In Your Land, There Was A King ...

In your land there was a King,
Who once said, "I have a dream",
Now there's a man who knew,
The Secret ...

A verse, sung by the incredibly-voiced Esther Satterfield, on Chuck Mangione's "Land of Make Believe"

Big doings today, the 40th anniversary of the assassination of Dr. Martin Luther King.

Should Barack Obama prevail, win the nomination and general election, than the 41st anniversary will be huge doings, with President Obama presiding over a memorial ceremony.

That's certainly a dream worth dreaming.

We tip our cap today, with a Good Post Alert, to Barry Crimmins, who bullseyes' the day with his "The Giant Triplets"

And today as EVERYONE bemoans the assassination of Martin Luther King, we remain largely silent as a mob of defenders of a hateful status quo, that's imposed and enforced by the still greatest purveyor of violence in the world today - the US government, gang-character assassinates Rev Jeremiah Wright for daring to say "Goddamn America!" America, a country where the poor continue to grow more desperate and hopeless. America, a country with over two million people in jail, including 900,000 African-Americans and a vast number of Latinos. America, a country that spends more on militarism than the next 46 highest spending countries combined.

There's more, including YouTube and links to King's "Why I am opposed to the Vietnam War" and "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence" so go check out Barry Crimmins' "The Giant Triplets"

And when you finished there, Truthout has a pair of good ones up;.

Dr. Wilmer J. Leon III's, "It's Not the Dream; It's Our Nightmare"

The best way to pay tribute to Dr. King and his total sacrifice is to understand what he stood for. Start by reading two speeches. First, read "I Have a Dream." Second, read "Beyond Vietnam: A Time to Break Silence." Don't allow others to selectively define Dr. King for you. Read these two speeches for yourself.

Dr. King the strict constructionist referred to the Constitution and the Declaration of Independence as a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. He stated, "It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned ... Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check - a check which has come back marked insufficient funds." Again, a clear indictment of America!

It's Jeff Cohen's "Forty Years Later, (The Late) Martin Luther King Still Silenced"

Last night, "NBC Nightly News" anchor Brian Williams enthused over new color footage of King that adorned its coverage of the 40th anniversary of the assassination. The report focused on the last phase of King's life. But the same old blinders were in place.

NBC showed young working class whites in Chicago taunting King. But there was no mention of how elite media had taunted King in his last year. In 1967 and 1968, mainstream media saw Reverend King a bit like they now see Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Back then, they denounced King's critical comments; today they simply silence them.

Before you click over to read these great posts, click here, and let Bill Evans be your reading soundtrack, his haunting "Peace Piece"

Breaking News! Clinton Camp To Hire Terrell Owens

Football Star To Be "Designated Crier", Freeing Up Hillary, and Her Own Voice, To Hurl Racial Smears

The timing, the Clinton Camp claims, couldn't have been better.

Just as the 2008 Presidential Primary Campaign heats up, Hillary Clinton scores a huge gain, bringing Dallas Cowboy superstar Terrell Owens into the fold, to become the candidates' "designated crier".

"This is a godsend," gushed Clinton campaign guru, Mark Penn.

"He [Owens] has the name recognition, real tears, the cracking voice ... We couldn't ask for much more ..."

Owens broke down in a press conference following the Cowboys collapse and loss to the New York Football Giants yesterday, in the NFC Divisional playoff game.

Owens defended the teams recently-controversial quarterback, Tony Romo, in a plaintive, quivering and cracking voice;

"It's not about Tony," Owens said. "You guys can point fingers at him and talk about the vacation, but if you do that, it's really unfair ..."

His lips quivered and voice cracked. The tears were visible from behind the sunglasses.

"It's unfair," Owens added. "It's my teammate, my quarterback. If you do that, man, it's unfair. We lost as a team. We lost as a team.

"It's unfair because I've been through it. I know what it's like. He gives you his all every day. When you lose, it falls on the quarterback's shoulders. But let it fall on the whole team's shoulders."

The Clinton Campaign has been in a quandary, spending the credit of Hillary's crying and "finding her own voice" on the primary victory in New Hampshire last week and settling in a mode of tossing racial bombs against her main rival, Senator Barack Obama.

Former President Bill Clinton drew a firestorm, after characterizing Obama's campaign position as a "fairytale" and Hillary inferred the Civil Rights legend, Dr. Martin Luther King, needed President Lyndon Johnson to achieve his success.

"Having Owens to handle the crying," continued Penn, "frees us up to hone in on more racial taunts, create a layer of racial fear that will lift Hillary in a good number of the upcoming states."

"We can use [BET Founder] Bob Johnson to hit Obama on the drugs... Hillary on the race stuff and then bring in Terrell to cry about how everyone is picking on her, that it's not her fault ... This will be the Hillary voice moving forward ..."

Obama has hit back at the Clinton Campaign, calling Hillary's statements "ludicrous", "unfortunate" and "ill-advised."

Clinton defended herself yesterday..

"This is an unfortunate story line the Obama campaign has pushed very successfully," the New York senator said on NBC's "Meet the Press."

With the NFL playoffs continuing into the Championship round next weekend, followed by the Super Bowl in early February, Penn indicated he hasn't ruled out bring in more "criers", based on the results of the remaining games.

"We feel good," said Penn. "The gloves are off and Hillary is speaking in her own voice for the rest of the campaign."

Bonus Hillary Hijinks

Sam Stein: Obama Camp's Memo on Clintons' Politicizing Race

Eric Kleefeld: Clinton Aide: Obama Is For People Who Want "Imaginary Hip Black Friend"

Josh Marshall: Not Bean Bag

Matt Stoller: The Clinton Generation













With his season over, TO will be joining the Clinton Campaign as a "Designated Crier"