DAILY DOZEN: SHIRLEY SHERROD

The firing of Shrirley Sherrod by Agricultural Secretary Tom Vilsack has turned into a real mess for the Obama administration. Radio and MSNBC talk show host Ed Schultz indicated that the administration is a little gun shy when it comes to FOX and other conservative news outlets and I have to agree.

The question is "why"? The right-wing extremists are never going to vote for a progressive President, even if he has achieved more in less than two years that George W. Bush did during his entire presidency. (Maybe it's because at this point, W has already taken three times the days off - despite the fact that he had to deal with 9/11 and the aftermath.)

Mr. President - stop worrying about the right and start thinking about those who supported you and want to continue supporting you. To paraphrase a motto from the Clinton years - "represent your constituency, stupid!" Let those words be your guiding light and I have no doubt you'll have no problem deciding whose ass to kick.

1. The Shirley Sherrod case. [Daily Kos]
2. Sherrod receives apology, job offer (Text & Video). [Philadelphia Inquirer]
3. Sherrod's answering machine kept president waiting. [The Seattle Times]
4. President Obama said Secretary Tom Vilsack 'jumped the gun' on Shirley Sherrod’s ouster. [ABC News]


5. Willie Nelson: Shirley Sherrod, a family farmer's friend. [The Huffington Post]
6. Sherrod firing conjures up USDA’s history of civil rights struggles. [The Hill]
7. Shirley Sherrod and the dark history of Baker County. [The Huffington Post]
8. Shirley Sherrod debacle: why Obama stumbles on race. [The Christian Science Monitor]

9. Hosie Miller: Shirley Sherrod's dad, and a casualty in a forgotten war. [Salon]
10. Right Wing is using race to smear Obama. [Investor's Business Daily]
11. Sherrod case indicates fear of the power of conservative media among Democrats. [The Washington Examiner]
12. Bill O’Reilly apologizes to Shirley Sherrod for 'not doing my homework'. [The Boston Herald]