Will Hurd, the only African American Republican in the House of Representatives is retiring

Will Hurd, African American Republican in the House of Representatives is retiring from Congress. Read his statement as to why below.

There are many reasons why I love America. I have learned over my three terms in Congress, by representing people that voted for me, didn’t vote for me or didn’t vote at all, that America is better than the sum of its parts. Serving people of all walks of life has shown me that way more unites our country than divides us. This understanding has allowed me to win elections many people thought I couldn’t, especially when the political environment was overwhelmingly against my party.

In this experiment called America we strive to create a more perfect union. Our founding principle of a right to free speech has given us the freedom to disagree, and the resulting competition of ideas has produced policies tackling a variety of problems. As has happened many times throughout our history, we now face generational defining challenges at home and abroad.

We are in a geopolitical competition with China to have the world’s most important economy. There is a global race to be the leader in artificial intelligence, because whoever dominates AI will rule the world. We face growing cyberattacks every day. Extreme poverty, lack of economic opportunity and violence in Central America is placing unbearable pressure on our borders. While Congress has a role in these issues, so does the private sector and civil society.

After reflecting on how best to help our country address these challenges, I have made the decision to not seek reelection for the 23rd Congressional District of Texas in order to pursue opportunities outside the halls of Congress to solve problems at the nexus between technology and national security.

I left a job I loved in the CIA as an undercover officer to meet what I believed to be a need for new leadership in Congress on intelligence and national security matters. I wanted to help the Intelligence Community in a different way by bringing my knowledge and experience to Congress. I’m leaving the House of Representatives to help our country in a different way. I want to use my knowledge and experience to focus on these generational challenges in new ways. It was never my intention to stay in Congress forever, but I will stay involved in politics to grow a Republican Party that looks like America.

As the only African American Republican in the House of Representatives and as a Congressman who represents a 71% Latino district, I’ve taken a conservative message to places that don’t often hear it. Folks in these communities believe in order to solve problems we should empower people not the government, help families move up the economic ladder through free markets not socialism and achieve and maintain peace by being nice with nice guys and tough with tough guys. These Republican ideals resonate with people who don’t think they identify with the Republican Party. Every American should feel they have a home in our party.

While I have 17 months left in my term, I’m very proud of the last 55. There were times when it was fun and times when it wasn’t. When people were mad, it was my job to listen. When people felt hopeless, it was my job to care. When something was broken, it was my job to find out how to fix it.

When border patrol agents weren’t getting the tools they needed to do their job, I stepped in to help. When I found an opportunity to expose more students to computer science, I partnered with non-profits to train local teachers to incorporate coding into math class. I made sure taxpayer money was used more efficiently by changing how the government purchases IT goods and services.

It was never about the size nor difficulty nor sexiness of the problem; It was about making a difference. My philosophy has been simple. Be honest. Treat people with respect. Never shy away from a fight. Never accept “no” or the status quo and never hesitate to speak my mind.

Two centuries ago, I would have been counted as three-fifths of a person, and today I can say I’ve had the honor of serving three terms in Congress. America has come a long way and we still have more to do in our pursuit of a more perfect union. However, this pursuit will stall if we don’t all do our part. When I took the oath of office after joining the CIA, I swore to support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all its enemies. I took the same oath on my first day in Congress. This oath doesn’t have a statute of limitations. I will keep fighting to ensure the country I love excels during what will be a time of unprecedented technological change. I will keep fighting to make certain we successfully meet these generational challenges head on. I will keep fighting to remind people why I love America: that we are neither Republican nor Democrat nor Independent; We are better than the sum of our parts.

Message to cowardly Republicans who won't hold town hall meetings.

Here's a message to Republican congressmen and senators who are refusing to hold town hall meetings because they don't want to face angry crowds.

If conservatives/republicans really care about gun violence in Chicago...

OPINION: By George L. Cook III African American Reports.

If conservatives/republicans really care about gun violence in Chicago, then what are they going to do about it? They may make some token gestures to help but they wont tackle the biggest issue.

Supreme Court considers challenges to racial gerrymandering

One term after the U.S. Supreme Court upheld the consideration of race in college admissions, and in a new term that already has cases on racial issues in the administration of the death penalty and in jury deliberations, one more race-infused subject will get the justices’ attention: redistricting.

The court will hear appeals on Dec. 5 from special three-judge federal panels that involve race considerations in redistricting in North Carolina and Virginia.

