Shaletta Porterfield Resigns Miss Wisconsin USA Title After Arrest for Identity Theft

We were sad to learn that one of the few African American beauty queens in the nation ... Shaletta Porterfield, Miss Wisconsin USA ... resigned her position after being charged with three counts of identify fraud. [SOURCE]

Porterfield allegedly faked signatures on advertising contracts while working with a marketing company last year. She is scheduled to go to court on this matter in July.

Wisconsin is one of the least successful states when it comes to the Miss USA pageant. The highest ranking for a Miss Wisconsin in the national pageant occurred in 1974 when Mary Cook was the 2nd runner-up. The state hasn't finished higher than 15th place in over 30 years!

I guess that Shaletta Porterfield was trying to diversify her sources of revenue since it wasn't likely that the whole beauty pageant thing was going to work out for her.  Her replacement as Miss Wisconsin USA is Jordan Marie Morkin.

Glenn Beck and Fox News Agree to Go Their Separate Ways

How toxic do you have to be in order for Fox News to say that they don't want you anymore? Glenn Beck found out today when Fox News indicated that they would not renew their contract for his TV show ... or as I choose to read it -- 'Glenn Beck, YOU'RE FIRED!'

Villagers recall the energy that we put into the ColorOfChange.org campaign to encourage over 300 companies to boycott the Glenn Beck television show. Over 285,000 of us signed petitions and made phone calls to Beck's advertisers ... and they stayed away over the past two years.

There are at least three reasons that Glenn Beck is off the air:

1. Content - Beck continues to have shows devoted to race-baiting ("Obama has a deep-seated hatred of white people"), conspiracy theorizing, odd stories about the impact of Islam religion on American government and ancient Babylon. Beck's show often is unwatchable. He truly seems crazy.
2. Incitement to Violence - Beck calls himself the "progressive hunter" and often his followers are willing to carry out his orders in real life.
3. Finances - When you lose over 300 advertisers ... that has gotta hurt! Beck’s lack of advertisers made him a financial liability for Fox, and it’s clear that this was a driving factor in his departure from Fox.

Glenn Beck now joins Dr. Laura Schlessinger as media personalities with racist attitudes is no longer tolerated in polite company. Both will be remembered for their failures that led to their removal from the big stage.

Glenn Beck is now free to try to re-invent himself -- however, methinks that he will always be known as a hate-monger who is willing to say ANYTHING in an effort to create racial fear and tension for political and personal gain.

This is a great victory for ColorOfChange.org! Read their statement here.

Dr. Laura Quits Her Syndicated Radio Show

Dr. Laura Schlessinger couldn't stand the pain. She told Larry King that she was going to give up her syndicated radio show.






I 'spose that she figured out that using the N-word 2.5 times per minute on your show ain't a good thing to do. Personally, I think that any radio personality who is that racially insensitive shouldn't be on the radio in the first place. Good riddance!

Budget Director Peter Orszag is Leaving Obama Administration

President Obama is being bombarded with a never-ending list of challenges and issues. Today, we learn that his Budget Director Peter Orszag is resigning.

In the midst of fielding comments about Gen. Stanley McChrystal's insubordinate comments, White House spokesman Robert Gibbs said Orszag will be leaving the administration next month.

"It's an enormous task," Gibbs said of the budget director. "Peter has been instrumental in, for instance, this year's plan to freeze non-security discretionary spending for three years and has decided to leave before we get into the creation of the next budget. He's been here for two budgets."

Orszag was the 37th person to serve as the director of the Office of Management and Budget. Most of his predecessors were never heard from again on a national level. However, some left this position to go onto to higher public service.

• Rob Portman (OMB, 2006-2007) is now running for the US Senate in my state of Ohio.
• Mitch Daniels (OMB, 2001-2003) left the office and successfully ran to become governor of Indiana.
• Franklin Raines (OMB, 1996-1998) is the only African American to serve in this office. He went on to serve as CEO of Fannie Mae during a time of great distress for that company.
• Leon Panetta (OMB, 1993-1994) is currently serving as Obama's CIA director.

The administration is looking at a number of "talented candidates" to replace Orszag. That new budget director's challenges will include billions and trillions or projected budget deficits and federal debt.

Sen. Joe Lieberman, ID-Conn., praised Orszag, and noted that his successor "will face tremendous challenges in righting our long-term fiscal imbalance and starting to close our enormous gaps in the debt and deficit. I look forward to working with whoever that Director is to tackle these historic problems facing our country."

President Obama is accepting Orszag's resignation today. It is likely that he will accept another resignation tomorrow from Gen. Stanley McChrystal.

Our president needs our prayers as he handles the nation's business.

Streak of Disrespect for Civil Rights Icons Continues With Haki Madhubuti and Chicago State University

The old lions in our village are being disrespected quite abit lately. Calling Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) the N-word during the health care debate was out of line. Spitting on Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) as he walked to his place of work was out of line. Next we learn that civil rights icon Haki Madhubuti was forced out of his job as an educator at Chicago State University after 26 years of service.

"This is a difficult time for me. Because of circumstances beyond my control, I have been forced to seek early retirement. On June 22 , 2009, I issued an open letter to the university community in regards to the appointment of our current president, Dr. Wayne Watson," said the Third World Press founder and Chicago Public Schools charter operator. "I questioned in no uncertain language the flawed and undemocratic process in which he was selected. I was as fully aware when I issued the letter as I am now that all actions have consequences."

Madhubuti said his split from the university came after Watson, who took the helm of the South Side institution last year, demoted him.

