Seems wingers are going apeshit over the performance of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" -- also known as the "Black National Anthem."

This has led to some handwringing here and elsewhere that maybe performances of such songs should be forsworn so as not to offend the easy offended.

At the start of the event Tuesday morning, City Council President Michael Hancock introduced singer Rene Marie to perform the national anthem.

Instead, she performed the song "Lift Ev'ry Voice and Sing," which is also known as the "black national anthem."

When she finished, the audience responded with mild applause. The national anthem was never performed.

Governor Bill Ritter (D-Colorado) discussed the incident on The Mike Rosen Show on 850 KOA on Wednesday morning, calling it "inappropriate."

They are going nuts because they are nuts. It's to be expected, as other diaries here have noted, that this would bring out the racists. Anything involving blacks being something other than invisible will upset racists. Anything showing black with political power will upset the wingers -- since black political power is almost universally progressive.

But let's get one thing out of the way. There is nothing wrong with the song. In the actual news story, there was confusion that the singer didn't perform the "national anthem" that was expected; that is, the Star Spangled Banner, but to complain about any other aspect of the story is proof of ignorance or worse.

"Lift Every Voice" is called the "Black National Anthem" but for God's sake, it's not an either/or situation. Our nation has several anthems, and no one goes nuts over the others.

From wikipedia

"Lift Every Voice and Sing" was first performed in public in Jacksonville, Florida as part of a celebration of Lincoln's Birthday on February 12, 1900 by a choir of 500 schoolchildren at the segregated Stanton School, where James Weldon Johnson was principal.

Singing this song quickly became a way for African Americans to demonstrate their patriotism and hope for the future. In calling for earth and heaven to "ring with the harmonies of Liberty," they could speak out subtly against racism and Jim Crow laws--and especially the huge number of lynchings accompanying the rise of the Ku Klux Klan at the turn of the century. In 1919, the NAACP adopted the song as "The Negro National Anthem." By the 1920s, copies of "Lift Every Voice and Sing" could be found in black churches across the country, often pasted into the hymnals.

Again, it's not like this is a parallel national anthem, or a dueling national anthem that hides a secret goal of white slavery. Put it akin to "God Bless America" and "America the Beautiful," both patriotic songs sung to show affection for the nation.

Frankly, "Lift Every Voice and Sing" is likely a more respectful song if you think about it. "The Star Spangled Banner" is an old British drinking song with a poem about a war the US essentially lost. "God Bless America" is our one-time mortal enemies anthem -- "God Save the Queen" with slightly different lyrics. At least "Lift Every Voice" is original.

But to be offended by this, people have to betray an ignorance of a song that is performed regularly in churches, schools, sporting events and public gatherings all over the nation, several times a day. The wingnuts getting all upset and acting all surprised are betraying an ignorance to a song better known than "Take me out to the ballgame" or "Rockabye Baby." They could get as offended by the former, as its performed with our nation's anthem at major community gatherings too.

As progressives with a modicum of education, a decent amount of historical curiosity, and no tolerance for racism, we should, as one, call this so-called outrage what it is -- blatent racism. No ground should be given. "Lift Every Voice" is a great song, sounds fantastic in the company of our nation's other anthems, and speaks for a population that deserves no less than our defense.

To cower to the idiots on this would make us unworthy of the song itself, and its vision of us as a nation.

This is the first in a likely one-part series, but I like keeping options open. A little news item, highlighted by SusanG at Kos first because I'm a turtle of slowness today, had John McCain highlighting his support for Sen. Webb's new GI Bill.

As SusanG highlighted:

I'm happy to tell you that we probably agreed to an increase in educational benefits for our veterans that not only gives them  increase in their educational benefits, but if they stay in for a certain period of time than they can transfer those educational benefits to their spouses and or children. That's a very important aspect I think of incentivizing people of staying in the military.

Now, I likely needn't remind anyone here that McCain actively opposed this GI Bill for its supposed overgenerosity. His lack of support hinged on statistics showing increased military drop-out if benefits began sooner than his preferred plan, even though an equal percentage would enlist, thus negating the dropoff.