In the North Carolina case, McCrory v. Harris, the justices will consider whether two of the state’s 13 congressional districts, as drawn under a 2011 redistricting plan, represent unconstitutional racial gerrymanders.

In Bethune-Hill v. Virginia State Board of Elections, the court will weigh whether race was an improperly predominant factor in 12 challenged state House of Delegates districts (out of 100 districts in the state legislature’s lower house).

They’re the latest in a long line of redistricting battles to reach the high court, which has less flexibility on whether to hear such challenges than it does in most other areas of the law.

Read more: Supreme Court considers challenges to racial gerrymandering

Carson declined cabinet position offer from Trump

Many of us who thought that Ben Carson was all book sense and no common sense may have to admit that he may have an ounce of the latter. Ben Carson declined an offer from President-elect Donald Trump to join his cabinet as Secretary of Health and Human Services on the basis that he like Donald Trump has no experience running a government agency. George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com

Carson confidant Armstrong Williams said the former neurosurgeon and top Trump surrogate will continue to advise Trump from outside the White House but declined Trump's offer to join his administration as a cabinet-level official.

"He's never run an agency and it's a lot to ask. He's a neophyte and that's not his strength," Williams said, despite the fact that Carson vied for the Republican nomination to be the next president of the United States.

Williams told The Hill newspaper, "Dr. Carson feels he has no government experience, he's never run a federal agency. The last thing he would want to do was take a position that could cripple the presidency."

Carson told The Washington Post that he is "leaning" toward working "from the outside and not from the inside."

"I want to have the freedom to work on many issues and not be pigeonholed into one particular area," he told the newspaper.

[SOURCE:CNN]

Uncle Ruckus, oops I mean Ben Carson sticks by Donald Trump

While other Republicans have unendorsed and ran away from Donald Trump, Uncle Ruckus, oops I mean Dr. Ben Carson has decided to stick with the Republican candidate. In an op-ed written for The Hill, Ben Carson wrote an op-ed showing his continuing support for Donald Trump even after the release of the disgusting video of Trump discussing how he groped and kissed women and how he could get away with it. Carson also claims that Democrats waited and strategically released the video and that there is more to come without questioning why Trump has so much negative material out there to release in the first place. But then again being a neurosurgeon equals books sense not common sense. George L. Cook III, AfricanAmericanReports.Com

Read Carson's piece below.

The recent disclosure of lewd conversations Donald Trump had over a decade ago has caused a some disillusionment among GOP stalwarts and conservative voters.

In no way do I condone Trumps behavior - in fact I condemn any form of disrespect towards women. We should always honor and respect the dignity of our mothers, sisters and daughters.

Even though the incident happened ten years ago, well before Trump entered the political arena, this behavior is unacceptable, especially by someone who aspires to higher office. Trump did the right thing in immediately and unequivocally apologizing.

I feel fairly certain that the progressives have had knowledge of this conversation for a long time and dropped it at this point in time in an effort too obscure the release of damaging information about Hillary Clinton and her desire for open borders.

I believe that they have more material that they will release periodically up until the election to keep a negative focus on Donald Trump. They do not want to discuss the vital issues that are destroying our nation and the future of our children, because they do not have logical solutions and offer more of the same that has gotten us into this precarious situation.

Those of us who do not want to see America fundamentally devolve into something worse must be wise enough to recognize the scheme that is being played out here. We must demand not only that the issues be discussed but also that we make our decisions based on issues and not on personalities or decade old statements and behavior by Hillary Clinton or Donald Trump.

The political elites and their loyal media are desperate because they are seeing the large enthusiastic crowds for Donald Trump and the meager crowds for Hillary Clinton, and they know that there will be a huge enthusiasm gap on election day.

The question is; will the political elites of both parties succeed in continuing there reign of fiscal irresponsibility and military weakness or will the people understand what is going on and will they be wise enough to thwart those efforts?

Benjamin S Carson Sr MD

Emeritus Professor of Neurosurgery,Oncology,Plastic Surgery and Pediatrics

Johns Hopkins Medicine

President and CEO American Business Collaborative, LLC

Early voting boosts voting among minorities

Here is the real reason Republican led state legislatures have been trying to eliminate or limit early voting in their states. African Americans who typically vote democrat tend to use it more which drives up voter participation rates among that group. George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com

According to the National Conference of State Legislatures, 37 states now offer voters some way to cast ballots early and avoid lining up at the polls on Election Day.

These options are popular. About one-third of voters made use of them in the 2012 election.

