August 25, 2008Recommend (12)
BY GREG COUCH Sun-Times Columnist
BEIJING -- They were two little kids, free of the past and any doubts or suspicions. The U.S. basketball team won gold Sunday, beating Spain 118-107, and the players jump/hugged at center court like superstars rarely do. Redeem team, yes. But the players with the most redemption, Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade, left the court facing a maze of waist-high metal fences, along a row where reporters stand for interviews, and to the locker room.
So here came Wade, working a camcorder to capture things. But then he couldn't help himself. "Ahhhhhhhh," he said, and started sprinting through the whole thing.
» Click to enlarge image Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Carmelo Anthony are surrounded by photographers as they celebrate after beating Spain 118-107 in the men's gold medal basketball game Sunday at the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
(AP)
RELATED STORIESRedeem Team survives, makes Colangelo a hero
And then Bryant came, jumping and running and high-fiving anyone with a hand.
Like two kids so happy deep down that they can't help themselves but to just run and yell.
The moment meant plenty to all the players, and to the great organizer, Jerry Colangelo. But it meant something particularly special to Wade and to Bryant.
"No question it does, and it will," Wade said. "I talked to Coach K (Mike Krzyzewski) and said, `Thanks for believing in me.' "
Bryant, meanwhile, was here to rebuild his name. He hasn't won an NBA title without Shaquille O'Neal at his side. And feelings about him in the U.S. are mixed, ever since his sexual assault accusation.
Now, he has a major championship. And in China, the people were surprisingly wild about him. He created a bigger stir the past two weeks even than China's Yao Ming. On Sunday, two young woman volunteer assistants working the interview room couldn't help themselves when Bryant walked in. They squealed and giggled together.
It was a much better image for Bryant than what we're used to. That, and the gold medal around his neck.
The way he took over in the fourth quarter against Spain, when his country needed him.
"What you saw today was a team," Bryant said. "People say NBA players are selfish, but we were facing adversity and came out with a win."
If Bryant goes home with a better image though, Wade's redemption is more from within. He was the best player on the team throughout the Olympics. And you could have seen that coming when he said beforehand that all he expected of his teammates was that they play the best 16 days of their lives.
He was on the 2004 team in Athens that embarrassed itself with disinterested play and a bad attitude. Wade, who's from Chicago, barely acknowledges being on the team, saying he didn't get to play.
But before the Games, he talked about the people in Athens booing the U.S. team, not just on the court, but out in public, or anywhere the players were seen.
Do you know where your bronze medal from Athens is?
"No," he said. "But I know where my gold is, and it's going to stay here for a while."
It was around his neck.
Wade, who scored 27 points Sunday, including a big late 3-pointer, was a question mark with Colangelo. He still had the endorsements of a superstar, the commercials with Charles Barkley, and even the tabloids talking about him and whether he's dating Starr Jones.
Truth is, though, Wade hasn't been playing to his reputation. His knees appeared shot, and Colangelo told him from the start that the word was Wade would never be the same. Wade had to prove himself. And once Wade said he could do it, Krzyzewski backed him, he said, and even called regularly leading up to the Games to see how he was doing.
Wade did something he said he had never done, hit the weight room to build the muscles around his knees.
"I worked damn hard to get here," he said.
From here, Wade goes back a different person. And Team USA is different, too.
Someone asked him if the team had created the blueprint for future golds.
"It's going to be a tough blueprint to follow,' he said. "Tough to get this team back together.
"But we've got great young players. They saw how we represented ourselves and enjoyed the experience. Hopefully, the next Olympics, whether I'm on it or not, everybody will take a look back at this and try to do it."
It couldn't have turned out better for these two kids.
Wednesday, August 27, 2008
The joke's on McCain: Late-night comedians lay off Obama
LA Times
A hilarious new study of late-night political jokes, due to be released later today, finds the network comedians clearly avoiding humor about Democratic candidate Barack Obama, while piling the jokes on President Bush and Sens. John McCain and Hillary Clinton.
The study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs finds that only cable's Comedy Central -- whose primary comedians, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, more closely follow the day's headlines, which have been dominated by Obama -- has slightly more jokes about the freshman Illinois senator.
The study covered all jokes between Jan. 1 and July 31 in late-night monologues by Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, David Letterman, Stewart and Colbert.
Apparently, Jimmy Kimmel was not deemed funny enough to be included, which should give his writers some ammo for tonight's show.
The center found that the network shows broadcast only 169 jokes about Obama, compared with 428 about Bush. McCain drew 328 jokes. Hillary Clinton, who dropped out of the presidential race and much political news in early June, still drew more than twice as many attempted yuk lines (382) as Obama.
On Comedy Central, Obama and McCain were close, with 207 and 201, respectively, while Clinton and Bush nearly tied at 179 and 177, respectively.
Combining the laugh lines from all five shows, Bush was the ...
... most mocked, with 605; Clinton had 562; McCain got 549; and Obama trailed, with 382.
Letterman had the most fun at Clinton's expense, with 146 jokes about her and only 46 about Obama. Leno had the most Bush jokes (208), with Clinton right behind at 204.
Colbert worked McCain over the most, with 129 jokes, compared with 91 for Obama and 79 on Clinton. An example: "It's time the media started trumpeting McCain's exciting story. He's old, and no one likes him."
It'll come as a huge surprise to everyone that the main focus of jokes about Vietnam veteran McCain was his age, which is 71. "McCain was asked how he's going to conserve energy," said Leno, who is 58 and being forced to retire from NBC next year. "He said by taking three naps a day."
Obama's recent Mideast and European tour "may strike some as presumptuous," said Stewart, who's 45. "In fact, I joked that Obama would be stopping in Bethlehem to visit the manger where he was born."
Leno on 60-year-old Clinton: "Only in America could a woman who's married to a man from Hope go to a town called Unity and fake something called Sincerity."
The study did not explore why Obama got off so lightly on the network shows from New York and Burbank. So we'll all just have to guess: probably out of simple respect for Obama's long public service.
-- Andrew Malcolm
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Comments
maybe you will also present your audience with the polls or scientific data that show or suggest whether being the object of comedy actually more helps or harms a candidate's campaign? or whether, and if so how, comedy can be, or is being used, as a propaganda tool.
without further information, your material seems rather pointless.
Posted by: dave | August 21, 2008 at 03:39 AM
Well if it will make you feel better, over 70% of the media coverage about Barack Obama is negative, and 90% of the coverage of Black men in general is negative. Think about it when is the last time read a positive article about a Black man in the Los Angeles Times or any other publication.
Posted by: MrUniteUs | August 21, 2008 at 04:15 AM
The reason for this is obvious. They have more respect for him. He is more presidential than all of them.
Posted by: Tyler Durden | August 21, 2008 at 04:24 AM
thats bull, the reason is because he is black, liberal television, race fear again, double standard..its disqusting
Posted by: jeff | August 21, 2008 at 04:25 AM
is that self censor? or we will be label many kind of word form racis* , gender bia*....? oh thats not good for media freedom.
Posted by: jennifer cole | August 21, 2008 at 04:34 AM
This study reveals the bias of the entertainment industry as a whole, not just the TV "comics".
Let's face it, we moderates and conservatives are just not PC!
What a joke that is.
Posted by: Walt Hall | August 21, 2008 at 04:37 AM
"Probably out of simple respect for Obama's long public service" - good one.
Obama is comedy gold, but Hollywood types won't gore their own ox.
Mocking him pisses him off more than anything it will be fun to watch.
Posted by: Jack Sheet | August 21, 2008 at 05:31 AM
How about this story? Game changer and you don't even see it. Imagine the ads targeted at rural dems in key states. While millions of Americans lose the only home they have ever owned, John McCain tells them, Gee, I have to get back to you on how many homes I own! Wow! And who is that elitist?!
Couple this unreal moment with his claim that peopel who make over 5 mil are rich, his making millions off of his mob-tied father-in-law, and his travels to The Bahamas with Keating...and this election is done for him.
McCain unsure how many houses he owns Jonathan Martin, Mike Allen
1 hour, 12 minutes ago
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Wednesday that he was uncertain how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own.
"I think — I'll have my staff get to you," McCain told Politico in Las Cruces, N.M. "It's condominiums where — I'll have them get to you."
The correct answer is at least four, located in Arizona, California and Virginia, according to his staff. Newsweek estimated this summer that the couple owns at least seven properties.
In recent weeks, Democrats have stepped up their effort to caricature McCain as living an outlandishly rich lifestyle — a bit of payback to the GOP for portraying Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as an elitist, and for turning the spotlight in 2004 on the five homes owned by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.
Pro-Obama labor groups have sent out mailers highlighting McCain’s wealth, and prominent Democrats have included references to it in comments to reporters.
Twice in the past two weeks, those Democrats have focused on McCain’s houses.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told Politico’s Ben Smith that it was McCain “who wears $500 shoes, has six houses and comes from one of the richest families in his state."
And David Axelrod, Obama’s chief strategist, referred in an interview with Adam Nagourney of The New York Times to an imagined meeting of McCain strategists “on the portico of the McCain estate in Sedona — or maybe in one of his six other houses.”
McCain’s comments came four days after he initially told Pastor Rick Warren during a faith forum on Sunday his threshold for considering someone rich is $5 million — a careless comment he quickly corrected.
In the interview, McCain did not offer an alternate number, but had a new answer ready.
“I define rich in other ways besides income,” he said. “Some people are wealthy and rich in their lives and their children and their ability to educate them. Others are poor if they’re billionaires.”
