How Obama Governed by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

Author and political analyst Earl Ofari Hutchinson takes a no-political holds barred look at President Barack Obama’s first year in office. He answers one compelling question: Did he fulfill the massive and sweeping promise he made to restore hope and effect change in America?

This promise energized millions, reshaped the nation’s political tapestry, and propelled the first African-American into the White House. Hutchinson examines where and how Obama kept his promise, and where and how he failed to keep it. He examines in laser detail the attacks and counterattacks from the GOP and the Democrats. He delineates the differences and similarities between Obama and Bush in waging the war on terrorism. He assesses the towering battles over health care, the economy, racial attacks, the GOP counterinsurgency, Afghanistan, and the Henry Louis Gates flap. He provides readers with a guide as to how Obama will continue to govern.

How Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge offers a virtual political clinic on the crisis and challenges that the nation and its first African-American president faced his first year in the White House.


Author Says Obama Faces New Crisis with Election Loss of Top Democrats


The announcement that Connecticut Democratic Senator Chris Dodd and other leading Democrats won’t run for re-election puts poses a new crisis President Obama. In his new book How Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge, author and political analyst Earl Ofari Hutchinson predicted that there would be major losses among Democrats in 2010. He noted that some of those losses would be among top Democrats.

Hutchinson notes that this could cripple Obama’s efforts to get his agenda on immigration, cap and trade, implementing health care reforms, and his judicial appointments through Congress. It will also mortally wound Obama’s efforts to make bi-partisanship the watchword of his administration.

“The loss, defection, and potential defeat of top Democrats in 2010 will stiffen the GOP in its opposition to much of Obama’s agenda,” says Hutchinson, “It will also put Democrats on the political defensive. This will present yet another major challenge to Obama’s administration to stem the tide of political reverses.”

In How Obama Won, Hutchinson gives a no holds barred assessment of the make and break issues that confront Obama in 2010. These are the issues that will determine whether Obama can really deliver on his lofty promise of hope and change.


Earl Ofari Hutchinson is a nationally acclaimed author and political analyst. Hutchinson is the author of ten books on race and politics in America. His three most recent books are: How Obama Governed: The Year of Crisis and Challenge, How Obama Won, and The Ethnic Presidency: How Race decides the Race to the White House

His featured interviews and comments on race and politics have appeared in Time, Newsweek, the New York Times, and ABC’s World News Tonight.

He has been a guest analyst on the Fox News John Gibson Show, the O’Reilly Factor, Hannity & Colmes, the Glenn Beck Show, PBS Lehrer Report, NPR’s Talk of the Nation and various CNN News shows.

Hutchinson is the National Political Writer for New America Media and a regular contributor to The Huffington Post.

Winner of American Lion by Jon Meacham

Sorry for the delay in getting this posted. Blogger was being a pain this morning and Tropical Storm Danny is on its way up here and seems to be creating issues with Internet connectivity because my connection is working as slow as molasses traveling uphill in January.

The winner of American Lion by Jon Meacham has been selected by Random.org. Our congratulations go out to Emilie!!!

We'll be sending an email out to Emilie before the weekend is out. All we need is a return email with a mailing address by next Friday, September 4th, in order to get this book out to you.


Sorry that you didn't win a copy? Visit Amazon and order your copy of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House (New York Times Notable Books) right now!


Look for more giveaways to be announced soon, as The Book Connection continues clearing out the bookshelves. The Book Connection...where readers and writers connect.

Only a few hours left...

...to win a copy of American Lion: Andrew Jackson in the White House (New York Times Notable Books) by Jon Meacham.

Here in Massachusetts, we recently lost another American lion, Senator Edward (Ted)Kennedy. While I can't say I normally agreed with him, there is no doubt he had a dramatic impact on local and national politics. Our thoughts and prayers are with the Kennedy family during this difficult time.

You can enter to win a copy of American Lion by Jon Meacham here.

United in Hate by Jamie Glazov -- Book Review

Dr. Jamie Glazov provides a well-documented and insightful analysis of the radical Left's relationship with totalitarian ideologies in United in Hate: The Left's Romance with Tyranny and Terror.

In this thought-provoking book, Glazov presents a case that is both frightening and tragic. Early on, Glazov shares the components that helped shape the progressives' attitude toward the Soviet Union under Stalin; indicating how they saw the Great Depression as "a confirmation of the failure of capitalism..." (Page 28). One can see how in modern times, the same applies. The author provides multiple examples of instances where the radical Left expresses dissatisfaction with capitalism and glorifies leaders who have knowingly starved their own people, while providing themselves with lives of luxury.

An interesting, yet difficult, concept to ponder is Glazov's assertion that the radical Left wishes for the old to be destroyed in order to create the much sought after utopia; and therefore, they can overlook the deaths caused by Stalin, Castro, Pol Pot, and more recently, Saddam Hussein. The author goes as far as to claim that the believer--as he refers to those following the progressive faith--have an urge to associate themselves with the power that murders or to be murdered by that power for the sake of the idea (Page 37). Much easier to accept is the idea that the radical Left must create an atmosphere of oppression, something that Noam Chomsky did by developing the theme for his followers that they were not truly happy because "their joy was a false consciousness manufactured by capitalist elites." (Page 42).

