Sherrod Asks President Obama the Right Question: Do You Believe in My Principles?: "
I guessed this one wrong. I told colleagues early this week I thought Vilsack would apologize and offer Shirley Sherrod her job back, and that she’d hestitate. But I thought President Obama would then call her personally and close the deal — and that this was the WH plan for escaping the political hole they foolishly walked into.
Well, it seems Shirley Sherrod is a better person than I am and definitely smarter than the political disaster-kabuki directors in the White House. This morning, she told the media she doesn’t need an apology from the President, but wouldn’t mind talking to him, to acquaint him with some realities from her life that he may not understand. And she needs to be convinced that he — the President of the United States — believes in, and will fight for, the principles she cherishes and he claims to hold.
The video above is her interview on the Today show, well worth watching (though why is the interviewer giving any credibility to Breitbart, given his proven, serial dishonesty?). More from the AP:
Sherrod said of Obama: ‘I’d like to help him see some of the things that he could do in the future.’
‘I really regret what they did. But as I said before, he’s my president,’ Sherrod said. ‘When you get it down to where the rubber meets the road, I think you need to understand a little more what life is like. I’d love to talk to him, though, or people in his administration … to help them understand.’
‘I can’t say that the president is fully behind me. I would hope that he is,’ she added. ‘I would love to talk to him.’
What an interesting idea. What unusual behavior by a citizen. Ask your President, or any elected official or candidate, ‘how do I know you care about the things that are important to me? What have you experienced or learned that’s relevant to the real problems I know? Why should I believe you, especially after how badly you’ve behaved?’ . . .
Wouldn’t it be something if the President and Congress had to answer those questions from people of color, and women, and working people and the unemployed, . . . or just voters? And letting them know, in public, that you won’t let them off the political hook until you’re satisfied? What an interesting notion for how a citizen relates to her government.
Everyone has underestimated this woman. Shirley Sherrod is asking the right questions, and we should all be demanding better answers.
John Chandley
More:
MSNBC’s Morning Joe, where everyone wants to apologize and offer Sherrod a job.
"(Via Firedoglake.)
