The U.S. Justice Department filed a motion on Monday to dismiss a Freedom of Information Act lawsuit by Judicial Watch, a conservative watchdog group, who requested the images.

“We shouldn’t throw out our transparency laws because complying with them might offend terrorists,”  Tom Fitton President of Judicial Watch said in a statement. “The historical record of Osama bin Laden’s death should be released to the American people as the law requires.”

Read more at the New York Daily News.

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But you probably didn’t hear about that. You probably heard about “CBC Week” and the CBC PARTIES.

Admittedly, I had been a bit skeptical of heading to what some folks refer to as “Political Freaknik.” I had heard lots of commentary on CBC Week but hadn’t experienced it myself. Having gone to a lot of other non-Black conferences in the past, I felt that I would be remiss not to attend CBC Week when the opportunity came along. Even as the event was coming closer I found myself criticizing the CBC. But after  hanging out a bit at the conference I had a weird “Aha” moment.

More coverage of the CBC Convention here.

While on-air, a young lady came by the Blacking It Up Booth and gave me a button with a QR code and the CBC logo telling me all of the events that were going to be happening. I casually mentioned this to the Jomo K. Bellard, the senior communications consultant of the CBCF.

“I’m sorry,” Bellard said. “Can I see the button?”

After a few moments he said: “This isn’t us at all. I have to sue these people.”

Soon after having a few more conversations with him and checking out the events that were happening I realized that the CBC had nothing to do with what even the hip hop radio stations were calling “CBC Week.” The Congressional Black Caucus Foundation does three things: a Conference (which does not include parties); a scholarship/internship program (the largest of its kind on the Hill); and publications dealing with the the mission of the CBCF. I was corrected even when I mistakenly referred to the CBC and the CBC Foundation as being the same.

I had to take back a lot of my random outsider commentary.

Now there are various critiques to give the CBCF conference as a whole. But there are also a lot of kudos to give as well. The platform given to allow for this type of national conversation with members of congress is great. The attempt to have varied panels with experts and wide range discussions focused on action is great. And now — although a bit late — an attempt to engage an audience that isn’t already indoctrinated into the CBC way via social media and independent media platforms (such as my own show) is great. And honestly, the Conference is only as good as the folks that come to make it it good. Those who come for Political Freaknik aren’t helping make the difference. Those who show up simply to hear themselves talk isn’t making a difference either (because there were quite a few of those). The CBCF Conference is a platform for change — not the actual change itself or the problem with everything.

A lot more of us should use it

Elon James White co-hosts the widely popular podcast Blacking It Up! which airs live Mon-Thurs 1:30pm ET. Follow Elon James White on Twitter  @elonjames

Sharpton, who spoke to the president shortly after the speech remarked, “He said this is what I’ve done, and it helps Blacks and helps the county and now let’s get to work,” Sharpton said. ”It’s important to remind people who may be discouraged, don’t compare him to the Almighty, compare him to the alternative.”

“Ordinary (African-American voters) are hurting and want action, but they are not going to abandon ship and are not the ones who are all but saying (Obama) sold-out,” said a Democratic staffer for a member of the Congressional Black Caucus. “That’s coming from people who didn’t back Obama from the start.”

Read more at the New York Daily News.

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A lot of Blacks working in corporate or other professional fields do too.

It’s not a complaint… I’m just stating my reality. But there’s something that happens when you deal with a lot of non-Blacks and then jump back into Black surroundings. I make references that I know other Negroes will have a much higher chance of understanding. I speak in terms of “we” and speak of a shared ancestral struggle that brings on occasion a familiarity and sense of camaraderie that doesn’t automatically come when dealing with non-Blacks. It’s something I almost didn’t take notice of until I recently saw President Obama speak at the CBCF Gala in Washington, DC.

The 44th President of the United States is nothing if not a gifted orator. He takes queues from all the great performers; from presidents to preachers to stand up comedians. The President understands timing and the milking of a moment for maximum effect. But for all his amazing skill it seems to only amplify when he is surrounded by an audience of Black folk.

