CASH COMMENTARY FOR MONDAY, JULY 22ND, 2024

                                                                    CASH MICHAELS

NOW WE’VE GOT A CONTEST (I HOPE) !!!

            by Cash Michaels

Boy, did you miss a good one! One of my best, in fact.

I had this week’s commentary, about me changing my mind, and urging Pres. Joe Biden to change his, all written, finished and polished by Sunday morning.

But just before 2 p.m. Sunday afternoon, my youngest daughter, who is attending the University of Oxford in England for the summer, but had just flown back there from spending the weekend in Brussels, texted my wife and I  to say that “…Biden has announced that he is dropping out of the election,” further adding that he did so  (on social media) “…ten minutes ago.”

I have Alexa in the bedroom, where I was dutifully napping, so, concerned that I was missing special coverage, I immediately commanded, “ALEXA, CBS NEWS!”

And my girl, anchor Norah O’Donnell, was just getting on the air with the historic news!

My kid scooped Norah O’Donnell and CBS, from overseas, with the biggest story of the year thus far! Talk about a proud poppa!

But that meant my incisive, hard-hitting commentary urging President Joe to step down for the good of the nation, and pass the baton to VP Kamala Harris, had to go the way of the dodo bird.

However, looking back over it, I did have some good stuff in there I could salvage, like, “I admire Joe’s moxie, and wanted to actually see him stick his old Irish foot up the crooked rear-end of his felonious Republican rival come election time in November. But now I’ve changed my mind.”

That was feisty! I like feisty! 

I went on later in the piece to say, “..this isn’t about whether Joe still has it, or even a little bit of it, left, anymore.”

“This is about “all hands on deck,” and winning in November no matter what. Because with the extraordinary threat to democracy Donald Trump and the MAGA Nation pose to freedom, justice and equality if he is reelected, the Democratic Party, the ONLY defense we have against that happening, can’t afford to further set itself on fire right now!”

“Nancy (Pelosi) said it best at the Democratic Unity dinner here last Saturday night,”Elections are about what you’re going to do next!”

I was gettin’ on a roll now, y’all!

“We need unity like mother’s milk, and if we can’t have it going into the Democratic National Convention come August, we damn sure better be buckled tight to it when we come out of it for November.”

Was feelin’ my oats, I tell ya!

“This is not just about the presidency, but about congressional seats, senatorial seats, state legislative seats, and all of the important down-ballot offices to be decided the right way if Democrats come out to vote in solid numbers.”

“Plus we have a crazy governor’s race here in North Carolina that we MUST put our foot down on. We do that, and everything else falls into place.”

“But Democrats MUST show up and vote!”

Ahhh yeah, it was flowin’ like music now!

“Remember last week’s Republican National Convention? Say what you want about it, but the one thing they successfully did was come out of it ready to takeover the world, not just Washington, D.C.. Using the failed assassination attempt on their feckless leader as jet fuel, those MAGA folks are now MAGA-motivated to do whatever it takes to win in November.”

“And they sincerely believe that God  (their God, not mine) saved the life of MAGA leader in a “miracle” because he’s “supposed” to return to the throne.”

“When you are facing deranged people like this, you have to have your (begins with “s”, and ends with “it”) meticulously together.”

        By the way, I'll remind you that spirit, skylit, skagit, sawpit, and swimsuit all qualify, so kindly get your mind out of the gutter!

I’m leaving out the parts here where I tell Joe he has to step down for the good of the nation, and the party, and reminded him of why he chose Kamala Harris in the first place.

“Joe Biden took a talented, strong, and visionary U.S senator and former attorney general from the state of California under his wing, and made her his vice presidential wing-woman for the past three-and-a-half-years. And Kamala Harris has been a good one.”

Then I went Star Wars on ya!

“Think Obi Wan Kenobi and Luke Skywalker (at first I chose Yoda and Luke, but I didn’t want to be accused of comparing Joe Biden to an old, ugly muppet). All Joe has to do is tell his VP, “Use the Fooorce, Kamala! Use the Fooorce!”