But so-called “convenience voting” remains controversial: In some states, various types of early balloting has been challenged on grounds that it opens the door to fraud, though there’s been little evidence that such fraud is taking place.

Supporters of early voting say partisan politics is what really drives the objections. Research shows early voting increases turnout by 2 percent to 4 percent. In some cases, it particularly boosts voting among minorities, a constituency that tends to vote Democrat.

A GOP consultant acknowledged as much after a federal judge struck down North Carolina’s effort to curtail some kinds of convenience voting on the basis that legislators had targeted measures that disproportionately aided African Americans.

Read more: http://www.salon.com/2016/10/01/which-voters-show-up-when-states-allow-early-voting_partner/

New Black Panther Party says to carry arms at GOP Convention

The New Black Panther Party, a "black power" movement, will carry firearms for self-defense during demonstrations in Cleveland ahead of next week's Republican convention if allowed under Ohio law, the group's chairman said.

The plan by the group could add to security headaches for the Ohio city after last week's killing of five police officers in Dallas by a U.S. army veteran who had been drawn to black separatist ideology, including on Facebook, before hatching his plan to target white police officers.

Several other groups, including some supporters of presumptive Republican presidential nominee Donald Trump, have said they will carry weapons in Cleveland, leading to concerns about rival groups being armed in close proximity.

"If it is an open state to carry, we will exercise our second amendment rights because there are other groups threatening to be there that are threatening to do harm to us," Hashim Nzinga, chairman of the New Black Panther Party, told Reuters in an interview.

"If that state allows us to bear arms, the Panthers and the others who can legally bear arms will bear arms."

Read more: New Black Panther Party says to carry arms in Cleveland if legal

Sen. Tim Scott: Trump comments racially toxic

U.S. Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina condemned presumptive GOP presidential nominee Donald Trump’s comments about a Mexican-American judge overseeing the Trump University lawsuit as “racially toxic.”

But he said he would still support Trump as the Republican nominee, arguing that disagreeing with Trump’s remarks and continuing to endorse him were not mutually exclusive.

Trump has labeled Curiel a “hater,” “very hostile” and “Mexican,” in connection to how the case has been handled against him, alleging bias.

“I’m not living in a silo,” Scott said. “The reality of it is, we have the impact of Trump’s policies and positions compared to Hillary Clinton’s policies and positions, and I am entirely convinced the country is better off under the policies and positions of the Republican Party than they are under the Democratic Party.”

SOURCE: Charleston Post and Courier

Even Ben Carson not happy with Trump

Now I don't know if Ben Carson is more upset that Republican nominee Donald Trump has insulted both Mexicans and Muslims this past weekend or about finding out that he is not Trump's African American, but even he had words for Donald Trump about his racist comments.

In reference to Donald Trump saying that Judge Gonzalo Curiel could not do his job simply because he's Mexican, Carson released the following statement to Politico through Armstrong Williams:

"Every human being is an individual first rather than a member of an identity group. The moment we forget that is the moment we enter into a phase of moral descent,"

How do you un-stereotype black republicans

I myself am a unabashed Democrats, but I do have friends and family (don'y worry I wont name you) who are republicans. Many don't fit the stereotypical self hating, docker wearing, black bashing stereotype that many African Americans have of black republicans. As a matter of fact you wouldn't know what their political affiliation was unless they told you. That's why I found this CNN story interesting. I hope you do too. George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.Com

Once heralded as members of "The Party of Lincoln," black Republicans today are labeled everything from "confused" to "sellouts" to "Uncle Tom." How do you un-stereotype black Republicans? CNNMoney's Tanzina Vega investigates. Check out her story below.

African American Staffers Departing Republican National Committee

The Republican National Committee's Director of African American outreach is leaving the organization.

Kristal Quarker-Hartsfield is the highest ranking African American at the Republican National Committee and is responsible for strategy around the African American vote. NBCBLK has learned that Quarker-Hartsfield's official last day at the RNC will be April 1.

This marks the second big departure at the Republican National Committee in the last few weeks. NBCBLK first reported the departure of Orlando Watson, the Republican National Committee's Communications Director of Black Media, who left on March 4th.

That there has been a mass exodus of Black staff from the RNC is undeniable. Quarker-Hartsfield and Watson are two of four top African American staffers to leave the RNC over the past year. Raffi Williams, the former RNC Deputy Press Secretary and the son of FOX News political analyst Juan Williams left the RNC last year for a job in media. Another African American RNC staffer Tara Wall, who was a strategist for Mitt Romney's 2012 presidential campaign and worked for the RNC as a senior strategist for media and engagement, left in late 2015. The sole remaining top level African American staffer would appear to be Lucas Boyce. Boyce was hired to replace Wall and is listed as the RNC's Senior Strategist for Media and Engagement on their website.