Not African-Americans. Black folk

The President has a way about him when dealing with other Black folks in various situations. (Remember when Obama saw Queen Latifah a few years ago and greeted her with a “What Up, Queen?” in a Chicago style drawl?) His speech at the Congressional Black Caucus Gala was no exception. From facial expressions to heavy preacher rhetoric and pacing — Obama dropped a hot 16 for the Caucus Gala attendees (a friend asked when he finished his speech “Did he just drop the mic?) and they responded with cheers and applause.

For a President who is supposedly losing his “Black base” he sure seemed to have them eating out of the palm of his hand on Saturday night.

More coverage of the CBC Convention here.

President Obama, who has been traveling  the country on his “Pass This Bill” tour hit all his major talking points at the Gala. He mocked the GOP for being “pro” many of the things in the Jobs Bill right up until he suggested it. “Y’all used to like building roads.” Obama delivered with attitude and a rare sense of authentic annoyance that seemed less rehearsed and more unleashed. He continued his supposed “class warfare” by pointing out the rich should pay their fair share. But Obama hinted at the troubling time that he’s been having with the CBC. “I listen to some of y’all…” he said with a defiant look in his eye.

Obama walked in the room with what seemed to be a frustration at the questioning he’s received about his policies when it comes to Black Americans — which as of late has been coming directly from the CBC. His method of dealing? Spelling out what he’s already done but SAYING “African-American” when he did it.  This came with applause and screams of “That’s right.” He pointed out the 17% unemployment rate amongst Blacks and that this Jobs Bill would help Black Americans and all Americans — but he needed help to get it passed. This was a direct response to some of the Black caucus members, like Rep. Maxine Waters, who specifically stated at the conference that it wouldn’t/couldn’t pass

“I expect all of you to march with me and press on. Take off your bedroom slippers, put on your marching shoes. Shake it off. Stop complaining, stop grumbling, stop crying. We are going to press on. We’ve got work to do, CBC.”

That wasn’t aimed at Black People as the Associated Press claimed. That was for the CBC itself. If the members weren’t happy about his commentary they probably didn’t want to say it to the audience that was screaming with glee as he delivered those parting words. Obama spoke to the audience not simply as a President to the nation–but with the comfort of one speaking to family. When he said “we” it wasn’t as in “We, Americans…” it was “We, Black Folks…” bringing a sense of camaraderie that not only did the audience need, but Obama probably needed himself.

Elon James White co-hosts the widely popular podcast Blacking It Up! which airs live Mon-Thurs 1:30pm ET. Follow Elon James White on Twitter  @elonjames

Cain upset Texas Gov. Rick Perry,  thought by many to be the Republican frontrunner, who came in second with 15.4 percent.

The mock election run by the state party capped a three-day convention where Cain and former Santorum appeared to pick up new supporters as the front-runners stagnated or stumbled.

Read more at CBS News.

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Why? Because the 1.9 million new jobs the White House says the bill would produce in 2012 falls short of what it’s needed to put the economy back on track to return to pre-recession jobless levels of under 6 percent, from today’s rate of 9.1 percent.

That’s how deep the jobs hole is. The persistent weakness of the U.S. economy has left 14 million people unemployed and more than 25 million unable to find full-time work.

Economists of all stripes pretty much agree that it will be a long, hard road no matter what Congress does. Right now, the Republicans who run the House and the Democrats who lead the Senate aren’t finding much common ground.

Obama estimates his American Jobs Act would lower unemployment by just a single percentage point by next year, to just over 8 percent, heading into the 2012 presidential election.

Burned before by making overly optimistic job-creation predictions, the White House turned to prominent outside economists to crunch the numbers.

The projection of 1.9 million new jobs, a 1 percentage point drop in the unemployment rate and a 2 percentage point increase in the gross domestic product under Obama’s plan came from Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody’s Analytics.