“Hell, she’ll do that, and more, to defeat Darth Donald.”

“Darth Donald”…I like that!

“Homegirl has worked hard for Joe and the nation. She has met all of the important foreign leaders. She knows all of the important policy objectives, and she knows how to work her former colleagues in Congress to get them passed.”

“Above all, VP Harris is incredibly tough and smart, yet, has a charm and smile that endears her to everyone (except Republicans, who prefer MAGA snakes,“Babydog” and Hulk Hogan as their forever soulmates).”

And then I had a message for the Democratic Party.

“And Democratic Party, grow a pair, for once! Stop playing guessing games, and nominate Kamala Harris as the next president of the United States. Pick whomever you want to be her VP (hey, I have no problem with Gov. Roy Cooper from right here in North Cacalacky. He’s a good man). But let’s make it happen, and make August the month we get our act together.”

And now for the big finish!

“Let’s put this fire out NOW, Democrats, because when Trump and the MAGA-nation bring it, we may never get another fair chance like this to do it again!!! LORD help us!!!”

And I ended it there.

Well now, we’ve got a contest, folks, and it’s all because Pres. Joe Biden made yet another tremendous sacrifice for his country and party. I will always love him for it. That’s leadership, and he didn’t need me to tell him so.

And Kamala sista-girl, assuming that your fellow Democrats don’t screw this up come convention time, I predict that your battle against convicted Felon Man will be one for the history books. All decent people are pulling for you now!

All decent people should!

Even a certain young Yale University senior studying over at the University of Oxford in England for the summer who was too young to vote for Barack Obama when he ran for president in 2008.

But my daughter is the perfect age now to vote for YOU.

Do me a favor, Kamala, and fight like hell to win this, please? It would mean so much to my Baby Girl, and other Baby Girls, who look just like you!

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THE CASH STUFF FOR JULY 25, 2024

                                                               DR. CHARLES FOUST

“CITIZENS OF THE BLACK

COMMUNITY” IN WILMINGTON

BLAST COUNTY GOP & DEMS

AFTER BLACK SUPT. FIRED

By Cash Michaels

Contributing writer

A citizens group representing New Hanover County’s Black community has issued an open letter about the July 3rd firing of the public school system’s first Black superintendent.

The group, “Citizens of the Black Community,” (CBC) issued the letter in response to statements from both the New Hanover County Republican and Democratic Parties about the July 3rd abrupt firing of Dr. Charles Foust.

Foust, said to be a Democrat, had long been at odds with the conservative-leaning New Hanover County School Board since his hiring in 2020.

Upon his termination, the NHC Republican Party Chairman Nevin Carr III stated, in part, “…[W]e are thrilled that he will no longer be running our school system. This is a pivotal moment in changing the culture and priorities in how our kids will be educated.”

The NHC GOP statement then goes on to make allegations about the “priorities of radical Democrats running school systems…,” including “...flags representing radical gender ideologies replacing the American flag…kids being taught to be racist, that your skin color defines you as an oppressor, or oppressed…and the teaching of history and the love of country being replaced with hateful leftist propaganda.”

The NHC GOP statement even criticizes Covid pandemic safety precautions as “ridiculous policies.”

The statement never specifically accuses Dr. Foust, a Sedalia native, with instituting any of the above.

The NHC GOP statement, after applauding the election of Republicans to the majority on the NHC School Board during the 2022 election cycle, then congratulates four of them for “bringing the motion” to fire Foust.

According to the open letter by “Citizens of the Black Community,” the NHC Democratic Party agreed with the Foust firing, but found “… fault in the Republican Party’s angle of partisan politics.”

“Our community sees a lot of similarities from both parties as it relates to the Black citizens of Wilmington. The only difference is that the Republican Party does not try to engage the Black community based on their past racist behavior towards Black people, and the Democratic Party does not do enough to truly engage Black people, displaying a form of entitlement where Black people are forever indebted to the party,” the CBC wrote.

