“They’ll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill,” is what one of the officers in the editorial cartoon above say after shooting a chimpanzee three times in the chest/abdomen. The chimpanzee is laying in the grass, obviously dead, with blood surrounding its body. This piece of sh*t, illustrated by cartoonist Sean Delonas, was published on the New York Posts‘ website and in the print version of the popular news publication.

But wait, President Barack Obama just signed a stimulus bill into action, didn’t he? He sure did. So does that mean the New York Post is racist? It sure does. And Rev. Al Sharpton thinks so too! Below is a statement he released earlier today:

“The cartoon in today’s New York Post is troubling at best given the historic racist attacks of African-Americans as being synonymous with monkeys. One has to question whether the cartoonist is making a less than casual reference to this when in the cartoon they have police saying after shooting a chimpanzee that “Now they will have to find someone else to write the stimulus bill.”

“Being that the stimulus bill has been the first legislative victory of President Barack Obama (the first African American president) and has become synonymous with him it is not a reach to wonder are they inferring that a monkey wrote the last bill?”

This horribly offensive cartoon also comes just two days after a 200 pound pet chimpanzee was shot to death by police officers after the animal suddenly attacked a family friend, ripping half of her face off. Doctors say it took 7 hours of surgery to stabilize the victim. What do you think about the cartoon? Is it really that offensive or are people reading into it too much? We say it’s F*****G OFFENSIVE!

President Barack Obama has signed the $787 billion American Recovery and Reinvestment Act into law on Tuesday after a grueling and long debate between Democrats & Republicans on whether the bill should be passable to revive our crumbling economy.

Before signing the bill, the President quickly reassured Americans of the long road ahead to better economic times and that of course this package would not quickly solve all of our problems.

Today does not mark the end of our economic troubles,” Obama said before signing the bill at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science. “But it does mark the beginning of the end – the beginning of what we need to do to create jobs for Americans scrambling in the wake of layoffs; to provide relief for families worried they won’t be able to pay next month’s bills; and to set our economy on a firmer foundation.

In case some readers aren’t in the loop with what this plan consists of  and would like to read the full outline of the stimulus plan, they can visit U.S. House of Representatives Committee on Appropriations and/or the  Library of Congress to read this bill.

With the recovery package signed, Obama is now putting his attention on the housing market. He will travel to Phoenix, Arizona on Wednesday to reveal his $50 billion foreclosure prevention program to help homeowners who are struggling to keep their homes.  Phoenix is one of the cities that has been hit the hardest according to foreclosure numbers. There hasn’t been many details given according to this program, however officials are looking to lend a hand to homeowners who are in danger of defaulting on their mortgages and for those who find themselves unable to keep up with the payments.

Music legend Stevie Wonder will receive a huge honorary award (The Library of Congress Award) next Wednesday, February 25th 2009. President Barack and First Lady Michelle Obama will present the award to Wonder.

The White House says the president and first lady will present Wonder a Library of Congress award on Feb. 25. The concert will be broadcast the next day on PBS as part of its “Performance at the White House” series. The award-winning Motown legend performed at the Democratic National Convention in Denver on the night Obama accepted his party’s nomination. He also sang at a concert during the week of Obama’s inauguration. His song “Signed, Sealed, Delivered I’m Yours” and “Higher Ground” were used as theme songs during Obama’s campaign stops.

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This guy has to have some sort of record of the person with the most magazine covers in the shortest amount of time. I’m talking about the president. Our president. President Barack Obama is featured on the cover of the March 2009 issue of Vanity Fair Magazine. The issue features an interview with Barack Obama’s White House team.

As America thrilled to the inauguration of its 44th president and a new First Lady, the West Wing was filling with a kaleidoscopic army of policy aces, whiz kids, and veteran advisers, all focused on the long-haul, no-drama work to which Barack has called them. These are the civilian front lines of “We the People,” photographed by Annie Leibovitz for our pages. Plus: Maureen Orth interviews the new team, and talks to White House social secretary Desirée Rogers about making Washington fun again.

