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Saturday, June 21, 2008
SCLC head: Michelle Obama treated more roughly than her husband, because of her slave heritage
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Savannah — Michelle Obama has been the recipient of rougher treatment than her husband for a reason, the president of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference said Saturday.
One has ancestors who were slaves and the other doesn’t, said Charles Steele Jr., president and CEO of the decades-old, Atlanta-based civil rights group.
Listen to a portion of his speech here.
Barack Obama is “of the system. He’s going to be in the system,” Steele told a morning gathering of the Georgia Association of Black Elected Officials.
“Why are they attacking Michelle Obama, first lady Michelle Obama, and not really attacking, to that degree, her husband?” Steele asked. “Because he has no slave blood in him. He does not have any slave blood in him, but Michelle does.
“This system is an issue. I don’t care what you say. You can’t expect the system that enslaved you save you,” Steele said.
Steele admitted to the crowd that his remarks about the Obamas were intended to be provocative, but afterwards declined to expand upon them.
The SCLC said his larger point was that — even should Obama win the presidency in November, the problems faced African-Americans will still require an outside voice.
Photo credit: Associated Press
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If someone borrows your words, you ought to be able to charge interest
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
No, Isakson didn’t plagiarize. But he was borrowed from.
Here’s the piece by Don Rhodes in today’s Augusta Chronicle.
Rhodes found that a near identical speech was given by U.S. Rep. Jeff Miller (R-Fla.) in 2004.
Here is the example given:
ISAKSON: “I hope you’ll take your graduation diploma today and not frame it and put it on the wall but treat it like a passport and have it validated over and over and over again; wherever you go and wherever you travel.”
MILLER: “In a few minutes you are going to receive a diploma. You can frame it or hang it on the wall — do whatever you’d like with it. But if I were you, I’d treat it like a passport. I’d have it validated over and over and over again as you go through life … as you continue your education, move through your career development, or in whatever interests you choose to pursue.”
A staffer for Miller told Rhodes that an aide to the Florida congressman had heard Isakson deliver a version of his speech, and “had asked to borrow the basic remarks.”
Isakson told a slightly different story. He told Rhodes:
“Jeff [Miller] called me about 30 minutes ago and said, ‘That was a great speech. One of my staffers went to a graduation and heard you give it, and they brought it back, and I gave you credit when I made it but somehow it didn’t get into the Web site.’”
It’s there now.
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