But Zandi said in an interview his forecast also is based on an assumption that “the president’s entire package is passed by the end of the year,” a slim prospect given the current divided leadership in Congress, and that there are no other budgetary policy changes.

“I assumed that it would be paid for,” Zandi said. “I didn’t know when I did that simulation how the president proposed to pay for it.”

Since then, Obama has said he would pay for his $447 billion package with permanent income tax increases of about $150 billion a year, mostly on wealthy individuals and corporations, in addition to spending cuts. That’s drawn criticism from Republicans, who say any tax increases could further stall the fragile recovery.

Zandi, who has advised both Republican and Democratic lawmakers, said he’s still sticking with his forecast, mainly because the stimulus in the plan, including a temporary reduction in Social Security taxes for both employees and employers and infrastructure spending, would come in 2012 and be paid for later.

But there is one feature Obama doesn’t emphasize.

Zandi said his job-creation figure only applies to 2012.

“Beginning in 2013, and certainly into 2014, the plan is a drag on the economy because the stimulus starts fading away,” he said. “So by 2015, the economy is in the same place as now, as if there were no jobs package.”

Also, Zandi said, his forecast does not leave any room for a new recession. If that happens, all bets are off.

“So it’s very important to get as many people working as fast as possible,” he said. “If we go back into recession, it is going to be very difficult to get out. And it’s going to cost taxpayers tremendously.”

Job creation has ground to a virtual standstill. The economy produced a scant 20,000 net new jobs in June, 85,000 in July and none in August. Economic output, as measured by the GDP, has been growing this year at an anemic annual rate below 1 percent.

The global economy is showing no signs of strengthening. A divided Federal Reserve is nearly out of ammunition for additional stimulus. And the U.S. is once again facing the possibility of a government shutdown at the end of next week.

The Obama-Zandi target of 1.9 million new jobs next year, or 158,000 a month, is somewhat higher than private analyses that suggest the plan would create 100,000 to 150,000 jobs a month.

Heidi Shierholz, economist for the labor-leaning Economic Policy Institute, calculates it would take job growth of 400,000 every month for three years in a row to get back to the 5 percent jobless rate last seen in December 2007, at the recession’s outset.

“To get down to 5 percent in five years, we need around 280,000 jobs every month,” she added. “Right now, we’re more than two years into the official recovery, and we’re still bumping along at extremely low levels.”

What if Obama gets none of what he requested? She said failure to renew some current anti-recessionary programs such as extended unemployment insurance and the existing Social Security tax break for employees “will be a big blow” both to the economy and to the employment picture.

More likely, Congress will probably produce a watered-down version.

As long as the GDP grows at an annual rate beneath 2.5 percent, it cannot create enough jobs for new entrants into the workforce, let alone to re-employ those laid off during the downturn, said Martin Regalia, chief economist for the U.S. Chamber of Commerce, the nation’s biggest business lobby.

The chamber estimates it will take 20 million jobs over the next decade to get the economy back to pre-recession levels. It has its own jobs plan, which includes increased trade, greater oil drilling, quicker road and bridge construction and temporary corporate tax breaks.

“If you want to go from 9.1 percent down to 5.5 or 6 percent unemployment, you’re going to have to grow roughly at 4.5 percent (GDP) for three years,” Regalia said. “I don’t see that in the forecast.”

In the first six months of this year, the GDP grew at a scant 0.7 percent rate. Private forecasters see it growing about 2 percent in the final six months of 2011, about 2.5 percent throughout 2012, and increasing to about 3.2 percent in 2013.

Obama is quick to acknowledge a rocky road ahead.

“For a decade now, incomes and wages have flat-lined for the American people – for ordinary Americans, for working families,” he says. “They are working harder, making less, with higher expenses. And that’s been going on for a long, long time.”