Read more: Yet Another Top African American Staffer Departs RNC

Dr. Ben Carson: A Legacy Lost

After watching Dr. Ben Carson endorse Donald Trump, it got me to thinking about Carson's legacy and how I think he has squandered it. Listen to my opinion below. George L. Cook III AfricanAmericanReports.com

Dr. Ben Carson: A Legacy LostAfter watching Dr. Ben Carson endorse Donald Trump, it got me to thinking about Carson's legacy and how I think he has squandered it. Listen to my opinion...

Posted by George L. Cook III on Friday, March 11, 2016

Ben Carson releases statement on suspending his campaign

Republican candidate Ben Carson has finally admitted what many already knew. He has no path to victory to win the Republican nomination and is suspending his campaign. He sent the following email to his supporters:

As one of my most dedicated supporters, I wanted you to hear this directly from me.

I have decided not to attend the Fox News GOP Presidential Debate tomorrow night in Detroit. 

Even though I will not be in my hometown of Detroit on Thursday, I remain deeply committed to my home nation, America. 

I do not see a political path forward in light of last evening’s Super Tuesday primary results. 

However, this grassroots movement on behalf of “We the People” will continue. 

Along with millions of patriots who have supported my campaign for President, I remain committed to saving America for future generations. We must not depart from our goals to restore what God and our Founders intended for this exceptional nation.

I appreciate the support, financial and otherwise, from all corners of America. 

Gratefully, my campaign decisions are not constrained by finances; rather by what is in the best interest of the American people. 

I will discuss more about the future of this movement during my speech on Friday at CPAC in Washington, D.C.

Thank you for everything.

Sincerely,

Ben Carson's campaign in crisis

CNN's Nia-Malika Henderson reports that Ben Carson's presidential campaign is in crisis as the GOP candidate's polls slip.

Jeb Bush: "Free stuff" not part of his outreach to black voters

Like Mitt Romney before him a clueless Jeb Bush went there. During a Republican dinner in South Carolina he said "free stuff" won't be part of his plan to appeal to black voters. Now because he was clueless he does not realize he insulted millions of black voters. Now in fairness he was responding to a question and did also say that offering a message of hope could attract black voters, but the damage has already been done. Watch his comments below.

Study: Blacks not likely to support Black Republican candidates

Party undermines race among African-American voters; a new study finds, signaling a potentially hard sell for the Republican Party within this voting bloc. And it’s a problem that would likely not be solved by merely promoting Black Republican candidates for office.

“There are some very successful African-American Republicans, but those folks don’t attract African-American votes,” said the study’s author, David Niven, a University of Cincinnati professor of political science. “Party matters so much more than race.”

After the 2012 presidential elections in which Democratic incumbent President Barack Obama soundly trounced GOP contender Mitt Romney contributed by an historically large turnout among African-American voters, the GOP conducted a self-analysis and sought ways to stake a larger claim within the Black and Latino communities. Among those approaches was advancing Black candidates such as U.S. Rep. Mia Love, R-Utah.

Niven tested the efficacy of that approach in 28 heavily Black micro-precincts in Ohio’s Franklin County during the 2014 mid-term elections, during which two Black candidates ran for county offices: Clarence Mingo, the incumbent county auditor, and Rita McNeil Danish, who ran for an open seat on the county common pleas court.

The researcher mailed flyers containing a photo of the candidate and the office they sought to every household with a registered voter. But, one mailer, sent to a specific group, included the headline, “Endorsed by the Republican Party” while the other did not. A third subgroup acting as a control group received no mailer.

The results demonstrated that Black voters are more likely to vote for Black candidates—unless they know that those candidates are Republican, Niven concluded.

“Simply knowing the candidate was African-American did almost nothing for Republicans,” said Niven. “If voters knew the candidates were Republican, they finished below the top of the ticket. If voters didn’t know the candidates were Republican, they outperformed the top of the ticket.”

The University of Cincinnati researcher concluded that GOP outreach to minority voters are hampered by the party’s stance on issues such as immigration, civil rights and other issues important to these communities—a conclusion supported by Black leaders and political experts in previous AFRO reporting. And, too often, Niven added, Black Republicans reflect their party’s sometimes-myopic or dismissive views.