“This letter serves as the official notice to both parties and any other supporters of regressive ideologies and limited behaviors toward our community: we will not go back in time to a place where we were not considered humans,” the CBC continued. “Our ancestors fought for the progress that we have today, but it feels as if we are losing our grip because of complacency. We have been lulled into a state of mental and emotional disarming by the appearance of progression, but that progression is conditional. It’s hard to believe the calculated and malicious efforts being brought forth by your parties when we can witness so much evidence of progress.”

The CBC open letter to Republicans and Democrats ends, “We have participated in and continue to participate in every aspect of this community and expect to be treated as such. We will no longer tolerate your blatant racist disrespect towards us and our children. We will no longer tolerate the downplaying of our mental capacity as it relates to leadership and productivity in this community as a whole.”

The CBC open letter is signed by EB Davis, Rev. Kojo Nantambu, and Derrick Anderson.

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                    VP KAMALA HARRIS, PRES. JOE BIDEN & GOV. ROY COOPER

CAN A HARRIS-COOPER 

DEMOCRATIC TICKET WIN 

IN NOVEMBER?

By Cash Michaels

Contributing writer

         Now that President Joe Biden has announced that he will not seek reelection, and has endorsed his vice president, Kamala Harris, to be the Democratic Party’s presidential nominee in November, who does one former DNC chairman think should be her running mate?

“… [I] would hope Roy Cooper, who is the former governor or the governor of North Carolina, who’s not running again. I think it will be actually easier for us to win North Carolina,” former Democratic National Committee Chair Howard Dean told CNN last week. “So, I would favor a Harris/Cooper ticket, and I think we would pick up North Carolina as a result.”

Dean, also a former presidential candidate, was among the party elders and donors who reportedly were urging the 81-year-old  Biden to step off the campaign trail in the wake of his disastrous debate performance in June against Republican rival, former Pres. Donald Trump.

In an historic move Sunday, Pres. Biden announced in a letter posted on “X” that he would end his campaign for re-election. 

“It has been the greatest honor of my life to serve as your President,” Biden wrote. “And while it has been my intention to seek reelection, I believe it is in the best interest of my party and the country for me to stand down and to focus solely on fulfilling my duties as President for the remainder of my term.”

Later, Biden also announced that he was endorsing Vice President Kamala Harris for president.

“My very first decision as the party nominee in 2020 was to pick Kamala Harris as my Vice President,” he wrote. “And it’s been the best decision I’ve made. Today I want to offer my full support and endorsement for Kamala to be the nominee of our party this year. Democrats — it’s time to come together and beat Trump. Let’s do this.”

It wasn’t long before prominent Democrats across the country like Bill and Hillary Clinton and the Congressional Black Caucus, joined in to also endorse Harris.

Political observers, like NCCU Law Professor Irving Joyner, commended Pres. Biden for his service, and for endorsing Harris for president.

“President Biden placed her by his side in every critical moment of his Presidency and provided her with active high-level training that expanded and demonstrated her leadership capabilities and qualities,” Prof. Joyner said. “As a result, Vice President Harris has earned the respect of many national and international political leaders. Many members of her political party and other US citizens have also been able to determine that she is more than capable of stepping up to become the next President of this country. When called upon, the Vice President “stepped up” to the challenges presented to her and is now ready to “step out” to become the next leader of this nation.”

Here in North Carolina, the NC Democratic Party chimed in with its support for Harris.

  “Our DNC Delegation is thrilled to announce that we unanimously endorse Vice President Kamala Harris to be the next President of the United States,” stated the NCDP in a statement Sunday afternoon. “This November it’ll be a prosecutor going up against a felon. It will be experience going up against extremism. We know that with the infrastructure and the organizing powerhouse we have spent years building, North Carolina will send VP Harris to the Oval Office.”

Republicans, however  cued in with the same talking point.