Madhubuti said Watson demanded he teach four courses a semester -- contrary to his contract -- removed him from the paid staff of the Gwendolyn Brooks Center he founded, and reduced him to volunteer status with the master's program in creative writing that he co-founded.

"I am convinced that this move against me is personal and vindictive," Madhubuti said. "Although I did agree to increase my course load, I rejected the points that removed me from the structures I founded and co-founded at the university."

Watson denied Madhubuti was being forced out, although Watson declined to discuss details of the departure.

"That is his decision. I am only asking him to teach," said Watson.

Madhubuti has filed a grievance against the university.

Madhubuti rose to international fame as a fiery poet who gave voice to the pain of the 1960s civil rights movement and founded the renowned Black publishing firm that distributed Black authors deemed untouchable by the mainstream publishers in the early '60s.

The prolific poet and longtime educator also operates three Chicago public charter schools and a private preschool he founded with his wife.

"Haki Madhubuti, he is an institution," said acclaimed author, biographer and researcher Maryemma Graham, a university of Kansas English professor inducted into the center's hall of fame Friday. "The Chicago State MFA program and Gwendolyn Brooks Center has become as powerful and renowned as it has in part because of his presence. That will never change."

I first learned of Madhubuti when I was taking Black Studies college courses back in the day. I'm sorry that Chicago State University chose to join the Tea Party in its disrespect of our old lions.

Two More RNC Leaders Call for Resignation of Michael Steele

How long can Michael Steele keep his job as the chair of the Republican National Committee? Personally, I think that he is a 'dead man walking'. I can't imagine that the GOP is going to keep him in office for very much longer.

Two Republican National Committee (RNC) members from North Carolina have called on Chairman Michael Steele to resign. The state's chairman called for Steele to step down yesterday.

Tom Fetzer's letter to Michael Steele

View more documents from News 14 Carolina.

Today we learn that one of the few African American RNC members, Dr. Ada Fisher, wants him to resign, saying, "Leadership demands that when something is fundamentally wrong, we must stand up to it."

There are some folks that still support Michael Steele. Do you?

Lou Dobbs Resigns From CNN

The pressure continued to build against Lou Dobbs over his near-racist rants on CNN. Tonight we learn that the pressure got to be more than Dobbs could handle. He announced his resignation tonight on his show.

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LOU DOBBS: Tonight, I want to turn to a personal note, if I may, and address a matter that has raised some curiosity. This will be my last broadcast here on CNN, where I've worked for most of the past 30 years and where I have many friends and colleagues whom I admire deeply and respect greatly.

I'm the last of the original anchors here on CNN and I'm proud to have had the privilege of helping to build the world's first news network. I'm grateful for the many opportunities that CNN has given me over these many years. I've tried to reciprocate with a full measure of my ability and my energy.

Over the past six months, it's become increasingly clear that strong winds of change have begun buffeting this country and affecting all of us, and some leaders in media, politics, and business have been urging me to go beyond the role here at CNN and to engage in constructive problem-solving, as well as to contribute positively to a better understanding of the great issues of our day and to continue to do so in the most honest and direct language possible.

I've talked extensively with Jonathan Klein -- Jon's the president of CNN -- and as a result of those talks, John and I have agreed to a release from my contract that will enable me to pursue new opportunities.

At this point, I'm considering a number of options and directions, and I assure you, I will let you know when I set my course. I truly believe that the major issues of our time include the growth of our middle class, the creation of more jobs, health care, immigration policy, the environment, climate change, and our military involvement, of course, in Afghanistan and Iraq. But each of those issues is, in my opinion, informed by our capacity to demonstrate strong resilience of our now-weakened capitalist economy and demonstrate the political will to overcome the lack of true representation in Washington, D.C. I believe these to be profoundly, critically important issues, and I will continue to strive to deal honestly and straightforwardly with those issues in the future.

Unfortunately, these issues are now defined in the public arena by partisanship and ideology rather than by rigorous, empirical thought and forthright analysis and discussion. I'll be working diligently to change that as best I can. And as for the important work of restoring inspiration to our great, free society and our market economy, I will strive as well to be a leader in that national conversation.

It's been my great honor to work with each and every person at this wonderful network. I will be eternally grateful to CNN, to Ted Turner, and to all of my colleagues and friends and, of course, to you at home. I thank you, and may God bless you.

The news continues for the rest of this hour, and I'll be right back after this.

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I think that this is a good news message. Maybe Roland Martin can find some airtime on CNN now!

Resignation: Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis

This blog called for the resignation of Bank of America CEO Ken Lewis back in May 2009. As such, we are glad to learn that he will be stepping down from the company in December, becoming "one of the most prominent financial executives to lose his job because of the financial crisis."

Analysts say that Lewis had become a "distraction" since the bank's takeover of Merrill Lynch and Countrywide Financial Corp., and he leaves "amid intensifying state and federal investigations."

Goodbye and good riddance. I would like to see others take responsibility and pay a price for their negligence that led to the current economic crisis that our nation is still reeling from today.

The Van Jones that Glenn Beck Doesn't Know

I haven't talked much about Van Jones. He's the young guy that resigned earlier this month from his position as an advisor to the President. His resignation was a direct result of videotapes and petitions from a number of years ago being brought to public attention by Fox News. Some call it nothing more than right-wing smears.

Jones was forced to leave the White House quietly and without any fanfare. There are many who feel that his career as a voice for the poor is legendary. In fact, the folks at the Brave New Foundation featured him as part of their Brave Nation series. Check it out:




What are your thoughts on Van Jones? Or on the circumstances surrounding his resignation?