Obama speaks to black leaders (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta)
President Barack Obama, under fire from African-Americans for what they see as his inattention to their needs — fired back at the annual awards dinner of the Congressional Black Caucus Saturday night, telling blacks to stop whining and get to work helping him win a second term.
“Take off your bedroom slippers. Put on your marching shoes,” Obama told the audience. “Shake it off. Stop complainin’. Stop grumblin’ Stop cryin’. We are going to press on. We have work to do.”
The crowd cheered and applauded the President’s rallying cry.
Obama admitted times are tough — especially on the black community where unemployment is double the national average.
So many people are still hurting, So many people are barely hanging on and so many people in this city are fighting us every step of the way. It gets folks discouraged. I know. I listen to some of y’all. I need your help. The future rewards those who press on. I don’t have time to feel sorry for myself. I don’t have time to complain. I’m going to press on.
While Congressional black leaders continue to support the nation’s first African-American president, they are still vocal about what they see as his failure to step up and deal with their problems.
“If Bill Clinton had been in the White House and had failed to address this problem, we probably wold be marching on the White House, ” black caucus chairman Emanuel Cleaver of Missouri said in a recent interview.
Cleaver had harsh words for Obama’s debt-limit deal with Republicans, an agreement he called “a sugar-coated Satan sandwich.”
Cleaver is ignoring how bad things would have been if Obama had not compromised and let the gov’t shut down. Would Cleaver have had Obama’s back?
What’s Cleaver doing right now to help?
Unbelievable!
Our people are hurting.
High unemployment, horrible graduation rate, high child poverty level, and if we complain,
Obama calls us whiners.
When are Black people going to wake up and hold this president accountable as we would any other, black or white.
His admonition is likely to fail…
Bill Cosby has said essentially the same thing for years regarding the need for blacks to pick themselves up and get on with the hard task of preparing for and succeeding in life, instead of viewing themselves as victims.
It hasn’t happened, and it won’t as long as the govt defines itself as the nanny state that refuses to butt out regarding individual responsibility.
Actually, all zero is saying – to other politicians – is “you’ve got to work hard to reelect me” no matter the effect on their constituents, which will be more of the same.
Hi Almandine,
Bill Cosby is a anomaly within the black community, no different than the relatively few entertainers, sports figures etc., with the majority of black citizens suffering abject poverty and isolation within a white culture regardless of the civil rights laws and other such mandates to do otherwise.
If this country still had a robust manufacturing base along with derivative enterprises that supported the same, then there would many jobs for not only motivated black citizens, but whites too.
I once had a black woman tell me that the worst cop on the block is a black cop. He’ll use his position to shakedown, rape, intimidate and to manipulate his fellow black citizens.
So empty, faux motivational words from Cosby, Obama and other mouths of the same stripe to the black community are nothing but the ravings of ‘oreos’ and “Uncle Tom’s” that have learned to coexist with ‘whitey’ in order to succeed and excel. Believe it…! 😐
Carl Nemo **==
Hi Carl –
I find that most of those who have ideas worth considering are “anomolies”- you included. But the point I was making is beyond mere racism, and falls outside the bounds of your appeal to lack of “opportunity” as a discriminator.
The difference may be made much more salient by invoking MLK’s admonition that one should be evaluated on character, not skin color… the exact opposite of what zero’s rhetoric is trying to accomplish.
Yeah, the speech was made to the Congressional Black Caucus, and they applauded! Tell that to the black man on the street, Barry, and see if you get the same treatment. I would like to see how that would play out.
These so-called “black leaders” are no different from our beloved “white leaders,” parasites one and all…Claiming to represent the downtrodden little guy.
Yeah, CBC, roll up your sleeves, you’ve got minorities to exploit for your own gain. Time’s a wastin’…
Spot-on analysis Griff.
Carl Nemo **==
“…telling blacks to stop whining and get to work helping him win a second term.” …extract from article
Does this mean he’s offering several million fulltime jobs at $12 per hour or better to blacks et al. to get him reelected?
Talk about hubris or what…!?
We’ve elected a jive cipher to our highest office and possibly a dangerous one to boot.
The photo supplied with this article has the look of man that’s degenerated to the level of a cornered, dangerous beast…no? The jig is up Obama and you are soon to become Jimmy Carter redux.
Carl Nemo **==
JAP — Just Another Politician
Obama is visibly annoyed with his black constituency. Why are they bothering him? Obama has made it out of South Chicago. He is taking his vacation in Martha’s Vineyard with the elite. He doesn’t need these poor people anymore.