United in Hate has an excellent history of tyranny and terror through the years, up to and including the rise of radical Islam that led to the destruction of the Twin Towers on September 11th. It also portrays how modern-day leftists like Michael Moore reacted to this horrific event that changed America forever.

Part III is an extensive analysis of Islamism and discusses death and suicide, hatred of women and hatred of Jews. Glazov later in the book explains why Israel is the perfect object of believers' hatred, just as their ally America is.

It is difficult for the reader not to form some sort of opinion after reading United in Hate. You're either going to love it or hate it; but no matter what, it is well-written, well-documented and very convincing.


Title: United in Hate: The Left's Romance with Tyranny and Terror
Author: Jamie Glazov
Publisher: WND Books
ISBN: 978-1-935071-60-0
SRP: $25.95 (U.S.)

Feeding Lions by Paul Ibbetson--Book Review

A thought-provoking, well-written, and often humorous collection of articles can be found in Feeding Lions: Sharing the Conservative Philosophy in a Politically Hostile World by Paul Ibbetson.

Ibbetson has collected some of his most widely read articles in an easy-to-digest format that shares the overall conservative philosophy. More than preaching to the choir, Ibbetson's engaging and conversational style will appeal to both conservatives and liberals. Discussing such topics as: the Fairness Doctrine, the War on Terror, the Patriot Act, global warming, and border security, the author accurately and effectively presents the conservative worldview, how it differs from the liberal worldview, and how those differences shape world events.

Included with these articles is additional commentary by the author, black and white photos, a selection of reader responses to some of Ibbetson's articles, a conservative website directory and a conservative radio directory.

An absolute must read for anyone interested in politics, current events, or in understanding what conservatives truly think. Feeding Lions by Paul Ibbetson is just as brilliant as it is funny.


Title: Feeding Lions: Sharing a Conservative Philosophy in a Hostile World
Author: Paul Ibbetson
Publisher: AuthorHouse
ISBN: 978-1-4389-2008-5 (sc)
SRP: $12.50 (U.S.)

Alan Kennedy-Shaffer and The Obama Revolution

The first book to be written by a campaign staffer and offering rare insider glimpses, The Obama Revolution explores how a generation of believers and the politics of hope won the presidency for Barack Obama and changed the world.

The Obama Revolution carefully examines what Obama plans to do as president, how Obama clinched the Democratic nomination and won the general election, and why Obama’s evocative rhetoric inspired millions of Americans to create a political revolution that toppled the status quo and changed the face of American politics forever.

Drawing on both first-hand campaign experience and scholarly analysis, the author delivers everything from personal stories of grass-roots organizing and grueling all-nighters to candid assessments of the Obama campaign’s strengths and weaknesses. Insightful and powerfully written The Obama Revolution offers an enlightening, annotated, documented overview of Obama’s path to the White House and what it means to every American.

Learn how Obama used policies of change, strategic vision, and the rhetoric of hope to transform the campaign into a political movement. Discover how field organizers (most under 30), using cell phones and the Internet, mobilized and energized a whole new generation of voters. Follow the author as he registers voters, spreads the word and is touched by the people he meets.

Anyone wondering whether America's flame still burns brightly needs to read this book and be inspired by the hope, the promise, and the ardor of Barack Obama and “Generation Change”—the future of America—as they work hand-in-hand to fulfill the legacy of change that is the Obama Revolution.

Today's guest blogger is Alan Kennedy-Shaffer, who served as a regional field director for Barack Obama and the Democratic Party in Virginia. Educated at Yale University and William & Mary Law School, Kennedy-Shaffer is the author of Denial and Deception: A Study of the Bush Administration’s Rhetorical Case for Invading Iraq. Kennedy-Shaffer’s writings have also appeared in The New York Times, the International Herald Tribune, the Washington Post, the Patriot-News, the Daily Press, and the Virginia Gazette. Alan lives in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania.

You can visit his website at www.alankennedy-shaffer.com.

Alan's turn:

The Grassroots Revolution
By Alan Kennedy-Shaffer

With talk of tea parties and taxes dominating the Rush Limbaugh Republican agenda, the time has come to bring Barack Obama’s grassroots revolution back into the spotlight. From Minnesota to Missouri, longtime Republicans and apathetic Independents joined diehard Democrats in an extraordinary campaign that brought Americans together in a way not seen in decades. From Harrisburg to Hampton, organizers fanned out across long ignored neighborhoods, recruited thousands of volunteers, and mobilized millions of voters, sparking a movement for change.