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Here are a set of photos from President Obama’s Inauguration in D.C. a couple of weeks ago on January 20th 2009 in front of the Capitol building. Continue reading for an amazing set of historical photos. Download them and put them away for safe keeping. We can only celebrate having the first Black president in office once in a lifetime!

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Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. was asked by Essence to write an open letter to President Barack Obama. In the letter, he mainly talks about ways to improve the future of our country by investing in the education of our youth. Check it out below, and after the cut.

Dear Mr. President:

What a joy and relief it is to be able to salute you as President Obama. Congratulations on a magnificently run campaign. Your discipline, vision, strength and courage will take America and the world a long way. Now that we have made it through the courtship of the primary season, the engagement party in Grant Park on November 4th, and the wedding on January 20th, we’re entering into marriage—the final stage, one that is full of challenges.

It’s high noon in our politics, where hope abounds. But it is midnight in our economics. But we have hope that the darkness will lead to a new light that will shine even brighter. We are in a time of the worst economic crisis of the last half century, and amid expanding wars and conflicts in Iraq, the Middle East and Africa. The two great themes of ending poverty at home and unnecessary wars abroad must dominate our priorities.

We need an economic stimulus. We also need equal protection under the law, which we’ve never had. Those who have been dealt the most inequality deserve targeted stimulation. Our character is measured, as you mentioned in your Inauguration speech, by how we treat the least of these. The least of these are gripped in poverty, high infant mortality, less access to capital, first-class jails and second-class schools, the highest victims of home foreclosures. They need targeted job creation and job training to offset targeted discrimination and denial leading to structural inequality. They need to be able to restructure and modify their loans, real foreclosure relief to save their homes.

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President Barack Obama’s official presidential portrait was unveiled a few weeks ago. They say it’s the first presidential portrait ever to be taken with a digital camera. You can add that to the historical list of “firsts” we as a country have experienced in such a short amount of time.

President Obama began to take action regarding fuel efficiency & global warming with plans to reverse several Bush decisions concerning green issues. Obama directed his Environmental Protection Agency to review a California application to regulate greenhouse gases and told his Department of Transportation to begin implementing fuel efficiency standards passed in late 2007 but not implemented by the Bush administration.

As well all know the President has been pushing for the passage of the $825 billion stimulus package in the House and Senate to help revive the economy.  Included in this package the bills include money for investments in renewable energy, conservation, and a better electric grid.

“America will not be held hostage to dwindling resources, hostile regimes and a warming planet,” said Obama. “This is the boost that our economy needs and the new beginning that our future demands.”

Dear Malia and Sasha,

I know that you’ve both had a lot of fun these last two years on the campaign trail, going to picnics and parades and state fairs, eating all sorts of junk food your mother and I probably shouldn’t have let you have. But I also know that it hasn’t always been easy for you and Mom, and that as excited as you both are about that new puppy, it doesn’t make up for all the time we’ve been apart. I know how much I’ve missed these past two years, and today I want to tell you a little more about why I decided to take our family on this journey.

When I was a young man, I thought life was all about me-about how I’d make my way in the world, become successful, and get the things I want. But then the two of you came into my world with all your curiosity and mischief and those smiles that never fail to fill my heart and light up my day. And suddenly, all my big plans for myself didn’t seem so important anymore. I soon found that the greatest joy in my life was the joy I saw in yours. And I realized that my own life wouldn’t count for much unless I was able to ensure that you had every opportunity for happiness and fulfillment in yours. In the end, girls, that’s why I ran for President: because of what I want for you and for every child in this nation.

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President-elect Barack Obama plans to order the closing of the U.S. military prison at Guantanamo Bay as early as his first week in office.  The closing of the prison will show a break from the Bush administration’s approach to the war on terror. Officials say it would follow Obama’s campaign promise to shut down the prison through executive order.

Obama on ABC’s  “This Week”:

“It is more difficult than I think a lot of people realize and we are going to get it done, but part of the challenge that you have is that you have a bunch of folks that have been detained, many of whom who may be very dangerous who have not been put on trial or have not gone through some adjudication,”

The military prison at Guantanamo Bay is a major issue because it has become a symbol of mismanagement and overreach in the war on terror.

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