longer have any.

Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama waged historic candidacies for the Democratic nomination. Only one of them could emerge as the winner. In the final weeks of the Democratic presidential primary, Clinton and her historic campaign should be allowed to continue its run, and, if needed, develop a graceful exit strategy. The same consideration would be given if she were ahead and Obama were behind. It's about fairness, its about decency, and, most of all, it's about respect.

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