“The kind of African-American Republicans who have advanced to high office seem disconnected or even dismissive of African-American issues and concerns,” said Niven. “The bottom line is: For Republicans, it would help if they have some Colin Powell-style Republicans running for office and not [divisive former Ohio Secretary of State] Ken Blackwell or Mia Love.”

[SOURCE]

Ben Carson: GOP Should Be Focusing on Black Communities They’ve ‘Neglected’

On Fox’s MediaBuzz, Ben Carson talked to Howard Kurtz about how the Republican party should be doing more to reach out to black communities they’ve “neglected.” If Dr. Ben Carson keeps saying things like this his polling numbers will drop with the "base" as this could be considering pandering to a "special interest" group. Watch his interview below.

POLL: Would you vote for Ben Carson?

While Donald Trump is busy sucking most of the oxygen out of the republican primary race another candidate has quietly came up on his heels. That would be the soft spoken Dr. Ben Carson who has no actual qualifications to be president of ANYTHING, let alone President of the United States.

Some republicans/conservatives feel that Carson can attract a sizable amount of the black vote that other candidates can't. What this is based on other than Carson's race is unknown to me. I guess they feel because they like him black voters should like him not because of his views but because of his inspiring life story and his work as a renowned neurosurgeon. But people are smart enough to separate the gifted doctor from the bumbling candidate. Right now Clarence Thomas might be more popular in the black community than Carson especially after Carson's ridiculous comments comparing Obamacare to slavery. I wont even mention his stupid comments about blacks waiting to get a pat on the head from democratic leaders.

But I do wonder if a sizable number of black voters (meaning more than 3%) may still vote for him. Now why the audience here is diverse it is still mostly African American and votes Democrat so your opinion is important here. So let's tale political affiliation out of it. I would like to know if everything were equal could you under any circumstances vote for Ben Carson to be president of these United States?

Why Fox News must destroy #BlackLivesMatter

Fox News has launched an all out propaganda war against the #BlackLivesMatter Movement. The network is trying to blame the recent deaths of police officers on the movement, and trying to make a case that #BlackLivesMatter is putting officers lives at risk by changing the atmosphere in which cops must now work. Somehow speaking out against BAD cops who kill people is spewing hate against all police officers. Fox News has blamed #BlackLivesMatter for starting a war on cops. There is no proof that is so and even a police chief who made such a statement admitted as much when pressed.

Fox News is spewing this propaganda and trying to make it seem like there is an epidemic of attacks on police although police deaths are down by 13% as compared to last year. US News & World Reports reports:

Shooting deaths of officers are actually down 13 percent compared with the same January-to-September period in 2014. There were 30 shootings last year and 26 this year. Those figures include state and local officers, as well as federal agents. The figures also include two accidental shootings. Suicides are not included.

Fox News has suggested that #BlackLivesMatter is a "murder movement". Network host such as Elisabeth Hasselback have asked why Black Lives Matter is not classified as a hate group. Bill (facts be damned) O'Reilly has said that #BlackLivesMatter is a hate group and declared that he was “going to put them out of business.”

But why has #BlackLivesMatter become such a huge issue for Fox News?

They would have you believe it's because the network is pro-police. That would be bullsh*t. The truth is #BlackLivesMatter is an Achilles heel for republican/conservative candidates that none of them have any answer for. Worse yet for republicans #BlackLivesMatter is making sure that it will be part of the national agenda for the 2016 election season. Any credible candidate will have to dedicate part of their platform to police reforms and that's the last thing conservatives want. If you think Hillary Clinton or Bernie Sanders had trouble with #BlackLivesMatter just imagine the issues a conservative/republican candidate would have addressing them. Fox News has falsely demonized #BlackLivesMatter to the point where no conservative candidate can be seen as pandering to the movement for fear of upsetting the "base".

But not being able to address police reform issues will hurt the already low percentage of black voters a republican candidate can expect to get. So what's the solution? Send in the Fox News attack dogs and try to misrepresent, demonize, demean, and belittle #BlackLivesMatter to viewers who don't know in and some cases don't care to know any better. This is being done to try to keep #BlackLivesMatter from setting any part of a national platform for the eventual 2016 candidates.

Simply put Fox News attacks on #BlackLivesMatter are purely political and must be fought back against. Fox News can have their own opinions, but they can't have their own facts.

George Cook AfricanAmericanReports georgelcookiii@gmail.com