But McCain taking credit on this ... well, it shows a Bushlike degree of Chutzpah.

Now, when I write the definitive tome "The Decline and Fall of the Republican Empire" (just kidding, I have no follow through), I'm going to subtitle it "The Age of Chutzpah." Or maybe "The Decline and Fall..." will be the subtitle. Since this book exists only in the library of dreams, I'll let Lucius and Morpheus (and any geeks who get the reference) decide. I've digressed long enough.

Chutzpah, by the way, is hard to define. Kind of like Farfegnugan or the difference between a Shlemiel and a Shlemazel. Think of Chutzpah a shameful action, undertaken without shame. Like returning a shoplifted CD for store credit. Or an AWOL draft dodger accusing a wounded war veteran of faking his illnesses.

But it's a special sort of chutzpah to take credit for a bill you actively opposed. The sort of chutzpah we've seen when adulterers impeach a president for adultery, prostitute-mongers run on morality tickets, rich Connecticutlets run as homey Texas cowboys, and oil execs wage war on uncooperative oil-rich nations and get offended by the assumption that they're just doing it for the oil.

From Joe Lieberman to the recent FISA bill, Chutzpah wins the day in the current Washington swamp and John "Campaign Finance Reformer / Campaign Finance Criminal" McCain is GREAT at it.

The problem is, people in DC don't like calling others on it. It's impolite. Impolitic. Ugly partisan vaingooglery, whatever that means. Gotcha politics. Etc.

That's why Jim Webb would be great. He could make this one flip flop by McCain into McCain's "inventing of the Internet."

Reason 1: He authored the bill. It's in his name. He has the authority to mention it at every campaign stop.

Reason 2: He would. Webb's plain-spokenness is real, compared to Obama's polish and poise. Webb called out the President of the US on his Chutzpah to ask how Webb's son in Iraq was doing -- Webb wouldn't hold back on the campaign trail. For all the negative headlines by aghast Washingtonian McKcainob-polishers, it would make the rest of America take notice.

Reason 3: McCain would have to explain himself time and time again, which would be fun to watch.

Reasons 4-10: Virginia is in play, Webb's Scotch-Irish ancestry and his fondness for Confederate History would play amazingly in the history books with an Obama presidency, Running for the empty seat would give Kaine something to do after his gubernatorial stint is over in the bizarrely term-limited state.

Reason 11: Obama-Webb looks good on paper. Actual paper. It won't mess up the logo much. Lots more circles. Ask a graphic designer.

There. And yes, Obama and Clinton looked GREAT in their Unity even today. I know. But it's not going to happen. Too much drama and soap opera. We want the soap opera to trail McCain, not our guy. Plus Hillary will look even better telling Scalia to his face to shut up when she gets on the Supreme Court.

Maybe Bill would be better on the court. Or both of them. The Clintons on the supreme court would get all those right-wing impeachment preachers really pantie-tangled. Now THATS some Chutzpah I can believe in.

Not to join the throng knocking Jerome's observations about positive poll numbers for lifting the oil-ban drilling... like ANWR the issue has never been about who has the positive poll numbers and who doesn't.

This is a simple case where those who are FOR the ban need not outnumber those who don't object to the ban being lifted.

Other than the oil companies, there is no one clamoring for the ban to be lifted. They may not mind it, $4 gas may make them willing to try long-term solutions.

But no one will vote for one candidate or the other because of they now believe the ban should be lifted. If support is raising, it's raising because people are freaking out about gas -- but it's not like anyone who was once convinced about the sanctity of Florida's beaches are suddenly convinced to the contrary. You're seeing a shift in soft-support; and soft support in either direction doesn't affect elections.

But the people who are FOR the ban are the ones who will vote the issue -- because they're the ones who've been in this fight for ages. It's like the Cuba embargo. Polls show people are over it, increasingly Florida is moving away from it as an issue. But it's not going to move voters one way or another -- it'll be part of the cocktail of their decision in the election.