The Obama Revolution, the first book published about Barack Obama’s historic presidential campaign by a former staffer, provides an in-the-trenches look at how the 44th President of the United States came from behind to win the presidency and sparked a movement that has changed the face of American politics forever. The energy of a citizenry invigorated by the opportunity to steer the ship of state cannot be adequately measured, but it must not be ignored. In the months leading up to Obama’s election last fall, something stirred in the American psyched. Consider this excerpt:

There may seem to be little in common between the young children who scampered after me in the housing projects on Allison Hill, eager for Obama stickers, and the Democrats in Westmoreland County who turned out in droves for rural action meetings. But below the surface, they all hope for a brighter future for their children and they share a belief that America can—and will—change. . . . Empowered to serve as the backbone of Obama’s well organized, well funded, quintessentially grassroots presidential campaign, young people left their jobs, their schools, and their homes, in order to recruit and mobilize an army of volunteers committed to positive change.

This brief passage in The Obama Revolution begins to tell the story of the grassroots revolution that turned a long shot candidacy into a transformative presidency. How Obama became president matters because it says more about the American people than it does about Obama. What made Obama’s campaign different was our ability to reach across the aisle, across neighborhoods, and across the street, to voters from all walks of life. To me, it was electrifying when I rang the doorbell and a young child saw my Obama sticker, ran back inside, and yelled to his mother, “Barack Obama’s at the door!”

Sometimes powerful, sometimes poignant, always hopeful, The Obama Revolution includes encounters with Barack Obama, insight into why thousands of organizers left their jobs, their schools, and their families to join the most organized presidential campaign in American history. It is the story of how thousands of organizers spurred millions of Americans to register to vote and recruited millions of volunteers. At once meticulously researched and motivational, The Obama Revolution tells the story of a generation of young people—most under 30—who dropped everything to get involved.

Although we will never agree on everything, we must continue to hope that the change we fought so hard for at every door, on every call, and in every neighborhood, will have a fighting chance of coming to America. Our grassroots revolution goes beyond tea parties promoted by Fox News and ranking Republicans, and beyond knee-jerk animosity toward the taxes that pay for our highways, our schools, our parks, and our national security. Our revolution is about the ability of Americans young and old, black and white, gay and straight, to unite behind the change that we still believe in.

Alan Kennedy-Shaffer is the author, most recently, of “The Obama Revolution.”

Jamie Glazov and United in Hate

United in Hate crystallizes the danger that a Barack Obama administration, if tilted too far left, presents to American security and global freedom.

As history shows, leftist beliefs have spawned mass carnage and misery. Put into practice, they have caused the deaths of millions. Until now, it has been extremely difficult for rational people who value personal freedom to understand the motivations of those who live in comfort and yet embrace monstrous dictators, ideologies, and policies that leave only death and destruction in their wake.

In United in Hate, Dr. Jamie Glazov presents startling new insights into the toxic beliefs and torturously contorted thought processes of the leftists who lust to destroy the very freedoms that allow them to exist. Glazov explains the Left’s love for and deification of totalitarian ideologies, from Marxism to radical Islam, with clarity and candor.

In this groundbreaking examination, Dr. Glazov at last reveals the vile and morbid forces that impel so-called “progressives” to embrace not just murderous ideologies such as Marxism and radical Islam, but the systematic elimination of all those standing in the way of their new utopia.

Advance Praise for United in Hate by Jamie Glazov:

An ambitious, original and well-documented study that addresses some of the most interesting and important political-historical questions of our times.

Paul Hollander, author of “Political Pilgrims" and "The End of Commitment.”

A must-read for those who care about truth, the rule of law, and any hope of ultimate stability for humankind. The redefining work for twenty first century readers of an eternal message.

Robert C. McFarlane, National Security Advisor to President Reagan. Chairman and CEO of McFarlane Associates Inc.

In years to come, this book will become a classic, not just for conservatives but for all Americans interested in the truth and how to combat a perfidious alliance.

Steven Emerson, author of "American Jihad: The Terrorists Living Amongst Us" and producer of the documentary "Jihad in America."

Read and excerpt:

“The believer’s totalitarian journey begins with an acute sense of alienation from his own society—an alienation to which he is, himself, completely blind. In denial about the character flaws that prevent him from bonding with his own people, the believer has convinced himself that there is something profoundly wrong with his society—and that it can be fixed without any negative trade-offs. He fantasizes about building a perfect society where he will, finally, fit in…

A key ingredient of this paradigm is that the believer has failed to rise to the challenges of secular modernity; he has not established real and lasting interpersonal relationships or internalized any values that help him find meaning in life. Suffering from a spiritual emptiness, of which he himself is not cognizant, the believer forces non-spiritual solutions onto his spiritual problems. He exacerbates this dysfunction by trying to satisfy his every material need, which the great benefits of modernity and capitalism allow—but the more luxuries he manages to acquire, the more desperate he becomes. We saw this with the counterculture leftists of the sixties and seventies, and we see it with the radical leftists of today. Convinced that it is incumbent upon society, and not him, to imbue his life with purpose, the believer becomes indignant; he scapegoats his society—and ends up despising and rejecting it.