"If Biden can’t run, he can’t serve,” said Lt. Gov. Mark Robinson, gubernatorial candidate, in a statement.”Democrats who like to talk about 'protecting democracy' are throwing out the will of their voters because of bad polling. But make no mistake, whether it is Biden or Harris, the horrible policies are the same: Open borders, rampant inflation, and rising crime. While the Democrat party is imploding, Republicans in North Carolina and across the nation are united behind President Trump to deliver for the American people to make our communities safer, life more affordable, and create opportunities for everyone."

With the Democratic National Convention scheduled for Chicago’s United Center from August 19 through the 22nd, the party is now trying to decide whether it will formally nominate Harris, or hold an “open” convention, where delegates decide who their nominees for president and vice president should be.

Right now, according to published reports, Vice President Harris is garnering strong party support to succeed Biden as the party nominee. Only West Virginia Sen. Joe Manchin, a former Democrat, has indicated that he is rejoining the party just to challenge Harris.

But the vice president’s supporters say Democrats would be wise to get behind Harris, who, if elected, would become the first Black woman, and first Asian American woman ever to lead the presidential ticket of a major American political party.

They also say Kamala Harris will be the perfect opponent against Donald Trump in November. 

“Look, if you’re running against a convicted felon, then a prosecutor like Kamala is really a good person to make that case,” Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D - MA) told MSNBC last Saturday, noting that the VP and former California state attorney general is “ready to serve.”

Before Biden’s stunning announcement Sunday that he was ending his reelection campaign, he was trailing Trump by an average of at least three points in most national polls. Harris polled slightly better, but still behind Trump.

Observers say that could all change once she secures the Democratic nomination.

But then, who would best fill the vice presidential nominee slot under Harris?

According to Newsweek Magazine, Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro, a former state attorney general himself, would help deliver a key battleground state for Democrats, according to polling. But he’s only been in office for two years, and is seen as building his own record toward a national run for the White House one day.

Others have cited Michigan Gov. Gretchen Whitmer to notch another critical battleground state.Trump is reportedly pulling ahead considerably in that battleground state.

But political experts seem to agree that with North Carolina and its 16 Electoral College votes on the line, outgoing Gov. Roy Cooper, who is term limited to just two terms and is leaving office at the end of the year, would be a good fit.

Cooper, also a former state attorney general who is close to Harris, was first elected NC governor in 2016, and then reelected in 2020. In both cases, Cooper, a moderate Democrat, won when other Democrats could not, as Republicans won the state for the White House and Congress.

Barack Obama was the last Democrat to win North Carolina in 2008.

VP Harris, who has been greeted by Cooper the multiple times she’s campaigned here since the start of the year, has said of Cooper, "I've known him for almost two decades, and he is an extraordinary leader."

Cooper’s “down-home” Eastern North Carolina appeal to conservative/moderate voters is seen as a good counterbalance to Trump’s vice presidential running mate, Ohio Sen. J. D. Vance, author of the bestseller, “Hillbilly Elegy," and could help win the state.

"Roy Cooper can fit the bill too as a popular governor of a swing state," Michael Gordon, a Democratic strategist and principal at Group Gordon, told Newsweek Magazine. "He is a safe choice but may not be as inspiring nationally as Shapiro."

At press time, Gov. Cooper was reportedly on the VP short list. He has also endorsed VP Harris for president.

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ST. AUG’S U REPORTS 

DECISION REVERSED TO 

STRIP ACCREDITATION

By Cash Michaels

Contributing writer

Embattled St. Augustine’s University in Raleigh will have its doors open for the the coming fall semester, thanks to a reversal by the arbitration committee of The Southern Association of Colleges an Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC) to reinstate the private, small HBCU of its accreditation membership.

SAU may still be in business, but it’s not out of the woods yet per its pressing problems. The school is still at least $10 million in debt to the federal government, owes hundreds of thousands of dollars to vendors, and is facing several lawsuits from former employees.