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In a tit-for-tat battle, the Senate used a near party-line vote of 59-36 to derail the measure passed earlier by the Republican-run House. That bill would fund federal agencies and provide $3.7 billion in disaster assistance, partly paying for that aid with cuts in two Energy Department loan programs that finance technological development.

With the support of 10 GOP senators, the Senate had voted last week to provide $6.9 billion in disaster aid and no cuts to help pay for it.

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., offered a compromise Friday that would accept the House’s lower level of disaster spending but lacked the loan program cuts. Republicans refused to let the chamber approve it, but the Senate will consider it Monday, when Republicans seem likely to prevent Democrats from getting the 60 votes they would need to prevail.

The dispute pitted GOP objections that the disaster spending would worsen the government’s budget problems unless savings were included against Democratic complaints that cutting the energy loan programs would stifle the economy and cost jobs.

The fresh round of brinksmanship came with lawmakers facing two deadlines. The Federal Emergency Management Agency’s fund for disaster victims could run out of money early next week, even as claims from Hurricane Irene and other recent disasters continue to accumulate. And Congress has completed none of the 12 annual spending bills for the federal fiscal year that begins Oct. 1, meaning agencies would have to close their doors that day without fresh funding.

“We’ve agreed to their number on FEMA,” Reid said. “I mean, do they want the government to shut down? Do they want FEMA to close?”

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., said Democrats want to continue the Washington custom of financing emergency spending by adding to colossal federal deficits.

“If there’s any lesson we can draw from the debates we’ve been having here over the last six months, it’s that the American people won’t accept that excuse anymore,” McConnell said. “The whole, `that’s the way we’ve always done it’ argument is the reason we’ve got a $14 trillion dollar debt right now.”

Besides its emergency aid, the measure the House passed early Friday would temporarily prevent a federal shutdown by financing government agencies from the Oct. 1 start of the new fiscal year through Nov. 18. It was approved by a near party-line 219-203 vote.

White House spokesman Jay Carney faulted House Republicans for the deadlock, saying they had passed legislation knowing it would die in the Senate, just as they had during last month’s fight over extending the federal debt limit.

“The fever hasn’t broken – the behavior that we saw this summer that really repelled Americans continues,” Carney said.

Republicans blamed Democrats, saying the House-passed bill had enough money for the Federal Emergency Management Agency and that Democratic opposition to it was all about politics.

“The American people are sick and tired of political games,” said House Appropriations Committee Chairman Harold Rogers, R-Ky. “Shutting down the government and cutting off essential programs that our people rely on is bad enough, but leaving disaster-stricken families and communities in the lurch in their hour of greatest need is simply reprehensible.”

It was unclear how the standoff would be resolved. The House and Senate had both planned to take next week off, but neither seemed likely to risk accusations of ignoring the thousands of Americans victimized by natural calamities or of allowing the government to shut its doors.

House passage represented a reversal from an embarrassing setback the chamber dealt its Republican leaders on Wednesday. On that day, the House rejected a nearly identical measure, shot down by Democrats complaining its disaster aid was too stingy and conservative Republicans upset that its overall spending was too extravagant.

The bill the House approved Friday morning contained just one change – an additional $100 million in savings from cutting a second Energy Department loan program, this one aimed at sparking new energy technologies.

That is the same program that financed a $528 million federal loan to Solyndra Inc., the California solar panel maker that won praise from President Barack Obama but has since gone bankrupt and laid off its 1,100 workers. The Obama administration had praised Solyndra as a model for green energy companies, but now Congress is investigating the circumstances under which the government approved the loan.

The gridlock over the spending bill was the third time this year the two parties have clashed over legislation whose passage both sides considered crucial.

In April with just hours to spare, the two sides reached agreement on a bill that averted a federal shutdown and provided money for government agencies through September. Then this summer, they battled for weeks before finally approving legislation extending the government’s borrowing authority and narrowly preventing a historic federal default.