Just like religious folk, the believer espouses a faith, but his is a secular one. He too searches for personal redemption—but of an earthly variety. The progressive faith, therefore, is a secular religion. And this is why socialism’s dynamics constitute a mutated carbon copy of Judeo-Christian imagery. Socialism’s secular utopian vision includes a fall from an ideal collective brotherhood, followed by a journey through a valley of oppression and injustice, and then ultimately a road toward redemption.

In rejecting his own society, the believer spurns the values of democracy and individual freedom, which are anathema to him, since he has miserably failed to cope with both the challenges they pose and the possibilities they offer. Tortured by his personal alienation, which is accompanied by feelings of self-loathing, the believer craves a fairy-tale world where no individuality exists, and where human estrangement is thus impossible. The believer fantasizes about how his own individuality and self will be submerged within the collective whole…. As history has tragically recorded, this “holy cause” follows a road that leads not to an earthly paradise, but rather to an earthly hell in all of its manifestations. The political faith rejects the basic reality of the human condition—that human beings are flawed and driven by self-interest—and rests on the erroneous assumption that humanity is malleable and can be reshaped into a more perfect form. This premise spawned the nightmarish repressions and genocidal campaigns of Stalin, Mao, Pol Pot, and other communist dictators in the twentieth century. Under their rule, more than one hundred million human beings were sacrificed on the altar where a new man would ostensibly be created.”


About the author: Jamie Glazov holds a Ph.D. in history with specialties in U.S., Russian, and Canadian foreign policy. He is the managing editor of Frontpagemag.com.

United in Hate Virtual Book Tour '09

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Join author Jamie Glazov as he travels the blogosphere in March 2009 with Pump Up Your Book Promotion Public Relations on his first virtual book tour to discuss the issues he raises in his new political nonfiction book, United in Hate: The Left’s Romance with Tyranny and Terror.

In United in Hate, Dr. Jamie Glazov presents startling new insights into the toxic beliefs and torturously contorted thought processes of the leftists who lust to destroy the very freedoms that allow them to exist.

Advanced Praise for United in Hate…

“Jamie Glazov rolls over left wing intellectual pretensions with a Mack truck that handles like a Porsche. He rounds them up—and when he’s finished, there’s nothing left.” --Richard Perle, Assistant Secretary of Defense for the Reagan administration, now a fellow at the American Enterprise Institution.

“Ferocious.” --David Frum, National Review Online.

“Any leftist who reads this, and has any honesty left in his mind, must recognize himself in this picture and, hopefully, be ashamed.” --Vladimir Bukovsky, former leading Soviet dissident and author of “To Build a Castle and Judgment in Moscow.”

Dr. Jamie Glazov holds a Ph.D. in history with specialties in U.S., Russian, and Canadian foreign policy. He is the managing editor of Frontpagemag.com.

“Dr. Glazov has written a thought provoking book,” says Cheryl Malandrinos, Tour Coordinator for Pump Up Your Book Promotion Public Relations. “I’m honored to have the chance to help him spread the word about it.”

If you would like to follow Dr. Glazov on his virtual book tour, visit the official Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tour site at http://virtualbooktours.wordpress.com/. You can also find him online at http://www.frontpagemag.com.

Dr. Glazov’s virtual book tour is brought to you by Pump Up Your Book Promotion Virtual Book Tours, a virtual book tour agency for authors who want quality service for an affordable price. More information can be found on their website at http://www.pumpupyourbookpromotion.com.

Contact Information:

Cheryl Malandrinos
Pump Up Your Book Promotion
Chincoteague, Virginia 23336
Email: cg20pm00(at)gmail(dot)com

On Inauguration Day: How Obama Tackled the Tough Issue of the Economy along the Campain Trail

In celebration of Barack Obama's Inauguration, we are featuring an excerpt from Earl Ofari Hutchinson's book, How Obama Won--which we reviewed here.


It Was Still the Economy Stupid

In a two minute nationally paid campaign broadcast billed as a "presidential style" talk to the nation in mid September, 2008, Obama talked about one issue, and one issue only, the economy. There wasn't much new in his talk. But it really didnʼt have to be anything new. Polls by then showed the economy; or rather the train wreck of the economy was really the only thing on voterʼs minds.

Obama again vowed to cut taxes for the middle-class, clean up Wall Street's mess, and create lots of jobs for everybody. He aimed to firmly seize back the high ground on the defining issue of economic misery of the middle and working class, the Bush-GOP caused economic misery that is. This was widely regarded as his sure fire ticket to the White House. It was a play on the old political truism that it's the economy stupid that wins or loses presidential elections.

From day one of campaign 2008 the enshrined article of political faith was that voters were so furious at Bush for causing massive plant closings, farm failures, corporate bungling, fraud and corruption, the housing collapse, soaring gas prices, and the wholesale flight of jobs to the far corners of the planet, that all a Democratic presidential contender had to do to win was pass the breath test on Election Day.