Still, regaining accreditation was seen as a. important victory.

"The SACSCOC arbitration committee’s decision serves as a pivotal moment for SAU’s redemption and renewal," said Brian Boulware, chairman of the SAU Board of Trustees. "The unanimous reversal by the arbitration committee rightfully corrects the injustice inflicted upon SAU by SACSCOC’s initial ruling and underscores the university’s steadfast commitment to excellence and growth."

It was December 2023 when SACSCOC stripped SAU of its accreditation and placed the school on probation. In February, an Appeals Committee rejected SAU’s request for a reversal, leaving the school on probation until this week.

“This reinstatement acknowledges SAU’s relentless dedication to upholding academic standards and ensuring a thriving educational environment for our students,” said SAU Interim President Dr. Marcus H. Burgess. “We are resolute in our mission to overcome challenges and emerge stronger than ever.”

“The commitment and resilience shown by our community throughout this ordeal exemplify the spirit and determination that define Saint Augustine’s University,” said Dr. Janelle Jennings-Alexander, Interim Provost and Vice President of Academic Affairs. “Our faculty and staff’s tireless efforts to preserve SAU’s legacy of educational distinction help strengthen us in this accreditation journey.”

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CASH COMMENTARY FOR JULY 18, 2024

                                                                     CASH MICHAELS

TRUMP IS NOW A LIVING MARTYR. GOD HELP US!

by Cash Michaels

Do you know when my very first fascination with the news business began? November 22, 1963, with the assassination of President John Fitzgerald Kennedy.

I was a little Black boy who attended an Episcopalian elementary school in Brooklyn the day President Kennedy was murdered in Dallas by Lee Harvey Oswald (or at least that’s who they say committed the crime). 

I spent all of that weekend (Kennedy was killed on a Friday} watching wall-to-wall CBS coverage of the historic tragedy. The sheer fact that the most powerful man in the world could be cut down, in this nation, was a theme that reverberated throughout. 

I was riveted.

Years later, the assassinations of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Sen. Bobby Kennedy - two beloved, iconic figures of the 1960s, provided me with further opportunities to watch, listen and learn.

And one of the most important things I came away with from all of those political murders was that in the aftermath, there is always a period of national reflection, of fearing that our country was being changed for the worst. And we should all work together to keep that from happening,  and strive to make a positive difference.

That’s why, when I turned on the television July 13th, and saw that former President Donald Trump had been wounded after shots rang out during his political campaign in Pennsylvania, the inner newsman in me immediately clicked in.

But also the inner skeptic.

Once I saw Trump, bloody ear and all, raise his fist repeatedly in angry defiance, and lead the thousands of MAGA followers present with chants of “Fight, fight, fight,” with his outstretched fist firmly pumped into the air, as multiple Secret Service agents struggled to carried him from the stage to a waiting armored vehicle, something said to me, “This is NOT good!”

Of course the shooting wasn’t good, but the way it was immediately being milked for political gain was what startled me. That man almost lost his life, and he’s leading “Rah, rah” chants?

Oh yeah, in the aftermath, for a brief moment, there was discussion about “lowering the temperature” of national political discourse. Folks were naturally appalled that a political assassin’s weapon rang out once again in our country. And of course, we were all saddened that an innocent rally attendee, shielding his family from the bullets, lost his precious life. That man was indeed a hero. 

And while we mourned that tragedy as well, Pres. Biden did his best to lead a shocked and divided nation, decrying the assassination attempt on his political rival, and calling for civility, and unity.

That’s leadership.

But something still told me, “This is really NOT good!

We’re too divided to truly listen.

And of course, we had to deal with some moronic foolishness from Forbes Magazine, which, the very next day, published an online story titled, “Will Surviving Gunfire be Donald Trump’s Next Appeal to Black Voters?”

Apparently someone at Forbes learned how to read just in time to yank that garbage off its website before they became an absolute laughingstock.