Against a backdrop of the 2012 presidential and congressional elections and angst over the country’s dismal job market, this year’s clashes have been intensified by the infusion of dozens of tea party Republicans who often show little inclination to compromise.

Wednesday’s defeat of the spending bill was only the most recent time they have made life difficult for House Speaker John Boehner, R-Ohio. And it underscored the challenges ahead this fall as Congress tackles efforts to fix the economy, create jobs and try to control the $14 trillion national debt.l

WASHINGTON, DC — U.S. Congressman Charles B. Rangel (D-NY) was honored with the unveiling of his official portrait commemorating his tenure as the 62^nd Chairman of the House of Representatives Ways and Means committee.

A small bi-partisan group of congressional lawmakers including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-CA), Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, House Speaker (D-MD), John Boehner (R-OH) and Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) were on hand to congratulate Rangel, who made history when he became the first African-American appointed chair of the committee in 2007.

Rangel made history again in 2010 when he stepped down from the Ways & Means chairmanship amid ethics allegations. Rangel was later censured for ethics violations by his congressional peers.

RELATED: Rep. Charles Rangel Censured By Congress In 333-79 Vote

Yesterday, however, Rangel’s comrades focused on the positive.

“You are the one who is a champion for those who need it most,” said New York’s Democratic junior Senator Katherine Gillibrand.

Rangel was the first New Yorker in 140 years to Chair the powerful Ways and Means committee, which oversees federal funding for Social Security, trade, Medicare, Medicaid, and unemployment benefits. Rangel currently serves as Chairman Emeritus of the Ways and Means Committee. He is also a founding member and former Chairman of the Congressional Black Caucus.

“My life is a story that [says] anyone can make it, from a high school drop-out [to being] the chair of this committee,” said Rangel during a speech after the unveiling.

Hundreds traveled on coach buses from the congressman’s district in New York’s to see the ceremony.  L. Ann Rocker, a community activist from Harlem, said she voted for Rangel when he first ran against and defeated Adam Clayton Powell, Jr. in 1970.

“I was really pleased to see such a magnificent portrait of our esteemed congressman who has really worked for 40 years, not just for Harlem but for America,” said Rocker.

Following the ceremony, Rangel hugged and shook hands with constituents as he made his way around the Ways and Means Committee room. Right behind him was his wife Alma, who did the honors of drawing back the curtain to reveal the painting of her husband.

“He worked very hard over the years, he’s been a good congressman,” said Alma Rangel. “The portrait is an example of his dedication to public service.”

The unveiling coincided with the Congressional Black Caucus Foundation (CBCF) Annual Legislative Conference taking place this weekend in Washington, D.C.

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Obama fulfilled one of his chief campaign promises by bringing an end to the 17-year-old policy.

The President stated in his announcement:

Today, the discriminatory law known as ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ is finally and formally repealed. As of today, patriotic Americans in uniform will no longer have to lie about who they are in order to serve the country they love. As of today, our armed forces will no longer lose the extraordinary skills and combat experience of so many gay and lesbian service members. And today, as Commander in Chief, I want those who were discharged under this law to know that your country deeply values your service.

I was proud to sign the Repeal Act into law last December because I knew that it would enhance our national security, increase our military readiness, and bring us closer to the principles of equality and fairness that define us as Americans. Today’s achievement is a tribute to all the patriots who fought and marched for change; to Members of Congress, from both parties, who voted for repeal; to our civilian and military leaders who ensured a smooth transition; and to the professionalism of our men and women in uniform who showed that they were ready to move forward together, as one team, to meet the missions we ask of them.

For more than two centuries, we have worked to extend America’s promise to all our citizens. Our armed forces have been both a mirror and a catalyst of that progress, and our troops, including gays and lesbians, have given their lives to defend the freedoms and liberties that we cherish as Americans. Today, every American can be proud that we have taken another great step toward keeping our military the finest in the world and toward fulfilling our nation’s founding ideals.’

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