Excerpt taken from How Obama Won by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

You can read more about Earl's opinions on our new President and the economy at http://www.huffingtonpost.com/earl-ofari-hutchinson/its-not-always-the-econom_b_127229.html

Order How Obama Won at Amazon.com

How Obama Won by Earl Ofari Hutchinson--Book Review

On January 20th, the world will witness an historic event--the inauguration of Barack Obama. If you seek to learn more about how Barak Obama inspired a nation and captured the White House, you need to look no further than the engaging and fair, How Obama Won by Earl Ofari Hutchinson.

A leading political analyst and social commentator, Hutchinson follows up his last two titles, How the GOP Can Keep the White House, How the Democrats Can Take it Back and The Ethnic Presidency: How Race Decides the Race to the White House, with an exploration into Obama's campaign from start to finish: what he did, what he didn't do, and what challenges he faced.

Americans' desire for change--something that Hilliary Clinton as an insider couldn't provide, how important or unimportant race would be in the 2008 Election, the state of the economy and the Wall Street Crisis of September 2008, Sarah Palin, and other issues that floated around from the day that Obama announced his intentions to seek the Democratic nomination, are put under a fair and balanced light to illuminate for the reader the elements that came into play and the decisions that were made to help catapult Barak Obama to the highest position in the land.

Conservatives, liberals and everyone in between will appreciate Hutchinson's writing style that allows even someone who does not regularly follow politics to understand his opinions, and yet, How Obama Won contains the right type of information to attract readers who have a working knowledge of the American political landscape. I can see this book being blogged about for months to come as polticial anaylsts dissect every facet of Obama's campaign strategy and continue to follow Obama's presidency.

While some readers may not agree with Hutchinson's assessment of Barack Obama as a "moderate centrist Democrat" and the author's comments about the Bush Administration, Hutchinson does an excellent job of showing how dissatisfaction with the current Administration played a huge role in Obama's win.

How Obama Won by Earl Ofari Hutchinson will not only be enjoyed by adults with an interest in politics, it would make superb high school and college reading material for social studies and current events classes of all kinds.


Title: How Obama Won
Autor: Earl Ofari Hutchinson
Publisher: BookSurge Publishing
ISBN-10: 143921929X
ISBN-13: 978-1439219294
SRP: $13.95 (U.S. Paperback) $9.95 (U.S. eBook)

Why America is seeing an increase in outrageous behavior in children, parents, and politicians by Reb Bradley

Today's guest blogger is Reb Bradley, author of Born Liberal Raised Right: How to Rescue America from Moral Decline--One Family at a Time. In this article, Reb discusses the increased instances of outrageous behavior in children, parents, and politicians.

Why America is seeing an increase in outrageous behavior in children, parents, and politicians--by Reb Bradley

America has a problem -- a HUGE problem.

Since 1960 violent crimes have increased more than 300%. Sexual assault is up 318%, aggravated assault is up 329%, and illegal drug use has increased 400%. In 1950 there were 5 known venereal diseases. An increase in deviant sexual practices has since given us over 50 distinct STD’s. A recent study revealed that 1 in 4 teenage girls has a sexually transmitted infection.

Every day we hear news reports of heinous crimes unheard of 50 years ago. Children murder their playmates, their teachers, and their parents. Teenage mothers abandon their newborn babies in trashcans, students commit carnage on their classmates, and sleaze talk shows turn it into entertainment and receive high ratings.

Our nation is in severe moral decline and our descent is not slowing.

I’d like to point out that I am not a political expert -- I am a parenting specialist. In 1998 I took note of the disintegrating moral fiber of our nation and decided to apply my diagnostic skills to find a cure for what ails our society. Just as I might sit down with a troubled family and trace out the root causes for their condition, I diagnosed our society’s condition and have prescribed a cure.

Some assume that our problems have been caused by underfunded education, by the entertainment industry, by poverty, or lax gun laws. They think our nation's problems can be cured by a government program. However, money, education, and restrictive laws will not solve the problem.

When societies are out-of-control, it is because the individuals in them lack self-control. You see, people steal, cheat, and murder, because they lack the ability to restrain their natural drives. The human heart has always lusted, coveted, and hated, but 50 years ago fewer people acted on their impulses. As individuals they had more self-control than we do. It is the self-control that is missing from the members of our society.

Where does self-control come from? The ability to master our passions does not come from a good education, from having money, or enjoying the freedom to do what one wants. Self-control is a character trait trained into children in the first few years of life. If America is to change, it is parents who must bring it about.

My new book Born Liberal Raised Right is my effort to counsel America.

I am convinced we can turn our nation around in one generation, but it will require that we own our responsibility and get a workable plan. Born Liberal Raised Right provides just that.


Reb Bradley, a retired pastor, has devoted his life to strengthening families. His classic bestseller Child Training Tips has sold thousands of copies to parents anxious to give their children the best start in life. Reb and his wife Beverly live in California, and have taught all six of their children at home.