Then came word that Trump reportedly tore up his planned Republican National Convention nomination speech, for a softer, gentler, more “unifying’ screed. Reportedly, Trump and Biden had a decent, civil conversation like adults, and out of respect, the Biden reelection campaign ordered all of its campaign ads bashing Trump off the air.

All of this nice-nice because no one wanted to be seen or perceived as being callous about the fact that Trump came within a hair of losing his life had that bullet grazed more than his ear.

But wouldn’t you know it - MAGA Republicans couldn’t help themselves. Some of them did their psycho-minded best to blame Biden, Democrats, liberals, Donald Duck, even DEI for the failed attempt on the life of their MAGA leader.

Then came Monday, and a Trump-appointed federal judge dismisses the classified documents case against Orange Man. Boy, MAGA Christmas comes early around here.

Plus Trump decides to choose one of the craziest MAGA-bots in all of Congress, Sen. J. D. Vance of Ohio, as his vice presidential running mate. In 2016, Vance talked lots of smack about Trump, but now, he gets rewarded for kissing the ring around Orange Man’s bathroom tub.

And all of a sudden, that moment of decency, and glimmer of hope that our country might indeed “lower the temperature” of crass political discourse in the interest of building bridges across the rhetorical divide, was gone.

Then I read that the widow of that brave man who lost his life shielding her and their kids from gunfire at the Trump rally, didn’t have the decency to allow her president, Joe Biden, to pay his respects, and express the condolences and well-wishes of a sorrowful nation.

This from the New York Post interview with her:

“Helen Comperatore (the widow) told the Post her family did receive a call from President Joe Biden, but that she did not speak with him.

"I didn't talk to Biden. I didn't want to talk to him," she said. "My husband was a devout Republican, and he would not have wanted me to talk to him."

Ma’am, Joe Biden was calling to express his profound respect for your husband and his sacrifice, that’s all! I am shocked that your hatred for your president would not allow for common decency in a your extraordinary moment of loss.

Given that Joe Biden had nothing to do with your brave husband’s death, but a crazed 20-year-old white, registered Republican Pennsylvania man allegedly did, should give you pause in your moment of grief, that hatred knows no political boundaries.

Oh, did I mention that the Republican National Convention then commenced this week, with notable highlights being Trump showing up with a bandage over his ear, and model, rapper, and former stripper Amber Rose assuring folks that she’s done her “research,” and “Donald Trump is not a racist.” 

With “research” like Amber’s, the cure for cancer can’t be too far behind.

I’m told that Amber Rose has millions of young social media followers, making her irresistible for Trump and the MAGA nation to exploit. 

Yeah, well I’ll see your Amber Rose, Republicans, and raise with Taylor Swift when the Democrats have their national convention in August.

I mean at least Taylor has talent, multi-millions of social media followers, and keeps her clothes on!

All I’m saying is I’ve read op-eds suggesting that the moment Trump survived the assassination attempt, the election in November was over. This country loves anyone who is a survivor, even Trump, and shows “strength,” even when they’re faking it.

I now fear that the assassination attempt on Trump’s life has truly unleashed the hounds. Now MAGA folks are running around shouting that God must want Trump to be president again because He saved the MAGA leader’s life.

Hey, I don’t discount the fact that Trump is indeed blessed to still be in the land of the living, and as much as I talk and write smack about him on almost a weekly basis, that doesn’t mean I want to see him hurt.

But when folks start turning him into some kind of other-worldly, anointed being, incapable of death, well, how do you campaign against that, Democrats?

From now on, every time you call him a convicted liar, rapist and racist, some MAGA-bot will come along and counter, “None of that is true, because of the miracle!”

When folks start talking like that, it makes you truly fear for our country, because now, people will do or say anything to make sure Trump wins in November!

This is worse than Pandora’s Box. Lord only knows what other demons are being unleashed to ensure that Trump is re-elected to the presidency.

The man is now a living martyr. GOD help us!

It may be impossible to beat him now!

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