But the people who whom it's a VITAL issue will never budge. No candidate who wants to win Florida will go against the embargo -- even that vocal minority of Elian's Miami cousins is enough to make that move a political suicide.

Same with the tourist and environmentalists who support the ban wholeheartedly, and won't forget -- or let Florida forget -- anyone who would sell that coastline out.

It's about enthusiasm. Lifting the ban may have support, but beyond the already wealthy oil companies, it'll never have enthusiasm (as we saw with ANWR.) And since McCain and Crist are all flippityfloppy on it, they'll never be able to generate enthusiasm, because the message can be watered down with 5 minutes on YouTube.

Florida is now Obama's to lose... I can't see any other way around that.

UPDATE: This reminds me a bit of the 'gas tax holiday' issue. We argued the issue at great length here back when Indiana was the center of the political solar system. It polled well too, and seemed like a short-term solution, but most importantly set up Obama versus Big Oil profits and poll-driven political opportunism. And this was without any real built-in support for the drilling ban among the environmentalists or tourism industry. I may be mistaken on the post-mortem, but I recall Obama's strong finish in Indiana being proof of how poorly the Gas Tax Holiday played. But I could be wrong... I'm seeing the drilling ban as another skirmish in the same battlefield that brought us the idea of a gas tax holiday... and one that is equally winnable. Fill the comments with disagreement...

Remember when we were worried that Obama would lose Florida? Or that Florida was turning into a red state?

After all, with Hillary winning Florida during the primaryish thing that was held, and with the whole delegate craziness... not to mention bad feelings the remain from the Democrats 2000 and 2004 losses... well, Florida sure seemed out of reach for a while there... up until... today.

Yes, today. In a single fell swoop, John Sidney McCain, savior of the Democratic party, gave the Democrats Florida's electoral votes in 08, plus -- most likely -- another Senate seat in 10, and the Governor's mansion.

The answer, Encyclopedia Brown style, after the jump.

During the 80s, Burke Breathed, during one of his many bouts of genius, coined the term "offensensitivity." Truly a great term lost in the era of 'sniglets,' the term described those whose ability to be offended seemed greater than the offense.

We've been through several offensensitive moments this 2008 election cycle. With fine lines of racism and sexism drawn, both Democratic campaigns had supporters -- and even candidates, who walked those lines. Sometimes clumsily.

There is no role for sexism or racism in sincere political discourse. (There is certainly a role for it in craven, evil political discourse, as anything goes when power in at play. To deny it is naive. To abide it is pathetic.)

But lately, if today/tomorrow's Politico front-page is any indication, the McCain campaigns attempt to insert its own offensensitivity into the mix -- ageism -- is getting a hearing.

As some Republicans see it, Democrats are deliberately talking in code about the presumptive 71-year-old GOP nominee as part of an attempt to highlight his age.

"It is code; there is no question it is," Ed Rollins, a Republican strategist who helped lead President Ronald Reagan's 1984 reelection campaign, said when age surfaced as an issue. "They are trying to raise doubts."

MSNBC host Joe Scarborough repeatedly argued on his show last week that the Obama campaign was portraying McCain as a "doddering, old, confused fool. He needs to go to Miami Beach and play checkers."  

More at the jump...

Hey conspiracy theorists, anti-Obama jibber-jabbers and various people who look at the absense of a mountain and pretend to climb one anyway, Kos has the latest Obama-ain't-merkin-nuf rumor debunked...

...his birth certificate.

http://www.dailykos.com/storyonly/2008/6 /12/11012/6168/320/534616

Yay! Now McCain is the only party nominee born outside the USA.

I hope, with this, the Vast Right/Left/Center Wing Conspiritards, the Hillerzombies and Fox News can focus on something much more important -- like getting Michelle Obama to have her kids DNA tested on the Maury Povich show like a good "baby mama" should. Afterwards, she can shuck something.

Isn't it time for a shark attack or something. News bimbos, himboes and weather gymbos... MoveOn!

McClean, VA -- Continuing a trend begun several days earlier, presumptive GOP Presidential Nominee Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) offered what his campaign called a "prebuttal" to New York Senator Hillary Clinton's concession speech to Democratic rival Sen. Barack Obama Saturday.

As thousands began to fill the National Building Museum just off Washington, DC's, famed National Mall to hear Clinton (D-NY) deliver her words of endorsement to Presumptive Democratic Nominee Barack Obama (D-Ill.), McCain spoke in front of several dozen supporters at what used to be a Famous Footwear just outside the city.

Standing in front of a neon-orange backdrop that read "A Concession We Can Believe In," the color seemingly turning the 72-year-old Senator's hair a sherbert hue, the former Vietnam POW was resolute that he alone offered what America was looking for is a presidential concession speech.

"Hillary Clinton today may say she joins millions of Americans in supporting Barack Obama as president, but for months she's said he's not ready to be president," McCain said. "That, my friends, is not a concession we can believe in."

Seeming to riff on a leaked transcript of the Clinton's prepared remarks, McCain often seemed troubled by the TelePrompter set up before him, mumbling at times and at one point admonishing the machine to "type louder."

"Hillary Clinton says she wasn't able to shatter that highest, hardest glass ceiling," McCain said. "I promise you, friends, that a President John McCain won't get a mere '18-million cracks' in the glass ceiling. I will shatter it, and be a female president you can believe in."

At times, the audience for McCain seemed agitated, as if trying to prod the Maverick Senator with boos, cheers and unrelated requests for 'Freebird'.

"The Democrat Party says I'm going to be the third term of George W. Bush. My friends, that's ridiculous," McCain said to various hoots from the audience. Then, several in the crowd suggested he continue the speech, but this time in a flower shop, in the charactor of a flamboyant dance instructor from Venezuala.

"My friends, I think you're looking for the improvised theatrical comedy group next door. And though they claim to offer Second-City-style comedy, it's not mild entertainment you can believe in," McCain scolded, as they filed out of the room.

McCain closed his remarks on a typical refrain, calling for a strong military, decreased spending and saying that America requires a president with experience.

"Hillary Clinton offers words of consolation and concession, but remember -- I lost to a guy of significantly less experience a full eight years ago." McCain said. "When America needs a leader to be someone other than who they actually want to lead them,, I have the experience of being that unwanted leader."

He later added: "Hillary Clinton says she'll do everything she can to get Barack Obama elected president. My friends, that's not good enough. I, John McCain, promise to do much, much more to get Barack Obama elected president. Beginning with this speech."

You've washed it.

You've scrubbed it.

You've sand blasted it.

You've covered it in UNICORNS and poured FANCY DANCING PRINCESSES on it.

It seems there's NOTHING you can do to remove the stain of

L O S T    R E C O M M E N D A T I O N
        A N D
R A T I N G    P O W E R S ! ! ! !

You might as well give up, right?

No!

Not yet!

Now that the primary is FINALLY over...

(No wait! It's a tie!)
(Shhh!)

...shouldn't us pox-covered doxies, us slattern-branded Obamatons, Kool-aid addled we may be, get back our ability to say, "hey, good job fellow democrat!" or "Mojo to thee -- Joe Biden WOULD chair a good Blue Ribbon Panel on American Policy Toward Qatar."

(It's not over 'till Denver!!!)
(I said SHHH!)
(DENVER DENVER)
(Don't make me call the Shamwow guy! I'll do it!)

So post here if you're like me and still can not voice your GOD GIVEN RIGHT to give one of three possible numbers to stories you read (Two numbers, technically, since zero isn't really a number in the way black isn't really a color, tomatoes aren't really vegetables and Pluto isn't really a planet.)

The Disenfranchisement must end. Maybe give us fractions of Mojo, but allow us full access to SuperTroll distinctions or somthing.

Pretty please?

I'd encourage people to recommend this diary, but, as usual, I'd imagine, as in the past, those who still care about this issue, still can't.