Look for our review of Born Liberal Raised Right here.


The BORN LIBERAL RAISED RIGHT VIRTUAL BOOK TOUR '08 will officially begin on December 1 and end on December 23. You can visit Reb's blog stops at www.virtualbooktours.wordpress.com in December to find out where he is appearing!

As a special promotion for all our authors, Pump Up Your Book Promotion is giving away a FREE virtual book tour to a published author or a $50 Amazon gift certificate to those not published who comments on our authors' blog stops. More prizes will be announced as they become available. The winner will be announced by Pump Up Your Book Promotion at the end of the month!

Born Liberal Raised Right by Reb Bradley--Book Review

Are you tired of hearing of all the crime on our streets lately? Does it make you weary to watch the news or read it online? Are you concerned about the direction America is headed but not quite sure how it got so bad in the first place?

If you answered, yes, to any or all of these questions, then Born Liberal, Raised Right should be the next book you purchase.

In this engaging and informative book, author Reb Bradley discusses how the future of America is threatened by adults "stuck in their 'terrible twos'". Based upon Bradley's personal experience as a pastor and counselor, in addition to a wealth of research, the author provides a sound argument that America's moral decline is the result of overindulgent parents not providing their children with the self-control they need to become successful members of society. Bradley contends that parents who overindulge their children, fix all their problems, and refuse to allow their children to experience the consequences of their actions, foster young people who become adults who feel entitled to have everything they want and cannot accept life's disappointments.

The author states that we are born with certain tendancies: a desire for self-gratification, lack of self-control, and subordination to our emotions. And it is these traits that parents must consistently help their children rein in if they are ever going to escape feelings of entitlement and the desire to always play the victim and avoid blame. Bradley also goes on to state that "magical thinking", unchecked emotion, and an inability to deny yourself anything are traits that are "the very hallmark of liberalism". Misplaced liberal compassion creates problems in America; it doesn't fix them.

Well thought out, easy to read, and captivating, Bradley has penned an excellent book that could make a difference in the future of America. Liberals will probably hate it and conservatives will tout his wisdom, but in the end Bradley is truly believeable as a man who wants to preserve the American family and inspire parents to bring up inspriring and motivational leaders who will move the country to new heights of moral greatness.



Title: Born Liberal, Raised Right
Author: Reb Bradley
Publisher: WND Books
ISBN-10: 1935071009
ISBN-13: 9781935071006
U.S. Price: $25.95

The Ethnic Presidency by Earl Ofari Hutchinson

The Ethnic Presidency: How Race Decides the Race to the White House – Will Race and Ethnicity Decide the Presidency?

Any way you look at it, this is a historic political season. Whether the next president is a Democrat or a Republican, there will be a “first” in the new administration. The first black president or the first woman vice president will be elected. The media and the internet are buzzing with the possibilities.

Race and politics is an interesting and sometimes explosive combination. This topic is the focus of Earl Ofari Hutchinson’s book The Ethnic Presidency: How Race Decides the Race to the White House. Throughout this election year, we have all seen the news reports, the specials, the debates and much more that addresses the questions and curiosity about race and politics. More specifically, what it would mean to have an African American president in the white house.

Race isn’t a new issue in politics and The Ethnic Presidency delves into a vast array of details from the past three decades to demonstrate the difference race and ethnicity makes in any election. Race is a much bigger factor in the 2008 election than it has been in past elections.

For an inside view at the history of race in politics, take a deeper look into The Ethnic Presidency. This book is a must have for political junkies who follow each election, but it is also a great primer for the millions of first time voters who would like to understand more about the people and the elements of this election year and elections in the past. Get a real look at the way each political party used race and ethnicity to further their agenda through the years.

It examines:

Obamamania
The soaring Latino vote
The silent but potent Asian-American vote
The GOP’s love-hate relationship with black and Latino America
Will America accept a black president? Can Obama be that president?
Will the GOP use the same Southern Strategy that repeatedly won the White House?
Did blacks and Latinos elect Bush?
Have the Democrats taken the black and Latino vote for granted?

For much more information and to order your own copy, visit The Ethnic Presidency on Amazon.

Earl Ofari Hutchinson is an author, syndicated columnist, political analyst and commentator. He is a frequent guest on Hannity and Colmes, The O’Reilly Factor, The Big Story, EXTRA, and numerous CNN News and Talk Shows. He is associate editor of New America Media. His op-ed columns appear in the Baltimore Sun, Huffington Post, L.A. Times, Los Angeles Daily News, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Newsday, the Philadelphia Inquirer, San Francisco Chronicle, and the Christian Science Monitor, and other major newspapers. He is the author of ten books.

Target: Caught in the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton by Kathleen Willey--Book Review

A book to be read with a critical eye, Target: Caught in the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton is a chilling commentary of what might have happened within the Clinton White House and why Hillary Clinton isn't the best candidate for women.

A Democratic activist, Kathleen Willey helped Bill and Hillary Clinton make it into the White House in 1992. When her family got into trouble, she turned to Bill Clinton for help and ended up a victim of assault. Target shares the story of the events leading up to her assault in the Oval Office and how the Clinton machine came after her to insure her silence.

I approached Target with enthusiasm. My interest in politics coupled with what I had already heard about Kathleen Willey made me jump at the chance to review this book.

Willey interviewed several people for Target and included references from other books about the Clintons: David Shippers, Joyce Milton, Dick Morris, Carl Bernstein, Jared Stern, and many others were cited. This thorough research, however, is not enough to make this reader say she enjoyed the book. If the entire account had been as strong and well written as the final chapter, my opinion would have been different. It wasn't, so therefore I cannot get by some of the issues I saw as I read.

The writing is passive with many instances of "was" and "were". In addition, the effectiveness of Willey's arguments are lessened by the qualifier, "I think" through much of the book.

In the Introduction and in the portion of text which discusses the assault in the Oval Office, Willey retells how Clinton's frantic aide is outside the door banging and yelling because Clinton is late for an important meeting. She says, "I realize why they don't come in. They've been told to stay out." (Page 5). Mere assumption, and not the only case.

Willey is not kind to many of the people she came in contact with during her years in the White House, but is appalled at how members of the Clinton machine and the press assault women who they chose to discredit.

* "Ann Stock had no sense of decorum or good taste, which was typical of the Clinton White House." (Page 43)

* "Julie always had frizzy blonde hair that was so big it almost looked like an afro. She had no sense of style or makeup, so she always wore bright purple blush. She looked like Clarabelle." (Page 183)

* Speaking of Linda Tripp - "The press was brutal to her, just brutual...The press made fun of everything, from her hair to her clothes to her nose. Nothing was off limits." (Page 129)

* "...the Clintonistas quickly dispatched each accusation, saying Paula Jones was 'white trash after cash' and making Gennifer Flowers out to be a promiscuous lounge singer." (Page 97)

On Page 58, Willey says she cannot for the life of her remember what she wore the day she was assaulted in the Oval Office, but in the Introduction and on Page 61 she says that Clinton put his hands up her skirt and over her blouse. And on more than one occasion, Willey paints herself as a "quintessential soccer mom", but how many soccer moms work in the White House and are married to a lawyer who is the son of a famous senator?

These criticisms and others not mentioned put the credibilty of portions of Willey's account under scrutiny.

What Willey did exceptionally well is explain why the Clintons should not return to the White House, supporting her opinions with extensive documentation. Here are some excerpts from Chapter 10:

* Speaking of Hillary's presidental campaign - "They don't want us to remember that he is her spouse...who will help make decisions from a nearby desk...If Hillary wins the presidency, we will get them both...Just as he needed her to put out his fires, she needs his influence and his political wisdom. He will be there as her partner, and still, as a predator." (Page 225)

* " Hillary is no feminist, no champion for women, no advocate for women. She is an advocate for one woman: Hillary Clinton." (Page 229)

* "Thanks to the Clintons, leaders like Gloria Steinem and Patricia Ireland lost all credibility on sexual harrassment, sexual abuse, assault, even domestic abuse...the feminists no longer have the authority to address these issues." (Page 237)

Overall, I don't believe Target will persuade anyone to change directions when it comes to the Clintons. Conservative readers will enjoy Willey substantiating what they believe and liberal readers will decry this as a pack of lies. In the end, however, no matter which side of the political spectrum you fall in, the questions still remain of what really happened in the Clinton White House.


Title: Target: Caught in the Crosshairs of Bill and Hillary Clinton
Author: Kathleen Willey
Publisher: World Ahead Publishing, Inc.
ISBN-13: 9780974670164
ISBN-10: 0974670162
U.S. Price: $25.95

Earl Hutchinson and The Ethnic Presidency--Blog Blitz

I am taking part in the Ethnic Presidency Blog Blitz. The Ethnic Presidency: How Race Decides the Race to the White House is the latest book from sydicated columnist and political analyst Earl Hutchinson. Earl has been a frequent guest on Hannity and Colmes, The O’Reilly Factor, The Big Story, EXTRA, and numerous CNN News and Talk Shows. He was a regular commentator on CNBC’s The Dennis Miller Show.

Earl has been a guest on the Today Show, Dateline, The Lehrer Hour, and BET News, America’s Black Forum. He is a frequent commentator for the American Urban Broadcast Network and Ed Gordon’s News and Notes on NPR. He is also a featured columnist for www.BlackNews.com, www.BlackAmericaWeb.com, and www.Alternet.org.

Earl is associate editor of New America Media. His op-ed columns appear in the Baltimore Sun,L.A. Times, Los Angeles Daily News, Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, Newsday, the Philadelphia Inquirer, the San Francisco Chronicle, and the Christian Science Monitor, and other major newspapers.



The Ethnic Presidency: How Race Decides the Race to the White House is an explosive look at how racial and ethnic conflict has openly and covertly played a crucial role the past three decades in influencing, shaping and ultimately deciding who bags the world’s biggest political prize, the White House. It tells how racial politics will play an even bigger role in the 2008 presidential election and future elections.

It examines Obamamania, the Hillary and Bill factor, the soaring Latino vote, the silent but potent Asian-American vote, the immigration wars, the GOP’s love-hate relationship with Black and Latino America, and Bush’s effort to recast the GOP from a clubby, ole white guys party to a party of racial diversity.

The following are three separate excerpts from Chapter 6 - Reagan, Race, and His Imitators:

EXCERPT #1

Ronald Reagan could have been standing at the podium of his own library in Simi Valley, California during the first GOP presidential contender’s debate in May 2007 plugging himself as the best GOP candidate to capture the White House in 2008. The ten presidential candidates bellowed out his name nineteen times. They elbowed each other aside to smother themselves in his mantle. Their Reagan love fest was not solely a calculated political ploy to play on the name of the man millions still hold in reverential awe. It was a matter of practical politics.

Reaganism is still very much alive and kicking in American politics. The then top GOP contenders Rudy Giuliani, John McCain, Mike Huckabee and Mitt Romney, as well as the other six who stood on the podium at the Reagan library that May evening, owed their political life to him. The same could be said for later entrant Fred Thompson who wasn’t at the debate. He announced his candidacy months after the debate.

The Reagan revolution didn’t merely return America to a world in which God, patriotism, rugged individualism, militant anti-communism, and family values ruled supreme. Reagan, far more adroitly, than former President Richard Nixon a decade before him parlayed the forgotten American sentiment and a sanitized image of the past into a powerful conservative ideological movement. Race was a never-far-from-the-surface subtext to that movement.

EXCERPT #2

In the immediate decade after the collapse of the 1960s civil rights movement and Nixon’s White House ascension which further fueled racial anger and accelerated the shift, white Southerners had joined with blue-collar ethnics who were fed up with bussing, affirmative action, and crime to desert the Democratic Party in even bigger numbers than during Nixon’s campaigns.

Reagan rode the crest of his Neshoba speech and in his early years in the White House appealed to their fear that society was spinning out of control and that the Democrats did not have the answers. He stoked their fervent hope that a telegenic, conservative Republican could fulfill Nixon and Goldwater’s promise to restore law and order, clamp down on permissiveness and restore prosperity.

Reagan upped Goldwater and Nixon’s ante. His first task was to eliminate the remnants of the Great Society programs rejected by many whites as government handouts to blacks. He didn't totally succeed. But he further eroded public enthusiasm for massive spending on social and education programs. During Reagan's first four years federal expenditures on education and training, social services, public works, civilian research and development dropped.

Reagan fixated Middle Americans on the government as pro-higher taxes, pro-bureaucracy, pro-immigrant and especially pro-welfare and pro-rights of criminals. He painted government as a destructive, bloated, inefficient white elephant, weighting down the backs of Americans. He claimed that government entitlement programs that benefited the poor were a crushing drain on the budget. The Reagan imitators played hard on these themes and vowed to cut taxes and tighten the reins even more on federal spending in their debates in 2007.

Even though the Reagan revolution masked its racial appeals in code words, and subtle messages, race continued to lurk close to the surface, and from time to time it exploded to the surface.

EXCERPT #3

Reagan’s frontal attack on big government, social programs and civil rights further insured Republican wins in national elections and tightened the Republican Party’s cast iron-grip on the South. Bush in 2000 and again in 2004 benefited mightily from Reagan’s Southern and forgotten man strategy. In both presidential elections, he hauled in the electoral votes of the Old Confederate states, and the Border States with the exception of Maryland and its disproportionate number of black voters, and secured the granite like backing of America’s heartland.

Civil rights, civil liberties, women’s groups, and liberal Democrats still regard the Reagan years as the most disastrous in modern times for civil rights and social programs and that didn't change even as the nation lionized Reagan after his death in June 2004. GOP conservatives revel in the era and aura of their beloved icon. They should. His Southern Strategy, forgotten man pitch, and happy style of politics, put Republican presidents squarely in the national driver’s seat.

John McCain’s stay the course talk on Iraq, terrorism, taxes and curbing federal spending were pages straight from Reagan’s playbook aimed at shoring up any wavering GOP backing in the white South. They invoked Reagan’s patented God, country, and patriotic themes in debates through 2007. The Reagan imitators hoped that Reagan’s legacy will do the same for them.

For much more information about Earl Ofari Hutchinson and The Ethnic Presidency: How Race Affects the Race to the White House, visit his blog blitz homepage at http://inspiredauthor.com/promotion/Ethnic+Presidency+Blitz. To order your copy of The Ethnic Presidency, visit www.ethnicpresidency.com or
Amazon.com