McCain, by anyone's measure, is well-off, if you account for his wife's fortune. Cindy McCain inherited control of her father’s beer distributorship, the largest in Arizona, and has an estimated worth of more than $100 million.
Posted by: Joshua Generation for a New GOP | August 21, 2008 at 06:12 AM
Does the fact that Obama is not the subject of jokes work against him? O's problem is that he comes across as distant and too cerebral suggesting a lack of decisiveness when he answers questions (as happened at the Saddleback "debate"). Our humanity comes as much from our foibles as our strengths. Foibles are the prime source of humor and a visceral way we connect with our leaders and they with us (which is why laughing at one's self is so endearing).
Posted by: JMD | August 21, 2008 at 06:18 AM
Its easier to make fun of someone with more imperfections. Its no joke, that's just the way it is.
Posted by: truth | August 21, 2008 at 06:36 AM
2 words: White Guilt
Posted by: Greg | August 21, 2008 at 06:42 AM
What about Craig Ferguson?
Posted by: JimC | August 21, 2008 at 06:43 AM
We have the media, including late night talk show hosts, to thank for foisting this charlantan on the American public. Of course the DNC contributed heavily. Their actions, combined with the gullibility of many Americans, has resulted in the most unqualified candidate ever to run for the office being a hair's breath away from the presidency. Nice work!
Posted by: Marross | August 21, 2008 at 06:49 AM
I took Leno & Letterman out od my TIVO. They are not funny anymore. I think they are getting too old.
Posted by: tkd61 | August 21, 2008 at 06:51 AM
this is meaningless because comedy central destroys the argument
Posted by: HoraceManoor | August 21, 2008 at 06:59 AM
They're afraid to poke fun of Obama because they're scared of being labeled "racists." He's too "holy" for jokes.
Posted by: Chris | August 21, 2008 at 07:04 AM
Obamamania in the media started almoust immediately. One of the best example of the Obamamaniacs, i think, is Keith Olbermann. Nobody investigates who is behind all of that nonsence.
Posted by: Victor | August 21, 2008 at 07:10 AM
The Center for Media and Public Affairs that released this "study" is a conservative think tank. The president of the the CMPA is a Fox News consultant and used to be head of the American Enterprise Institute. CMPA is funded by the Olins, the Scaifes, and the same millionaire heirs that fund so many of these conservative groups. Of course, this "news" is not provided by the reporter Andrew Malcolm. Thankfully, the LA Times makes him list on this page he used to work for the Bushes (yet another bunch of millionaire heirs who never worked a day in their lives), so at least we know what angle he is trying to push.
I'm told by the software that these items are moderated and thus there is a good chance this will never show up. Of course, LA Times Tribune company's readership has been plummeting since the web breaks up their little corporate propaganda campaign, as did their stock price which went from 60 in 1999 to below 30 last year before it was finally privatized. The Times can spit out corporate PR and hide this comment, but they can't stop their plummeting readership and disappearing advertising.
Posted by: Michael Schroeder | August 21, 2008 at 07:11 AM
...so where is Craig Ferguson in this study? He's much funnier than these guys. He tells several jokes on McCain nightly. Have never heard him say a joke about Obama.
Posted by: Carl | August 21, 2008 at 07:36 AM
Remember, the new definition of a racist is someone who uses facts and logic to win a debate with a "liberal."
Americans don't want a President that comedians can't make fun of out of racial hesitations. That is for sure.
Posted by: Twok | August 21, 2008 at 08:10 AM
they don't joke about B.O. because he's divebombing in the polls. it's bad sportsmanship to mock losers.
Posted by: benitacanova | August 21, 2008 at 08:10 AM
"Well if it will make you feel better, over 70% of the media coverage about Barack Obama is negative..."
I'd like to visit your planet some day. How many Suns do you have and what color is the sky there?
Posted by: Stan | August 21, 2008 at 08:33 AM
This is news to anyone? That a black liberal who can't speak off teleprompter, is a two-legged gaffe machine, has zero grasp of history, but has a history of drug use, is totally whipped by his domineering wife, and is currently divebombing in the polls offers nothing to make fun of?
Yup, makes sense to me...
Posted by: princetrumpet | August 21, 2008 at 08:35 AM
"How about this story? Game changer and you don't even see it. Imagine the ads targeted at rural dems in key states. While millions of Americans lose the only home they have ever owned, John McCain tells them, Gee, I have to get back to you on how many homes I own! Wow! And who is that elitist?!"
When will the moonbats learn that this sort of class warfare just doesn't work? Most Americans simply don't share your resentment of success.
Posted by: Stan | August 21, 2008 at 08:36 AM
They don't make jokes about Putin in Russia either.
An investment in the future. I guess...
Posted by: Johnny | August 21, 2008 at 08:56 AM
why dont they make jokes about barack hussein obimbo
it is obvious, he is black and tthat would be wrong and they would be called racist even thoug the obamanation is a black racist
white guilt it may be however it may also be self loathing that whites are taught by the media.
i wonder where obimbo and his kind would be without whitey, getting eaten by lions and alligators and living in cesspools like somalia, kenya, the congo or the future hell hole that was a great country called south africa
tis a pity
eamon
Posted by: eamon | August 21, 2008 at 09:02 AM
Man, this article likes to start a flame war. Look at these comments, all politics and racism talk. I don't think anyone is even talking about what the article is actually about; how Jay Leno sucks and Conan rules.
And 'squinty-eyes' Kimmel is not funny
Posted by: Bobachu | August 21, 2008 at 09:03 AM
They don't make fun of Obama because it would piss off the Hollywood Elite, and they might even boycott their shows, Or be accused of making jokes at Obama because he's black. So sad.
Posted by: Pamela | August 21, 2008 at 09:10 AM
And how many homes does Ted Kennedy own,? Give me a break. You liberals live in a world of your own!
Posted by: Rex | August 21, 2008 at 09:15 AM
They're scared. Look what happened to Imus.
Posted by: peterg | August 21, 2008 at 09:25 AM
For all the people who have commented to the effect of "no one makes fun of Obama because they fear being branded racist/he's too out of touch" - this argument would only hold up if people weren't telling jokes about him. They are. Just less than they are telling jokes about McCain.
Posted by: George Charlson | August 21, 2008 at 09:48 AM
The likely reason: they're terrified.
To make any jokes about Obama is to invite immediate condemnation for racism from the campaign and the entertainment industry, with calls to pull them off the air.
Gives a whole new meaning to the term "Hollywood blacklist."
Posted by: jblog | August 21, 2008 at 10:11 AM
As a senator in the Illinois legislature, Obama voted against a measure that would have protected BABIES who were already born. Obama's action would have the effect to allow doctors to withhold medical attention from BABIES and allow them to DIE!
Gives new meaning to the song "Killing Me Softly" doesn't it?
The records from the Illinois Legislature fully support the story and the facts. When confronted with the facts and copies of official documents, Obama accused people of lying about his record. It turns out that Obama was the one who was not telling the truth. And he tried to force his deception upon The American People by calling his accusers liars. A few days later, his campaign very quietly admitted that Obama was "Mistaken" in his assertions. MISTAKEN? I think there are more appropriate words which more accurately describe Obama's assertions rather than "MISTAKEN".
These facts would lead a reasonable person to conclude that Obama supported infant killing in Illinois and then when faced with the truth tried to cover his tracks. What do you think?
Posted by: GeraldD | August 21, 2008 at 10:21 AM
These people NEVER get the studies right.
The problem with evaluating these comedians according to the sum-total of their jokes about candidate X or candidate Y is that some comedians have larger audiences than others.
The audience-size thing is critical. To plausibly measure influence, one should multiply each comedian's joke-total (for each candidate) by the number of persons who're likely to have heard the joke. Dennis Miller could crack on Obama all night and it wouldn't have a tenth the impact of Leno cracking on McCain, 'cause the former has no audience and the latter does.
The same thing is the problem when people argue that, "The Mainstream Media aren't really that left-biased; after all, most editorials in small-town newspapers are written by fairly conservative people." Yes: And the small-town newspapers have a circulation of 150; the New York and L.A. Times and Washington Post circulate 15 million. This is, uh, a difference worth considering.
Once the findings of these "bias" studies are audience-weighted, they'll be meaningful.
But not until then.
(Another problem is that some jokes evoke sympathy for a person or don't bear on aspects of that person's qualifications for being president, whereas others evoke contempt and/or do reflect negatively on that person's presidential qualifications. But we'll leave that aside for a moment.)
Posted by: R.C. | August 21, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Lets stop beating around the Bush--of course it's a "white Guilt" deal, plus the Imus fear factor, fear of being labeled racist--all of it. And the fact that the majority of the entertainment industry itself is so undeniably liberal and leftist. To contend otherwise would take a Lake-Superior-sized vessel full of unmitigated gall. Let's not kid ourselves, sports-fans, the only politically acceptable category left ok to ridicule is straight white conservative Christian males. Everything else is PC-like beyond the pale--UNLESS your a member of the minority group that you're making fun of. DL Hugley, on the Lenno show only a week after Imus was fired said:"Imus was right, those WERE some ugly nappy-heads out there--although they weren't Ho's." Not a PEEP of criticism.
Posted by: Rex V. Darling, Jr. | August 21, 2008 at 10:38 AM
I have a great respect for America. But all these years politicians have been folling around and especially repub..
Look at unemployment,health all these have killed americans real guts but still you are talkng about security threat..you millions billions to FBI,CIA,NSG for what ..what are they doing if you are asking to be pres ..ask for health reforms jobs .....
Mccain talk about fuel and stuff like that what was he doing ...why did Sr Bush killed the electric car...
Posted by: Sameer | August 21, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Is Obama American? Otherwise, he can not take a joke.
Posted by: Peter Truong | August 21, 2008 at 11:46 AM
Walter Winchell, the famous gossip columnist said, "I don't give a damn what they say about me...as long as they spell my name right". McCain is easier to ridicule so I guess he wins the exposure round in this matchup.
Posted by: Thorninurside | August 21, 2008 at 11:52 AM
@Sammeer...
That's kinda ironic because all the civil rights legislation that the democrats started and continue to push for have been around since the 1960's and what have they done for the country? It seems like if these policies worked so well, we wouldn't still be talking about them, now would we?
Posted by: greg | August 21, 2008 at 11:57 AM
It's very simple: McCain is just a funny ol' dude trying to act presidential and failing.
Posted by: oaklynne | August 21, 2008 at 12:50 PM
"Apparently, Jimmy Kimmel was not deemed funny enough to be included ... "
Hahaha, I rofl'd.
Posted by: jessica | August 21, 2008 at 01:37 PM
The study is meaningless for a variety of reasons:
1. Selection Criteria is what? Conan is in, but Fergeson is out? On what basis?
2. Colbert's show is stylistic in premise and that premise inherently pokes more fun at certain targets.
3. Letterman is in NEW YORK where one of the candidates is a sitting Senator, skewing his joke selection.
4. We made more fun of Quayle than Bush I as a VP. Media bias, or are some people just better fodder? Both can be critiqued on policy, negativity, flip-flops, and the usual stuff -- but the values of their real defining characteristics for simple, base comedy (Mccain - Age, Obama - fanatic pop culture vs substance) are different, and frankly McCain's vice is easier to exploit for a quick punchline.
5. Who the heck cares?
Posted by: GW | August 21, 2008 at 01:38 PM
Simple. McCain gets the brunt of the jokes because he is the Bigger Clown. By far. The man is a buffoon who doesn't know that Pakistan and Iraq aren't contiguous, who admits to know nothing about the economy, who married a woman young enough to be his daughter shortly after dumping the wife who had stuck with him through thick and thin, who doesn't know how many houses he has, who claims to be a straight talker but who can't go a press conference without lying (the latest: his wife met Mother Teresa... bwaaah!)
Posted by: Joe Shmoe | August 21, 2008 at 01:53 PM
Mecane steels people heart by telling his captivitu in vetnam and when he talks about it he thinks makes his listeners to belive he is the only vetran from that wrongly started war and finished shmefully.
He uses it like a currency to buy peoples heart, ear and now their vote AMERICA WAKE UP BEFORE CRYING FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.
MACANE STOP USING YOUR EXPERIANCE IN VETNAM AS ACURRENCY TO BY PEOPLS HEART BECAUSE YOU ARE FROM RICH FAMILY AND GOT A CHANCE TO BE ON NATIONAL STAGE DONT MAKE MONY AND STATUS WITH THAT EXPERIANCE. THERE ARE MANY VETRACE WHO DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE LIKE YOU AND CANNOT CASH IN TELLING THEIR STORY. WE ARE TIRED OF LISTING YOUR BLABLA BLA .....VETNAM......BLABLA.... TALK REALITY NOW.
Posted by: JOJO | August 21, 2008 at 01:58 PM
It's all for ratings people! They joke about what's funny. Those crying that the TV stations are too easy on Obama need to listen to the "Eagles" single named "Get Over It".
Posted by: Edwin L. Jones | August 21, 2008 at 02:37 PM
It doesn´t really matter which party wins its all a show, all controlled by the CFR and Bilderberg until everyone realizes that these elections are all a show then we´re in the same position that we are with Bush. Learn more people open your eyes.
www.prisonplanet.com
www.infowars.com
www.jonesreport.com
www.truthnews.us
Posted by: John Lewis | August 21, 2008 at 03:28 PM
Obama is going to get hammered now about HIS house courtesy of convicted felon Tony Rezko...and someone should ask him if he objected when John Kerry with his many mansions and his billionaire wife Teresa Heinz ran for President.
Posted by: Richard Orby | August 21, 2008 at 04:05 PM
Simply put, Bush, McCain and Clinton are more buffoonish than Obama. He doesn't really have that many qualities that lend themselves to comedic skewering. He's intelligent, speaks eloquently, always appears calm and confident, is neither strident or befuddled.
Posted by: Midgie | August 21, 2008 at 05:16 PM
Nicely put Midgie.
To exapnd a little McCain seems more like Bush a figure of fun for the late night shows and a nightmare for the rest of us.
McCain offers up an easy comedy target.
Compare: Obama goes to Germany a makes a very presidential speech. McCain goes to a supermarket and talks while cans are dropped behind him by an uninterested shopper. Come on, comedians can't pass up that kind of opportunity.
How about the bikers rally he attended were he offered up his wife for a strip dancing beauty contest!! and doing that vroom vroom thing just to get them to rev their engines - So sad.
Add the fact that he is old which means he forgets how many houses he has and mixes up Shite and Sunni gives them another easy target.
Obama talks sensibly and intelligently about subjects, even if you don't agree with him and doesn't come across as senile.
Should comedians base their jokes on the lies about Obama, muslim etc or the reality that is John McCain.
Posted by: Bob | August 21, 2008 at 09:06 PM
Maross - I presume you are talking about John McCain or are you referring to President Bush?
Posted by: Clive | August 21, 2008 at 09:12 PM
Lets see, a study stating that shows on ABC NBC etc
are biased in favor of democratic presidential hopefuls.
They are all unbiased professionals. It can't be.
It's NOT true I tell you.
Doowleb
Posted by: Doowleb | August 22, 2008 at 08:49 AM
For the multitude of people on here saying that the late nights are attacking McCain because he's an easier target - last time I checked, big ears were comic gold (see Fresh Prince).
Or how about the Obama "Uh" count, which I've only seen once or twice. Obama says "uh" more times in a day than he says "Americans." That too is comic gold.
I love late night television; jokes about Bush and McCain can be funny. I'm not a wingnut. But a "he's old" joke every night usually falls flat. I think they're not picking on Obama because the race issue. Saturday Night Live deals with race issues all the time; why have they fallen silent on this one?
Posted by: Evan | August 22, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Speaking of Hollywood and the media's infatuation with Senator Obama, where are Michael Moore and Susan Sarandon and Whoopi Goldberg this time around? They put W. in the White House in 2004 with their socialist ranting, and now they have an even more liberal candidate based upon Obama's voting record which is at odds with his rhetoric. The media seem to forget the part of the country not on the east and west coast, who do not share the views that the economy can be "solved" by radically expanding the welfare state and punishing success. Both BIll and Hillary Clinton undersand this, which is why both were/are electable as President. Not Senator Obama, whose record is more liberal than Ted Kennedy which is why Hollywood is fawning all over him and thus confirming his lack of electability in the heartland. Hillary would have beaten McCain by 10 points and Obama snubbed her out of ego and criticized her for supporting the liberation of the repressed and brutalized citizens of Iraq who now have freedom and democracy. How can that be a "disaster" or a "quagmire" -- ask any Iraqi citizen if they want to go back to being terrorized and murdered by Udaq and Qusay Hussein. Its gonna be 4 more years in the wilderness for the Democratic Party until we can nominate another moderate such as Bill or Hillary. Hillary in 2012!!!!!
Posted by: Reagan Democrat | August 24, 2008 at 09:30 PM
This isn't a shock! Obama's people set the precedent early on: If you make any jokes about the Black candidate we'll call you a racist!!!! Just another reason not to vote for the man if you ask me. Can you imagine four years of being called a racist any time you try to critique (or even joke about) your President? No thank! I'm going with Nader this year!!!
Posted by: gaypastor | August 24, 2008 at 10:53 PM
A hilarious new study of late-night political jokes, due to be released later today, finds the network comedians clearly avoiding humor about Democratic candidate Barack Obama, while piling the jokes on President Bush and Sens. John McCain and Hillary Clinton.
The study by the Center for Media and Public Affairs finds that only cable's Comedy Central -- whose primary comedians, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, more closely follow the day's headlines, which have been dominated by Obama -- has slightly more jokes about the freshman Illinois senator.
The study covered all jokes between Jan. 1 and July 31 in late-night monologues by Jay Leno, Conan O'Brien, David Letterman, Stewart and Colbert.
Apparently, Jimmy Kimmel was not deemed funny enough to be included, which should give his writers some ammo for tonight's show.
The center found that the network shows broadcast only 169 jokes about Obama, compared with 428 about Bush. McCain drew 328 jokes. Hillary Clinton, who dropped out of the presidential race and much political news in early June, still drew more than twice as many attempted yuk lines (382) as Obama.
On Comedy Central, Obama and McCain were close, with 207 and 201, respectively, while Clinton and Bush nearly tied at 179 and 177, respectively.
Combining the laugh lines from all five shows, Bush was the ...
... most mocked, with 605; Clinton had 562; McCain got 549; and Obama trailed, with 382.
Letterman had the most fun at Clinton's expense, with 146 jokes about her and only 46 about Obama. Leno had the most Bush jokes (208), with Clinton right behind at 204.
Colbert worked McCain over the most, with 129 jokes, compared with 91 for Obama and 79 on Clinton. An example: "It's time the media started trumpeting McCain's exciting story. He's old, and no one likes him."
It'll come as a huge surprise to everyone that the main focus of jokes about Vietnam veteran McCain was his age, which is 71. "McCain was asked how he's going to conserve energy," said Leno, who is 58 and being forced to retire from NBC next year. "He said by taking three naps a day."
Obama's recent Mideast and European tour "may strike some as presumptuous," said Stewart, who's 45. "In fact, I joked that Obama would be stopping in Bethlehem to visit the manger where he was born."
Leno on 60-year-old Clinton: "Only in America could a woman who's married to a man from Hope go to a town called Unity and fake something called Sincerity."
The study did not explore why Obama got off so lightly on the network shows from New York and Burbank. So we'll all just have to guess: probably out of simple respect for Obama's long public service.
-- Andrew Malcolm
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maybe you will also present your audience with the polls or scientific data that show or suggest whether being the object of comedy actually more helps or harms a candidate's campaign? or whether, and if so how, comedy can be, or is being used, as a propaganda tool.
without further information, your material seems rather pointless.
Posted by: dave | August 21, 2008 at 03:39 AM
Well if it will make you feel better, over 70% of the media coverage about Barack Obama is negative, and 90% of the coverage of Black men in general is negative. Think about it when is the last time read a positive article about a Black man in the Los Angeles Times or any other publication.
Posted by: MrUniteUs | August 21, 2008 at 04:15 AM
The reason for this is obvious. They have more respect for him. He is more presidential than all of them.
Posted by: Tyler Durden | August 21, 2008 at 04:24 AM
thats bull, the reason is because he is black, liberal television, race fear again, double standard..its disqusting
Posted by: jeff | August 21, 2008 at 04:25 AM
is that self censor? or we will be label many kind of word form racis* , gender bia*....? oh thats not good for media freedom.
Posted by: jennifer cole | August 21, 2008 at 04:34 AM
This study reveals the bias of the entertainment industry as a whole, not just the TV "comics".
Let's face it, we moderates and conservatives are just not PC!
What a joke that is.
Posted by: Walt Hall | August 21, 2008 at 04:37 AM
"Probably out of simple respect for Obama's long public service" - good one.
Obama is comedy gold, but Hollywood types won't gore their own ox.
Mocking him pisses him off more than anything it will be fun to watch.
Posted by: Jack Sheet | August 21, 2008 at 05:31 AM
How about this story? Game changer and you don't even see it. Imagine the ads targeted at rural dems in key states. While millions of Americans lose the only home they have ever owned, John McCain tells them, Gee, I have to get back to you on how many homes I own! Wow! And who is that elitist?!
Couple this unreal moment with his claim that peopel who make over 5 mil are rich, his making millions off of his mob-tied father-in-law, and his travels to The Bahamas with Keating...and this election is done for him.
McCain unsure how many houses he owns Jonathan Martin, Mike Allen
1 hour, 12 minutes ago
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) said in an interview Wednesday that he was uncertain how many houses he and his wife, Cindy, own.
"I think — I'll have my staff get to you," McCain told Politico in Las Cruces, N.M. "It's condominiums where — I'll have them get to you."
The correct answer is at least four, located in Arizona, California and Virginia, according to his staff. Newsweek estimated this summer that the couple owns at least seven properties.
In recent weeks, Democrats have stepped up their effort to caricature McCain as living an outlandishly rich lifestyle — a bit of payback to the GOP for portraying Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) as an elitist, and for turning the spotlight in 2004 on the five homes owned by Sen. John F. Kerry (D-Mass.) and his wife, Teresa Heinz Kerry.
Pro-Obama labor groups have sent out mailers highlighting McCain’s wealth, and prominent Democrats have included references to it in comments to reporters.
Twice in the past two weeks, those Democrats have focused on McCain’s houses.
Sen. Charles Schumer (D-N.Y.) told Politico’s Ben Smith that it was McCain “who wears $500 shoes, has six houses and comes from one of the richest families in his state."
And David Axelrod, Obama’s chief strategist, referred in an interview with Adam Nagourney of The New York Times to an imagined meeting of McCain strategists “on the portico of the McCain estate in Sedona — or maybe in one of his six other houses.”
McCain’s comments came four days after he initially told Pastor Rick Warren during a faith forum on Sunday his threshold for considering someone rich is $5 million — a careless comment he quickly corrected.
In the interview, McCain did not offer an alternate number, but had a new answer ready.
“I define rich in other ways besides income,” he said. “Some people are wealthy and rich in their lives and their children and their ability to educate them. Others are poor if they’re billionaires.”
McCain, by anyone's measure, is well-off, if you account for his wife's fortune. Cindy McCain inherited control of her father’s beer distributorship, the largest in Arizona, and has an estimated worth of more than $100 million.
Posted by: Joshua Generation for a New GOP | August 21, 2008 at 06:12 AM
Does the fact that Obama is not the subject of jokes work against him? O's problem is that he comes across as distant and too cerebral suggesting a lack of decisiveness when he answers questions (as happened at the Saddleback "debate"). Our humanity comes as much from our foibles as our strengths. Foibles are the prime source of humor and a visceral way we connect with our leaders and they with us (which is why laughing at one's self is so endearing).
Posted by: JMD | August 21, 2008 at 06:18 AM
Its easier to make fun of someone with more imperfections. Its no joke, that's just the way it is.
Posted by: truth | August 21, 2008 at 06:36 AM
2 words: White Guilt
Posted by: Greg | August 21, 2008 at 06:42 AM
What about Craig Ferguson?
Posted by: JimC | August 21, 2008 at 06:43 AM
We have the media, including late night talk show hosts, to thank for foisting this charlantan on the American public. Of course the DNC contributed heavily. Their actions, combined with the gullibility of many Americans, has resulted in the most unqualified candidate ever to run for the office being a hair's breath away from the presidency. Nice work!
Posted by: Marross | August 21, 2008 at 06:49 AM
I took Leno & Letterman out od my TIVO. They are not funny anymore. I think they are getting too old.
Posted by: tkd61 | August 21, 2008 at 06:51 AM
this is meaningless because comedy central destroys the argument
Posted by: HoraceManoor | August 21, 2008 at 06:59 AM
They're afraid to poke fun of Obama because they're scared of being labeled "racists." He's too "holy" for jokes.
Posted by: Chris | August 21, 2008 at 07:04 AM
Obamamania in the media started almoust immediately. One of the best example of the Obamamaniacs, i think, is Keith Olbermann. Nobody investigates who is behind all of that nonsence.
Posted by: Victor | August 21, 2008 at 07:10 AM
The Center for Media and Public Affairs that released this "study" is a conservative think tank. The president of the the CMPA is a Fox News consultant and used to be head of the American Enterprise Institute. CMPA is funded by the Olins, the Scaifes, and the same millionaire heirs that fund so many of these conservative groups. Of course, this "news" is not provided by the reporter Andrew Malcolm. Thankfully, the LA Times makes him list on this page he used to work for the Bushes (yet another bunch of millionaire heirs who never worked a day in their lives), so at least we know what angle he is trying to push.
I'm told by the software that these items are moderated and thus there is a good chance this will never show up. Of course, LA Times Tribune company's readership has been plummeting since the web breaks up their little corporate propaganda campaign, as did their stock price which went from 60 in 1999 to below 30 last year before it was finally privatized. The Times can spit out corporate PR and hide this comment, but they can't stop their plummeting readership and disappearing advertising.
Posted by: Michael Schroeder | August 21, 2008 at 07:11 AM
...so where is Craig Ferguson in this study? He's much funnier than these guys. He tells several jokes on McCain nightly. Have never heard him say a joke about Obama.
Posted by: Carl | August 21, 2008 at 07:36 AM
Remember, the new definition of a racist is someone who uses facts and logic to win a debate with a "liberal."
Americans don't want a President that comedians can't make fun of out of racial hesitations. That is for sure.
Posted by: Twok | August 21, 2008 at 08:10 AM
they don't joke about B.O. because he's divebombing in the polls. it's bad sportsmanship to mock losers.
Posted by: benitacanova | August 21, 2008 at 08:10 AM
"Well if it will make you feel better, over 70% of the media coverage about Barack Obama is negative..."
I'd like to visit your planet some day. How many Suns do you have and what color is the sky there?
Posted by: Stan | August 21, 2008 at 08:33 AM
This is news to anyone? That a black liberal who can't speak off teleprompter, is a two-legged gaffe machine, has zero grasp of history, but has a history of drug use, is totally whipped by his domineering wife, and is currently divebombing in the polls offers nothing to make fun of?
Yup, makes sense to me...
Posted by: princetrumpet | August 21, 2008 at 08:35 AM
"How about this story? Game changer and you don't even see it. Imagine the ads targeted at rural dems in key states. While millions of Americans lose the only home they have ever owned, John McCain tells them, Gee, I have to get back to you on how many homes I own! Wow! And who is that elitist?!"
When will the moonbats learn that this sort of class warfare just doesn't work? Most Americans simply don't share your resentment of success.
Posted by: Stan | August 21, 2008 at 08:36 AM
They don't make jokes about Putin in Russia either.
An investment in the future. I guess...
Posted by: Johnny | August 21, 2008 at 08:56 AM
why dont they make jokes about barack hussein obimbo
it is obvious, he is black and tthat would be wrong and they would be called racist even thoug the obamanation is a black racist
white guilt it may be however it may also be self loathing that whites are taught by the media.
i wonder where obimbo and his kind would be without whitey, getting eaten by lions and alligators and living in cesspools like somalia, kenya, the congo or the future hell hole that was a great country called south africa
tis a pity
eamon
Posted by: eamon | August 21, 2008 at 09:02 AM
Man, this article likes to start a flame war. Look at these comments, all politics and racism talk. I don't think anyone is even talking about what the article is actually about; how Jay Leno sucks and Conan rules.
And 'squinty-eyes' Kimmel is not funny
Posted by: Bobachu | August 21, 2008 at 09:03 AM
They don't make fun of Obama because it would piss off the Hollywood Elite, and they might even boycott their shows, Or be accused of making jokes at Obama because he's black. So sad.
Posted by: Pamela | August 21, 2008 at 09:10 AM
And how many homes does Ted Kennedy own,? Give me a break. You liberals live in a world of your own!
Posted by: Rex | August 21, 2008 at 09:15 AM
They're scared. Look what happened to Imus.
Posted by: peterg | August 21, 2008 at 09:25 AM
For all the people who have commented to the effect of "no one makes fun of Obama because they fear being branded racist/he's too out of touch" - this argument would only hold up if people weren't telling jokes about him. They are. Just less than they are telling jokes about McCain.
Posted by: George Charlson | August 21, 2008 at 09:48 AM
The likely reason: they're terrified.
To make any jokes about Obama is to invite immediate condemnation for racism from the campaign and the entertainment industry, with calls to pull them off the air.
Gives a whole new meaning to the term "Hollywood blacklist."
Posted by: jblog | August 21, 2008 at 10:11 AM
As a senator in the Illinois legislature, Obama voted against a measure that would have protected BABIES who were already born. Obama's action would have the effect to allow doctors to withhold medical attention from BABIES and allow them to DIE!
Gives new meaning to the song "Killing Me Softly" doesn't it?
The records from the Illinois Legislature fully support the story and the facts. When confronted with the facts and copies of official documents, Obama accused people of lying about his record. It turns out that Obama was the one who was not telling the truth. And he tried to force his deception upon The American People by calling his accusers liars. A few days later, his campaign very quietly admitted that Obama was "Mistaken" in his assertions. MISTAKEN? I think there are more appropriate words which more accurately describe Obama's assertions rather than "MISTAKEN".
These facts would lead a reasonable person to conclude that Obama supported infant killing in Illinois and then when faced with the truth tried to cover his tracks. What do you think?
Posted by: GeraldD | August 21, 2008 at 10:21 AM
These people NEVER get the studies right.
The problem with evaluating these comedians according to the sum-total of their jokes about candidate X or candidate Y is that some comedians have larger audiences than others.
The audience-size thing is critical. To plausibly measure influence, one should multiply each comedian's joke-total (for each candidate) by the number of persons who're likely to have heard the joke. Dennis Miller could crack on Obama all night and it wouldn't have a tenth the impact of Leno cracking on McCain, 'cause the former has no audience and the latter does.
The same thing is the problem when people argue that, "The Mainstream Media aren't really that left-biased; after all, most editorials in small-town newspapers are written by fairly conservative people." Yes: And the small-town newspapers have a circulation of 150; the New York and L.A. Times and Washington Post circulate 15 million. This is, uh, a difference worth considering.
Once the findings of these "bias" studies are audience-weighted, they'll be meaningful.
But not until then.
(Another problem is that some jokes evoke sympathy for a person or don't bear on aspects of that person's qualifications for being president, whereas others evoke contempt and/or do reflect negatively on that person's presidential qualifications. But we'll leave that aside for a moment.)
Posted by: R.C. | August 21, 2008 at 10:31 AM
Lets stop beating around the Bush--of course it's a "white Guilt" deal, plus the Imus fear factor, fear of being labeled racist--all of it. And the fact that the majority of the entertainment industry itself is so undeniably liberal and leftist. To contend otherwise would take a Lake-Superior-sized vessel full of unmitigated gall. Let's not kid ourselves, sports-fans, the only politically acceptable category left ok to ridicule is straight white conservative Christian males. Everything else is PC-like beyond the pale--UNLESS your a member of the minority group that you're making fun of. DL Hugley, on the Lenno show only a week after Imus was fired said:"Imus was right, those WERE some ugly nappy-heads out there--although they weren't Ho's." Not a PEEP of criticism.
Posted by: Rex V. Darling, Jr. | August 21, 2008 at 10:38 AM
I have a great respect for America. But all these years politicians have been folling around and especially repub..
Look at unemployment,health all these have killed americans real guts but still you are talkng about security threat..you millions billions to FBI,CIA,NSG for what ..what are they doing if you are asking to be pres ..ask for health reforms jobs .....
Mccain talk about fuel and stuff like that what was he doing ...why did Sr Bush killed the electric car...
Posted by: Sameer | August 21, 2008 at 11:45 AM
Is Obama American? Otherwise, he can not take a joke.
Posted by: Peter Truong | August 21, 2008 at 11:46 AM
Walter Winchell, the famous gossip columnist said, "I don't give a damn what they say about me...as long as they spell my name right". McCain is easier to ridicule so I guess he wins the exposure round in this matchup.
Posted by: Thorninurside | August 21, 2008 at 11:52 AM
@Sammeer...
That's kinda ironic because all the civil rights legislation that the democrats started and continue to push for have been around since the 1960's and what have they done for the country? It seems like if these policies worked so well, we wouldn't still be talking about them, now would we?
Posted by: greg | August 21, 2008 at 11:57 AM
It's very simple: McCain is just a funny ol' dude trying to act presidential and failing.
Posted by: oaklynne | August 21, 2008 at 12:50 PM
"Apparently, Jimmy Kimmel was not deemed funny enough to be included ... "
Hahaha, I rofl'd.
Posted by: jessica | August 21, 2008 at 01:37 PM
The study is meaningless for a variety of reasons:
1. Selection Criteria is what? Conan is in, but Fergeson is out? On what basis?
2. Colbert's show is stylistic in premise and that premise inherently pokes more fun at certain targets.
3. Letterman is in NEW YORK where one of the candidates is a sitting Senator, skewing his joke selection.
4. We made more fun of Quayle than Bush I as a VP. Media bias, or are some people just better fodder? Both can be critiqued on policy, negativity, flip-flops, and the usual stuff -- but the values of their real defining characteristics for simple, base comedy (Mccain - Age, Obama - fanatic pop culture vs substance) are different, and frankly McCain's vice is easier to exploit for a quick punchline.
5. Who the heck cares?
Posted by: GW | August 21, 2008 at 01:38 PM
Simple. McCain gets the brunt of the jokes because he is the Bigger Clown. By far. The man is a buffoon who doesn't know that Pakistan and Iraq aren't contiguous, who admits to know nothing about the economy, who married a woman young enough to be his daughter shortly after dumping the wife who had stuck with him through thick and thin, who doesn't know how many houses he has, who claims to be a straight talker but who can't go a press conference without lying (the latest: his wife met Mother Teresa... bwaaah!)
Posted by: Joe Shmoe | August 21, 2008 at 01:53 PM
Mecane steels people heart by telling his captivitu in vetnam and when he talks about it he thinks makes his listeners to belive he is the only vetran from that wrongly started war and finished shmefully.
He uses it like a currency to buy peoples heart, ear and now their vote AMERICA WAKE UP BEFORE CRYING FOR THE NEXT FOUR YEARS.
MACANE STOP USING YOUR EXPERIANCE IN VETNAM AS ACURRENCY TO BY PEOPLS HEART BECAUSE YOU ARE FROM RICH FAMILY AND GOT A CHANCE TO BE ON NATIONAL STAGE DONT MAKE MONY AND STATUS WITH THAT EXPERIANCE. THERE ARE MANY VETRACE WHO DIDN'T HAVE A CHANCE LIKE YOU AND CANNOT CASH IN TELLING THEIR STORY. WE ARE TIRED OF LISTING YOUR BLABLA BLA .....VETNAM......BLABLA.... TALK REALITY NOW.
Posted by: JOJO | August 21, 2008 at 01:58 PM
It's all for ratings people! They joke about what's funny. Those crying that the TV stations are too easy on Obama need to listen to the "Eagles" single named "Get Over It".
Posted by: Edwin L. Jones | August 21, 2008 at 02:37 PM
It doesn´t really matter which party wins its all a show, all controlled by the CFR and Bilderberg until everyone realizes that these elections are all a show then we´re in the same position that we are with Bush. Learn more people open your eyes.
www.prisonplanet.com
www.infowars.com
www.jonesreport.com
www.truthnews.us
Posted by: John Lewis | August 21, 2008 at 03:28 PM
Obama is going to get hammered now about HIS house courtesy of convicted felon Tony Rezko...and someone should ask him if he objected when John Kerry with his many mansions and his billionaire wife Teresa Heinz ran for President.
Posted by: Richard Orby | August 21, 2008 at 04:05 PM
Simply put, Bush, McCain and Clinton are more buffoonish than Obama. He doesn't really have that many qualities that lend themselves to comedic skewering. He's intelligent, speaks eloquently, always appears calm and confident, is neither strident or befuddled.
Posted by: Midgie | August 21, 2008 at 05:16 PM
Nicely put Midgie.
To exapnd a little McCain seems more like Bush a figure of fun for the late night shows and a nightmare for the rest of us.
McCain offers up an easy comedy target.
Compare: Obama goes to Germany a makes a very presidential speech. McCain goes to a supermarket and talks while cans are dropped behind him by an uninterested shopper. Come on, comedians can't pass up that kind of opportunity.
How about the bikers rally he attended were he offered up his wife for a strip dancing beauty contest!! and doing that vroom vroom thing just to get them to rev their engines - So sad.
Add the fact that he is old which means he forgets how many houses he has and mixes up Shite and Sunni gives them another easy target.
Obama talks sensibly and intelligently about subjects, even if you don't agree with him and doesn't come across as senile.
Should comedians base their jokes on the lies about Obama, muslim etc or the reality that is John McCain.
Posted by: Bob | August 21, 2008 at 09:06 PM
Maross - I presume you are talking about John McCain or are you referring to President Bush?
Posted by: Clive | August 21, 2008 at 09:12 PM
Lets see, a study stating that shows on ABC NBC etc
are biased in favor of democratic presidential hopefuls.
They are all unbiased professionals. It can't be.
It's NOT true I tell you.
Doowleb
Posted by: Doowleb | August 22, 2008 at 08:49 AM
For the multitude of people on here saying that the late nights are attacking McCain because he's an easier target - last time I checked, big ears were comic gold (see Fresh Prince).
Or how about the Obama "Uh" count, which I've only seen once or twice. Obama says "uh" more times in a day than he says "Americans." That too is comic gold.
I love late night television; jokes about Bush and McCain can be funny. I'm not a wingnut. But a "he's old" joke every night usually falls flat. I think they're not picking on Obama because the race issue. Saturday Night Live deals with race issues all the time; why have they fallen silent on this one?
Posted by: Evan | August 22, 2008 at 10:32 AM
Speaking of Hollywood and the media's infatuation with Senator Obama, where are Michael Moore and Susan Sarandon and Whoopi Goldberg this time around? They put W. in the White House in 2004 with their socialist ranting, and now they have an even more liberal candidate based upon Obama's voting record which is at odds with his rhetoric. The media seem to forget the part of the country not on the east and west coast, who do not share the views that the economy can be "solved" by radically expanding the welfare state and punishing success. Both BIll and Hillary Clinton undersand this, which is why both were/are electable as President. Not Senator Obama, whose record is more liberal than Ted Kennedy which is why Hollywood is fawning all over him and thus confirming his lack of electability in the heartland. Hillary would have beaten McCain by 10 points and Obama snubbed her out of ego and criticized her for supporting the liberation of the repressed and brutalized citizens of Iraq who now have freedom and democracy. How can that be a "disaster" or a "quagmire" -- ask any Iraqi citizen if they want to go back to being terrorized and murdered by Udaq and Qusay Hussein. Its gonna be 4 more years in the wilderness for the Democratic Party until we can nominate another moderate such as Bill or Hillary. Hillary in 2012!!!!!
Posted by: Reagan Democrat | August 24, 2008 at 09:30 PM
This isn't a shock! Obama's people set the precedent early on: If you make any jokes about the Black candidate we'll call you a racist!!!! Just another reason not to vote for the man if you ask me. Can you imagine four years of being called a racist any time you try to critique (or even joke about) your President? No thank! I'm going with Nader this year!!!
Posted by: gaypastor | August 24, 2008 at 10:53 PM
Monday, August 25, 2008
Turai Yar'adua Seen As the New Andy Uba
Last View on Mon 25th August, 2008
Last Modified on Sat 29th March, 2008 10:11:27 pm
Author: Posted by Admin Sahara
Saharareporters, New York
Turai Yar’adua, first wife of current usurper of Aso Rock, Umar Yar'adua, has emerged as the most powerful and feared personality in her husband’s lack-luster regime.
Saharareporters has carried out a month-long and extensive investigation into the “First Lady’s” shady deals, her evolution into a dominant and domineering figure, and her rapacity. We spoke to ministers and other government appointees, officials of the Peoples Democratic Party, sources within the oil sector, some associates of the Yar’aduas in Katsina, and diplomatic contacts.
Several reliable sources within Aso Rock, Nigeria’s State House, as well as outside painted a portrait of the “First Lady” as a woman whose greed for self-enrichment and fascination with power have put her firmly in control of her husband’s notoriously colorless cabinet.
“You could say that Turai is the real ruler of Nigeria,” said one of our sources, one of the ministers who quietly despise the “First Lady” for her overbearing power but admit they dare not openly express their concerns. Several other sources echoed that view. “She is the Andy Uba of this dispensation,” said another source, also a minister.
Mr. Nnamdi Uba, former domestic aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was widely seen as the most powerful figure during the Obasanjo Presidency. Uba practically ran the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, helping Obasanjo and his associates to siphon away billions of dollars of the nation’s crude oil earnings. In the process, Uba, whose illegal bid to become Anambra Governor was forestalled by the Supreme Court, also amassed a personal fortune that make him one of the richest Nigerians today.
When asked to assess the evaluation of Mrs. Yar’adua as the new Uba, one former top PDP official paused to weigh his words. Then he said, “She is far more than what Uba was to Obasanjo. She is Uba, Mariam Babangida and Miriam Abacha thrown together. She not only wants power, she is pursuing wealth as if there is no tomorrow.” Most of our sources in government acknowledged that Turai Yar’adua is widely despised for her meddlesomeness, but said nobody has ever mustered the courage to ask Umar Yar’adua to restrain his wife. “Everybody knows her husband has no control over her. And we know that if she doesn’t like any official, that official’s days in office are numbered. If you cross her, you’re done with.”
In fact, one minister revealed that the secret to longevity in the cabinet may well lie in ingratiating oneself to the “First Lady.” Added the minister, “She looks harmless in public, but she is a fiery tigress within the power circles.”
The analogy with Uba speaks volumes about the sheer amount of financial control and political power wielded by the wife of the Aso Rock’s current occupant.
Turai Yar'adua’s ambition for power has been fed by her husband’s feeble health and retiring personality. “Umar Yar’adua is in bed latest by 9 p.m., leaving a vacuum in the running of this country,” said one of our sources. “On the other hand, Turai stays up till late into the night—and sometimes till the wee hours of the morning. After 9 p.m. each day, Turai enthrones herself as the ruler of this country. And her decisions stick even when her husband wakes up.”
Turai Yar’adua is known to have a daily schedule far more busy and popular than that of her husband. Umar Yar'adua, who has a history of kidney disease, is religious about conserving his energy by cutting back on his daily and weekly activities. Described by one source as a bundle of energy, Turai handles most of the business of patronage dispensation by her husband’s regime. “She decides who gets what—it’s as simple as that,” said another minister. He attributed the much-criticized ineptitude of most ministers to Turai Yar’adua’s intrusiveness. “She wants to oversee every kobo that exchanges hands in this government. And if possible, she wants all of it to come to her or her immediate family and friends.”
Like Uba, Turai Yar’adua has taken effective control over the affairs of the NNPC, Nigeria’s cash cow. Our sources said she was behind the appointment of Abubakar Lawal Yar'adua as the Group Managing Director of the NNPC. In a move that revealed more of her naked grab for power and riches, she also engineered the appointment of her blood brother, Bashir Abdullahi, to the position of Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC). In effect, she ensured that her minions now hold two of the most powerful positions in the nation's oil industry.
Turai Yar’adua’s desire to handpick candidates for several offices extends also to traditional offices. The Leadership newspaper recently reported that Turai Yar’adua was trying to influence the appointment of the Magajin Gari by the newly installed Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman. Turai is reported to be interested in imposing her son-in-law, 39-year old Badamasi Kabir Usman, in the traditional post.
There is also a whiff of salacious scandal around Turai Yar’adua. Several sources told us that the woman has been known to carry on an affair with Ibrahim Shema, her husband’s successor as Katsina Governor. “She single-handedly tipped him for the position of governor. That’s how powerful she is,” said one source.
Several sources also told Saharareporters that the “First Lady” even dabbles in diplomatic business. “Not only is she courted by businessmen, many diplomats also prefer to talk to her rather than to meet her husband.” A Nigerian with a top position in one of the European embassies in Abuja confided in us that several diplomats describe Umar Yar’adua as boring and taciturn. “He hardly makes comments at meetings, a direct opposite of Turai, who is described as chatty and sociable.”
Turai is known as the go-to-person for all Aso Rock-based requests that may be delayed by her husband’s sluggish bureaucracy. Corporate executives, including bankers with one favor or another to ask, have found out that things become quicker once they have paid courtesy visits to Turai Yar’adua.
“In banking circles, she’s called Madam President,” said a top executive of a bank. “If you make her happy, your bank stands to reap a windfall.”
Turai Yar’adua is said to demand absolute loyalty from government officials outside of and beyond their loyalty to her husband. It is an open secret in government circles that Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa and the Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro report primarily to her. Early this year, she saved Okiro’s job after the IG got into trouble with Umar Yar’adua over some financial dealings with some interests who worked to remove Nuhu Ribadu from the post of chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. After Turai’s intercession, a grateful Okiro proclaimed that he was “ready to die for Yar’adua.”
Turai Yar’adua’s distribution of patronage came in handy when she anchored the massive bribes handed out to members of the Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal to induce their controversial favorable judgment for Umar Yar'adua. Our sources disclosed that she played a central role in raising the bribes, estimated at $100 million, for the tribunal judges.
She arranged a substantial part of the bribe through the GMD of the NNPC, Abubakar Lawal Yar'adua. Her brother, S.B. Abdullahi, supplied some of the cash while the rest were provided by Emeka Offor and Tanimu. Governor Shema of Katsina State provided a huge chunk as well. Both Abubakar Yar'adua and S.B Abdullahi are from the same local government in Katsina State.
Saharareporters exclusively reported a phone call Turai Yar’adua placed to AGF Aondoakaa as the latter reveled in a “victory party” at the Abuja home of controversial London-based businessman, Terry Waya. Mrs. Yar’adua thanked Aondoakaa for delivering on his promise to facilitate a favorable judgment.
Turai Yar’adua’s Amazonian habit extends to her domestic life where she is described as a fierce control freak. Though Turai is Yar'adua's first wife, and the mother of their five daughters, she was not always his only wife. Umar Yar’adua took a second wife, Hajiya Hauwa Umar Radda, who now lives with his two sons in Kaduna. Hauwa Radda's short-lived marriage to Yar'adua ended as a result of Turai's power and muscle flexing.
Hauwa met Umar Yar'adua in 1992 and they got married shortly afterwards and had two kids. But Turai soon kicked Hauwa out of Yar'adua's family house in Katsina. In 1997, Turai Yar’adua engineered her husband’s formal divorce from Hauwa just as he prepared to run for governorship of Katsina State. Sources told Saharareporters that Turai, still suspicious that Yar'adua was not truly divorced from Hauwa, relocated herself to Kaduna. She lived in that city until she was convinced that the divorce was sealed through her single-minded enforcement.
Several sources in Katsina and Abuja spoke to Saharareporters about Turai Yar’adua’s obsession with fetish. Turai reportedly sent marabouts after Hauwa to secure her commitment never to ask to be re-united with Umar, their husband. Our sources say she has been inviting marabouts to Aso Rock with a frequency reminiscent of the days of the late dictator, Sani Abacha.
The “First Lady’s” other passion lies in collecting jewelry. She and the wife of “Vice President” Jonathan Goodluck have struck a strong cord on account of their shared love for jewelries and expensive frippery.
During foreign trips with her self-effacing husband, Turai Yar'adua is shown to stand confidently, radiating confidence. Our sources say she uses those foreign trips to push her pet projects as well as seek foreign partners for her burgeoning business interests.
Mrs. Yar’adua was in the U.S. all of this week supposedly to receive an award in Houston, TX. But sources knowledgeable about her movements said she was in Texas to seal some private oil deals between herself (using yet-to-be identified fronts) and foreign partners. Her itinerary included meetings with several oil executives in the Texas area.
Asked to weigh in on the description of Turai Yar’adua as a combination of Uba, Mariam Babangida and Miriam Abacha, one associate who has known the Yar’aduas for a long time said Turai is likely to be her husband’s undoing. “Umar does not do much. Hajia Turai is the only person coordinating [Aso Rock]. At least Babangida was interested in power and pretended to be doing something. Here, Turai is left to run the show. And she is doing a few things that may explode in her husband’s face.”
Last Modified on Sat 29th March, 2008 10:11:27 pm
Author: Posted by Admin Sahara
Saharareporters, New York
Turai Yar’adua, first wife of current usurper of Aso Rock, Umar Yar'adua, has emerged as the most powerful and feared personality in her husband’s lack-luster regime.
Saharareporters has carried out a month-long and extensive investigation into the “First Lady’s” shady deals, her evolution into a dominant and domineering figure, and her rapacity. We spoke to ministers and other government appointees, officials of the Peoples Democratic Party, sources within the oil sector, some associates of the Yar’aduas in Katsina, and diplomatic contacts.
Several reliable sources within Aso Rock, Nigeria’s State House, as well as outside painted a portrait of the “First Lady” as a woman whose greed for self-enrichment and fascination with power have put her firmly in control of her husband’s notoriously colorless cabinet.
“You could say that Turai is the real ruler of Nigeria,” said one of our sources, one of the ministers who quietly despise the “First Lady” for her overbearing power but admit they dare not openly express their concerns. Several other sources echoed that view. “She is the Andy Uba of this dispensation,” said another source, also a minister.
Mr. Nnamdi Uba, former domestic aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was widely seen as the most powerful figure during the Obasanjo Presidency. Uba practically ran the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, helping Obasanjo and his associates to siphon away billions of dollars of the nation’s crude oil earnings. In the process, Uba, whose illegal bid to become Anambra Governor was forestalled by the Supreme Court, also amassed a personal fortune that make him one of the richest Nigerians today.
When asked to assess the evaluation of Mrs. Yar’adua as the new Uba, one former top PDP official paused to weigh his words. Then he said, “She is far more than what Uba was to Obasanjo. She is Uba, Mariam Babangida and Miriam Abacha thrown together. She not only wants power, she is pursuing wealth as if there is no tomorrow.” Most of our sources in government acknowledged that Turai Yar’adua is widely despised for her meddlesomeness, but said nobody has ever mustered the courage to ask Umar Yar’adua to restrain his wife. “Everybody knows her husband has no control over her. And we know that if she doesn’t like any official, that official’s days in office are numbered. If you cross her, you’re done with.”
In fact, one minister revealed that the secret to longevity in the cabinet may well lie in ingratiating oneself to the “First Lady.” Added the minister, “She looks harmless in public, but she is a fiery tigress within the power circles.”
The analogy with Uba speaks volumes about the sheer amount of financial control and political power wielded by the wife of the Aso Rock’s current occupant.
Turai Yar'adua’s ambition for power has been fed by her husband’s feeble health and retiring personality. “Umar Yar’adua is in bed latest by 9 p.m., leaving a vacuum in the running of this country,” said one of our sources. “On the other hand, Turai stays up till late into the night—and sometimes till the wee hours of the morning. After 9 p.m. each day, Turai enthrones herself as the ruler of this country. And her decisions stick even when her husband wakes up.”
Turai Yar’adua is known to have a daily schedule far more busy and popular than that of her husband. Umar Yar'adua, who has a history of kidney disease, is religious about conserving his energy by cutting back on his daily and weekly activities. Described by one source as a bundle of energy, Turai handles most of the business of patronage dispensation by her husband’s regime. “She decides who gets what—it’s as simple as that,” said another minister. He attributed the much-criticized ineptitude of most ministers to Turai Yar’adua’s intrusiveness. “She wants to oversee every kobo that exchanges hands in this government. And if possible, she wants all of it to come to her or her immediate family and friends.”
Like Uba, Turai Yar’adua has taken effective control over the affairs of the NNPC, Nigeria’s cash cow. Our sources said she was behind the appointment of Abubakar Lawal Yar'adua as the Group Managing Director of the NNPC. In a move that revealed more of her naked grab for power and riches, she also engineered the appointment of her blood brother, Bashir Abdullahi, to the position of Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC). In effect, she ensured that her minions now hold two of the most powerful positions in the nation's oil industry.
Turai Yar’adua’s desire to handpick candidates for several offices extends also to traditional offices. The Leadership newspaper recently reported that Turai Yar’adua was trying to influence the appointment of the Magajin Gari by the newly installed Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman. Turai is reported to be interested in imposing her son-in-law, 39-year old Badamasi Kabir Usman, in the traditional post.
There is also a whiff of salacious scandal around Turai Yar’adua. Several sources told us that the woman has been known to carry on an affair with Ibrahim Shema, her husband’s successor as Katsina Governor. “She single-handedly tipped him for the position of governor. That’s how powerful she is,” said one source.
Several sources also told Saharareporters that the “First Lady” even dabbles in diplomatic business. “Not only is she courted by businessmen, many diplomats also prefer to talk to her rather than to meet her husband.” A Nigerian with a top position in one of the European embassies in Abuja confided in us that several diplomats describe Umar Yar’adua as boring and taciturn. “He hardly makes comments at meetings, a direct opposite of Turai, who is described as chatty and sociable.”
Turai is known as the go-to-person for all Aso Rock-based requests that may be delayed by her husband’s sluggish bureaucracy. Corporate executives, including bankers with one favor or another to ask, have found out that things become quicker once they have paid courtesy visits to Turai Yar’adua.
“In banking circles, she’s called Madam President,” said a top executive of a bank. “If you make her happy, your bank stands to reap a windfall.”
Turai Yar’adua is said to demand absolute loyalty from government officials outside of and beyond their loyalty to her husband. It is an open secret in government circles that Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa and the Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro report primarily to her. Early this year, she saved Okiro’s job after the IG got into trouble with Umar Yar’adua over some financial dealings with some interests who worked to remove Nuhu Ribadu from the post of chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. After Turai’s intercession, a grateful Okiro proclaimed that he was “ready to die for Yar’adua.”
Turai Yar’adua’s distribution of patronage came in handy when she anchored the massive bribes handed out to members of the Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal to induce their controversial favorable judgment for Umar Yar'adua. Our sources disclosed that she played a central role in raising the bribes, estimated at $100 million, for the tribunal judges.
She arranged a substantial part of the bribe through the GMD of the NNPC, Abubakar Lawal Yar'adua. Her brother, S.B. Abdullahi, supplied some of the cash while the rest were provided by Emeka Offor and Tanimu. Governor Shema of Katsina State provided a huge chunk as well. Both Abubakar Yar'adua and S.B Abdullahi are from the same local government in Katsina State.
Saharareporters exclusively reported a phone call Turai Yar’adua placed to AGF Aondoakaa as the latter reveled in a “victory party” at the Abuja home of controversial London-based businessman, Terry Waya. Mrs. Yar’adua thanked Aondoakaa for delivering on his promise to facilitate a favorable judgment.
Turai Yar’adua’s Amazonian habit extends to her domestic life where she is described as a fierce control freak. Though Turai is Yar'adua's first wife, and the mother of their five daughters, she was not always his only wife. Umar Yar’adua took a second wife, Hajiya Hauwa Umar Radda, who now lives with his two sons in Kaduna. Hauwa Radda's short-lived marriage to Yar'adua ended as a result of Turai's power and muscle flexing.
Hauwa met Umar Yar'adua in 1992 and they got married shortly afterwards and had two kids. But Turai soon kicked Hauwa out of Yar'adua's family house in Katsina. In 1997, Turai Yar’adua engineered her husband’s formal divorce from Hauwa just as he prepared to run for governorship of Katsina State. Sources told Saharareporters that Turai, still suspicious that Yar'adua was not truly divorced from Hauwa, relocated herself to Kaduna. She lived in that city until she was convinced that the divorce was sealed through her single-minded enforcement.
Several sources in Katsina and Abuja spoke to Saharareporters about Turai Yar’adua’s obsession with fetish. Turai reportedly sent marabouts after Hauwa to secure her commitment never to ask to be re-united with Umar, their husband. Our sources say she has been inviting marabouts to Aso Rock with a frequency reminiscent of the days of the late dictator, Sani Abacha.
The “First Lady’s” other passion lies in collecting jewelry. She and the wife of “Vice President” Jonathan Goodluck have struck a strong cord on account of their shared love for jewelries and expensive frippery.
During foreign trips with her self-effacing husband, Turai Yar'adua is shown to stand confidently, radiating confidence. Our sources say she uses those foreign trips to push her pet projects as well as seek foreign partners for her burgeoning business interests.
Mrs. Yar’adua was in the U.S. all of this week supposedly to receive an award in Houston, TX. But sources knowledgeable about her movements said she was in Texas to seal some private oil deals between herself (using yet-to-be identified fronts) and foreign partners. Her itinerary included meetings with several oil executives in the Texas area.
Asked to weigh in on the description of Turai Yar’adua as a combination of Uba, Mariam Babangida and Miriam Abacha, one associate who has known the Yar’aduas for a long time said Turai is likely to be her husband’s undoing. “Umar does not do much. Hajia Turai is the only person coordinating [Aso Rock]. At least Babangida was interested in power and pretended to be doing something. Here, Turai is left to run the show. And she is doing a few things that may explode in her husband’s face.”
Turai Yar'adua Seen As the New Andy Uba
Last View on Mon 25th August, 2008
Last Modified on Sat 29th March, 2008 10:11:27 pm
Author: Posted by Admin Sahara
Saharareporters, New York
Turai Yar’adua, first wife of current usurper of Aso Rock, Umar Yar'adua, has emerged as the most powerful and feared personality in her husband’s lack-luster regime.
Saharareporters has carried out a month-long and extensive investigation into the “First Lady’s” shady deals, her evolution into a dominant and domineering figure, and her rapacity. We spoke to ministers and other government appointees, officials of the Peoples Democratic Party, sources within the oil sector, some associates of the Yar’aduas in Katsina, and diplomatic contacts.
Several reliable sources within Aso Rock, Nigeria’s State House, as well as outside painted a portrait of the “First Lady” as a woman whose greed for self-enrichment and fascination with power have put her firmly in control of her husband’s notoriously colorless cabinet.
“You could say that Turai is the real ruler of Nigeria,” said one of our sources, one of the ministers who quietly despise the “First Lady” for her overbearing power but admit they dare not openly express their concerns. Several other sources echoed that view. “She is the Andy Uba of this dispensation,” said another source, also a minister.
Mr. Nnamdi Uba, former domestic aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was widely seen as the most powerful figure during the Obasanjo Presidency. Uba practically ran the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, helping Obasanjo and his associates to siphon away billions of dollars of the nation’s crude oil earnings. In the process, Uba, whose illegal bid to become Anambra Governor was forestalled by the Supreme Court, also amassed a personal fortune that make him one of the richest Nigerians today.
When asked to assess the evaluation of Mrs. Yar’adua as the new Uba, one former top PDP official paused to weigh his words. Then he said, “She is far more than what Uba was to Obasanjo. She is Uba, Mariam Babangida and Miriam Abacha thrown together. She not only wants power, she is pursuing wealth as if there is no tomorrow.” Most of our sources in government acknowledged that Turai Yar’adua is widely despised for her meddlesomeness, but said nobody has ever mustered the courage to ask Umar Yar’adua to restrain his wife. “Everybody knows her husband has no control over her. And we know that if she doesn’t like any official, that official’s days in office are numbered. If you cross her, you’re done with.”
In fact, one minister revealed that the secret to longevity in the cabinet may well lie in ingratiating oneself to the “First Lady.” Added the minister, “She looks harmless in public, but she is a fiery tigress within the power circles.”
The analogy with Uba speaks volumes about the sheer amount of financial control and political power wielded by the wife of the Aso Rock’s current occupant.
Turai Yar'adua’s ambition for power has been fed by her husband’s feeble health and retiring personality. “Umar Yar’adua is in bed latest by 9 p.m., leaving a vacuum in the running of this country,” said one of our sources. “On the other hand, Turai stays up till late into the night—and sometimes till the wee hours of the morning. After 9 p.m. each day, Turai enthrones herself as the ruler of this country. And her decisions stick even when her husband wakes up.”
Turai Yar’adua is known to have a daily schedule far more busy and popular than that of her husband. Umar Yar'adua, who has a history of kidney disease, is religious about conserving his energy by cutting back on his daily and weekly activities. Described by one source as a bundle of energy, Turai handles most of the business of patronage dispensation by her husband’s regime. “She decides who gets what—it’s as simple as that,” said another minister. He attributed the much-criticized ineptitude of most ministers to Turai Yar’adua’s intrusiveness. “She wants to oversee every kobo that exchanges hands in this government. And if possible, she wants all of it to come to her or her immediate family and friends.”
Like Uba, Turai Yar’adua has taken effective control over the affairs of the NNPC, Nigeria’s cash cow. Our sources said she was behind the appointment of Abubakar Lawal Yar'adua as the Group Managing Director of the NNPC. In a move that revealed more of her naked grab for power and riches, she also engineered the appointment of her blood brother, Bashir Abdullahi, to the position of Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC). In effect, she ensured that her minions now hold two of the most powerful positions in the nation's oil industry.
Turai Yar’adua’s desire to handpick candidates for several offices extends also to traditional offices. The Leadership newspaper recently reported that Turai Yar’adua was trying to influence the appointment of the Magajin Gari by the newly installed Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman. Turai is reported to be interested in imposing her son-in-law, 39-year old Badamasi Kabir Usman, in the traditional post.
There is also a whiff of salacious scandal around Turai Yar’adua. Several sources told us that the woman has been known to carry on an affair with Ibrahim Shema, her husband’s successor as Katsina Governor. “She single-handedly tipped him for the position of governor. That’s how powerful she is,” said one source.
Several sources also told Saharareporters that the “First Lady” even dabbles in diplomatic business. “Not only is she courted by businessmen, many diplomats also prefer to talk to her rather than to meet her husband.” A Nigerian with a top position in one of the European embassies in Abuja confided in us that several diplomats describe Umar Yar’adua as boring and taciturn. “He hardly makes comments at meetings, a direct opposite of Turai, who is described as chatty and sociable.”
Turai is known as the go-to-person for all Aso Rock-based requests that may be delayed by her husband’s sluggish bureaucracy. Corporate executives, including bankers with one favor or another to ask, have found out that things become quicker once they have paid courtesy visits to Turai Yar’adua.
“In banking circles, she’s called Madam President,” said a top executive of a bank. “If you make her happy, your bank stands to reap a windfall.”
Turai Yar’adua is said to demand absolute loyalty from government officials outside of and beyond their loyalty to her husband. It is an open secret in government circles that Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa and the Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro report primarily to her. Early this year, she saved Okiro’s job after the IG got into trouble with Umar Yar’adua over some financial dealings with some interests who worked to remove Nuhu Ribadu from the post of chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. After Turai’s intercession, a grateful Okiro proclaimed that he was “ready to die for Yar’adua.”
Turai Yar’adua’s distribution of patronage came in handy when she anchored the massive bribes handed out to members of the Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal to induce their controversial favorable judgment for Umar Yar'adua. Our sources disclosed that she played a central role in raising the bribes, estimated at $100 million, for the tribunal judges.
She arranged a substantial part of the bribe through the GMD of the NNPC, Abubakar Lawal Yar'adua. Her brother, S.B. Abdullahi, supplied some of the cash while the rest were provided by Emeka Offor and Tanimu. Governor Shema of Katsina State provided a huge chunk as well. Both Abubakar Yar'adua and S.B Abdullahi are from the same local government in Katsina State.
Saharareporters exclusively reported a phone call Turai Yar’adua placed to AGF Aondoakaa as the latter reveled in a “victory party” at the Abuja home of controversial London-based businessman, Terry Waya. Mrs. Yar’adua thanked Aondoakaa for delivering on his promise to facilitate a favorable judgment.
Turai Yar’adua’s Amazonian habit extends to her domestic life where she is described as a fierce control freak. Though Turai is Yar'adua's first wife, and the mother of their five daughters, she was not always his only wife. Umar Yar’adua took a second wife, Hajiya Hauwa Umar Radda, who now lives with his two sons in Kaduna. Hauwa Radda's short-lived marriage to Yar'adua ended as a result of Turai's power and muscle flexing.
Hauwa met Umar Yar'adua in 1992 and they got married shortly afterwards and had two kids. But Turai soon kicked Hauwa out of Yar'adua's family house in Katsina. In 1997, Turai Yar’adua engineered her husband’s formal divorce from Hauwa just as he prepared to run for governorship of Katsina State. