The DISH

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Volume 9 Issue 6…Dedicated to the Dialogue on Race…February 10, 2004

Bit of History

Teapot Dome: An Oil Scandal

The 1920 campaign for the Republican presidential nomination ended in deadlock at the convention between frontrunners Leonard Wood and Frank O. Lowden. To break the deadlock, party regulars met one night in a smoke-filled hotel room and chose the ever so pliable Warren G. Harding of Ohio and Calvin Coolidge as his running mate.

Following his managers’ advice, Harding made few speeches; his seeming ambivalence and campaign slogan-- “Less government in business and more business in government”– proved successful. With Democrats in disarray, the conservative Republican ticket enjoyed a landslide victory.

Harding surrounded himself with some well-qualified men and poker-playing and drinking friends, who proceeded to loot the government. As the rot set in, the Republican national press created the illusion that Harding was a great President.

From large-scale “fixing” in the Department of Justice to colossal thievery at the Veteran’s Bureau, the Harding administration was plagued with corruption and scandal. The most famous fraud involved illegal leases of naval oil reserves at Teapot Dome, Wyoming and Elk Hills, California.

Interior Secretary Albert Fall, a fierce anti-conservationist that opposed the oilfield restrictions, convinced Harding to transfer administration of the reserves to his department. In early 1922, Fall secretly leased the rights to oil at Teapot Dome to Harry F. Sinclair of Sinclair Oil (then known as Mammoth Oil) and the naval oil reserves at Elk Hills to Edward L. Doheny of Pan American Petroleum without competitive bidding. In return, the oilmen gave Fall gifts and no-interest loans. Fall attempted to keep his actions secret, but his sudden good fortunes prompted speculation.

On April 14, 1922, the Wall Street Journal reported that he had leased Teapot Dome without competitive bids. The Senate called for an investigation. Avoiding the fallout, Harding suddenly died on August 2, 1922. The following day, Calvin Coolidge assumed the presidency.

The Teapot Dome hearings began on October 15, 1923. Coolidge sought to make it a bi-partisan scandal. On Saturday, January 26, 1924, the Senate proposed calling on Coolidge to annul the oil leases and appoint a special counsel to investigate and prosecute those involved. Coolidge issued a statement, which appeared in the newspaper the next day, announcing his intention to nominate two special counsels, a Democrat and a Republican to investigate this scandal.

On January 31, the Senate unanimously passed Joint Resolution 54 calling on Coolidge to institute suit to cancel the leases and take other warranted actions. The joint resolution authorizing special counsel was signed into law on February 8, 1924. In 1929, Fall was indicted for conspiracy and for accepting bribes. Convicted of the latter charge, he was sentenced to a year in prison and fined $100,000. Doheny and Sinclair were acquitted, although Sinclair was subsequently sentenced to prison for contempt of the Senate and jury tampering. A Supreme Court decision in 1927 restored the oil fields to the U.S. government.

Comments from the Bat Cave

The Dark Knight-Batman/White Ninja/Zorro has a sweet tooth; he especially craves sodas and fruit juice. He has repeatedly been told to drink more water and eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, because water and these foods are good for the body. Since he is tall and slender and is not sick, he thinks the dietary restriction is unnecessary and border on punishment. A recent stomachache brought home the value of fluids and roughage for a healthy lifestyle. Yet, like any addiction, the craving for sugar is strong and unrelenting. Whining for his fix, the Dark One/Ninja/Zorro begged, “Grandma, may I please go to the candy lady’s house?”

Hood Notes

Writing on the Wall

By Yohannes Sharriff

As we approach the sixth and final season of Def Poetry Jam and are confronted with the waning popularity of spoken word, most poets have retreated to their day jobs. Dedicated and innovative, this generation of poets continues to collaborate with artists from other genres (theater, music, visual art, film, dance, etc.) to broaden their creative horizons.

Along with a determined drive to fill the void left by mainstream music (I’m proud to say), responsible messages and artistic integrity continue to form the core of the works being produced. A clear example of this ethic is Smooth As Kappacino Records’ new release from recording artist Breeze.

Writing’s on the Wall is the second of three albums scheduled to be released by Breeze through SAK Records. When asked what he is most proud of with respect to Writing’s on the Wall, Breeze said, “I feel I took spoken word somewhere it hadn’t gone. I wanted to show poets that we can bang in the club and on prime-time radio and still be revolutionary.”

While emphasizing elevation and education, Writing’s on the Wall blends quality production and hot tracks, providing an ideal atmosphere for Breeze’s positive message of change. Joined by talented recording artists, such as Jahiem and Tamia, Breeze’s captivating lyrics weave spellbinding tales as the listener nods along with the music.

Writing’s on the Wall is an intimate portrait of a man who has gained self‑knowledge and now begins the task of applying what he has learned through his experiences. Working to bridge the gap between mainstream and spoken word with the heartfelt ballad, “Why Did Our Love Change?”, Breeze addresses the challenges of keeping love once you’ve found it. Examining the inner battle for a spiritual life, while feeling the pressures of the material world, songs, like “Karma” and “Knees Already Bent” (featuring Terrance Trent Darby), give voice to realistic questions and concerns of urban youth that refuse to accept oppression.

My personal favorite from the album is track 14--“I Am God.” An empowering mantra, “I Am God,” while acknowledging and giving honor to the Creator, affirms that God dwells within, endowing the individual with great power and responsibility. Breeze said, “I want my audience to be encouraged to step outside their comfort zone, get a deeper appreciation for the world around them, ‘cause some real shit is going on out here.”

With a release date of April 11, 2006, Breeze urges DISH’s readers to log on to for more about him, Fifth Element and his upcoming project with Usher Raymond. Big things in the ’06! Stay tuned.

Intuit’s Vibe

Found in the Free Library

By Eleanor Wilner

"Write as if you lived in an occupied country." – Edwin Rolfe

And we were made afraid,

Being afraid we made him bigger than he was

A little man and ignorant,

Wrapped like a vase of glass in bubble wrap all his life,

who never felt a single lurch or bump,

carried over the rough surface of other lives

like the spoiled children of the sultans of old

in sedan chairs, on the backs of slaves,

the gold curtains on the chair pulled shut

against the dust and shit of the road

on which the people walked, over whose heads he rode,

no more aware than a wave that rattles pebbles on a beach.

And being afraid, we forgot to notice

who pulled his golden strings, how their banks overflowed

while the public coffers emptied,

how they stole our pensions,

poured their smoke into our lungs,

how they beat our ploughshares into swords,

sold power to the lords of oil,

closed their fists to crush the children of Iraq,

took the future from our failing grasp

into their hoards, ignored our votes,

broke our treaties with the world,

and when our hungry children cried,

the doctors drugged them so they wouldn't fuss,

and prisons swelled enormously

to hold the desperate sons and daughters of the poor.

To us, they just said war, and war, and war.

For when they saw we were afraid,

how knowingly they played on every fear-- so conned,

we scarcely saw their scorn,

hardly noticed as they took our funds,

our rights, and tapped our phones,

turned back our clocks, and then, to quell dissent,

they sent...(but here the document is torn)

Full of Democracy or Stuffed Bush

By John Burl Smith

Previews of George W. Bush’s State of the Union address (1-31-06) gave the impression he would present a panorama of America’s future. Paying only lip service to the future, Bush resembled a replica to remind us of what has been, rather than what will be. Deeply mired in the past, a prisoner of September 11, 2001, Bush’s performance was reminiscent of a taxidermy exhibition dedicated to dead things best buried years ago.

Taxidermy is the art of preserving the outward appearance of animals for exhibition or ornamentation. Once known as the art of “stuffing,” today taxidermists have developed procedures and techniques that, if followed, will render lifelike the “deadest” creatures. The most important steps in preserving specimen for taxidermy are cleaning of blood from the exterior, smoothing plumage or hair and plugging orifices to prevent body fluids from escaping. After recording color and texture of eyes, bill, feet, hair, skin and scales accurately, incisions are made to remove tissue and bones without destroying specimen’s outward appearance.

Political taxidermy is not just stuffing the hide of gutless politicians, as was done in Richard Nixon’s days. Today, under Karl Rove, it is far more sophisticated; it is an art that has been elevated to the level of science. Rove has a real talent for preserving and mounting rank carcasses. He skins away the insides so that only a hollow shell remains. Carefully measuring the image and meticulously compiling dossiers, Rove stretches the skin, hair and feathers of past images over the frame. Bush’s State of the Union profile captured all the power and grandeur of past attitudes and decisions that worked. Were it not for the commentary, viewers would not have known whether it was 2002 or 2006.

Bush’s speech made clear why cleaning the outside and removing the guts was necessary for him to remain lifelike. The first makeover came when his fleece of being “a uniter not a divider” was tarred by charges of racism. Then came the bloodless coup that eviscerated Congress and the Constitution’s checks and balances. Stains from the mounting deaths of US soldiers were cleansed by drenching America in fear. Plugging the nostrils and mouth with patriotic sermons was the only way to keep the juice of this administration from running out.

Trying to give an appearance of vitality, Bush revived the ghost of the “axis of evil,” with Syria, Burma, Zimbabwe, North Korea and Iran as major threats to democracy. However, Bush neglected to mention dictatorships and totalitarian regimes the US supports in Pakistan, Oman and Yemen. Excoriating radicals in the Middle East, Bush lumped them with those that “blew up commuters in London.” Not only was his association wrong, he turned glass eyes and stitched ears to the cries of hundreds of unarmed Afghan and Iraqi mourners and those killed at wedding parties by US rockets and unmanned drones.

Holding up the mummified remains of US policy in Iraq, Bush claimed, “We are on the offensive.... with a plan for victory,” and “Helping the Iraqi government to fight corruption.” Stuffed with puppets brought in from outside Iraq and propped up by US troops, the Iraqi government is a Vietnam relic. The corruption in Iraq is a reflection of the corruption in Washington. Bush’s friends are getting rich, just as Iraqi government officials’ friends are getting rich at US taxpayers’ expense. These days it cost a lot ($4 billion a month) to stuff a turkey, especially if he’s President.

Disgruntled wants to know: Physics professor Steven Jones and others have raised doubts about the official version of the events of 9-11, including the buildings’ implosions and Osama bin Laden taped confession. Others question justifications for the war in Iraq, renditions and detainee torture, no-bid contracts and warrantless wiretaps. A growing number of US citizens want to know, when will Congress act as a check against unbridled executive power and critically examine Bush’s actions beginning with 9-11?

Disgruntled feels: Addicted! An oilman, George W. Bush acknowledged in his State of the Union address that the US is addicted to oil. While he has since backed away from that declaration, like a true addict, the nation still views oil and how it is bought and sold globally as a national security matter. Hence, Iran’s intended oil bourse, not its efforts to acquire a nuclear weapon, is the act of defiance that causes nightmares about withdrawal for US petrodollar junkies.

Disgruntled says: On Tuesday, the nation paid tribute to the life and mourned the death of Coretta Scott King. Four of the five living US presidents attended her funeral. In the grand scheme of things, it is too bad these men did not do more while she lived to help realize her husband’s dream.

Venue for an Artist

Addicts

By Judge Greg Mathis

In the 1980s, crack cocaine exploded onto the urban scene, taking not just individuals, but entire families and communities hostages. Violence became commonplace as gangs and dealers fought over customers and turf, ‘crack heads’ became as much a fixture in urban communities as churches.

Today, there is a new "drug of choice" -- methamphetamine or meth. Made from over-the-counter cold medications, it is relatively cheap. If a seller can’t be found, it can be made at home with recipes available on the Internet. The drug’s cheap price and accessibility make it a threat. Law enforcement officials and mainstream media call meth America’s most dangerous drug.

All of the attention has led lawmakers to come up with solutions to this dilemma. Meth users, by way of the criminal justice system, are getting help to get their lives back on track. Historically, crack use has been punished with stiff criminal sentences. Both drugs are addictive and dangerous. Why the disparity? Perhaps, it has something to do with the face of meth that is overwhelmingly white.

While the crack epidemic isn’t limited to just one city or one neighborhood, there is no question communities of color were hit especially hard as the drug’s popularity grew. In an attempt to curtail the problem, the government enacted stiff drug penalties. Crack cocaine is the only drug for which a first offense of possession carries a federally mandated minimum sentence -- five grams gets you a minimum of five years. Sure, some crack addicts were sent to treatment centers but, for the most part, crack use was -- and is -- treated as a crime.

Despite the fact that the majority of crack users are white, the public face of crack has always been brown or black. Ninety-three percent of those sentenced to prison for crack-related offenses are black and Latino. When white crack users are arrested, statistics show they are rarely prosecuted. If they are, they are less likely to be convicted. When convicted, they receive shorter sentences in lower security prisons or are sent to rehab -- evidence that white drug users are given a chance to turn their lives around while addicts of color are criminalized.

Much like their crack-addicted counterparts, the predominantly white users of meth appear to be getting preferential treatment as well. States like Illinois, Indiana and Montana are building special "meth units" within prisons to specifically house and treat meth addicts, and new laws will allow judges to sentence individuals convicted of meth-related crimes to drug treatment prisons.

When policymakers first heard of the perils of meth, their original reaction was to enact stiffer drug penalties. Wisely, they seem to be moving away from that; perhaps the failed war on crack has taught them that criminalizing drug addiction overcrowds prisons, costing taxpayers billions.

Let’s hope that, instead of increasing "meth budgets," federal agencies will use all of their resources to treat all drug addicts. Instead of setting up "meth prisons," state and federal government can fight the drug war by putting their energy towards creating drug treatment programs that work, doing away with mandatory minimums and restoring judicial discretion so addicts can get the help they need.

About Me: Judge Greg Mathis is national vice president of Rainbow PUSH and a national board member of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference. Read his complete essay at .

Mailbox: E-Mails, Faxes and Telephone Calls

Email For most sports fans, heaven would be to play in the National Football League. We see money, fame and no expectations of social responsibility beyond showing up on Sunday ready to play. In the mind of the fantasy sports fan, it means a big house, a garage full of cars and the promise of sexual gratification. The last thing any fan would believe - or want to believe - is that racism is endemic to the culture of the NFL.

Email The investigation into Jack Abramoff, the disgraced Republican lobbyist, took a new turn when the Justice Department said the chief prosecutor in the inquiry would step down because he had been nominated to a federal judgeship by George Bush. The prosecutor, Noel Hillman, is chief of the department’s Office of Public Integrity; the move ends his involvement in an investigation that has reached into the administration as well as top ranks of the Republican leadership on Capitol Hill.

Email Technically, the US is broke. It cannot pay the interest on its more than $8 trillion dollar debt. It is irresponsible to talk about cutting taxes and increasing military spending when you are broke, which makes Bush’s 2007 budget a cruel joke.

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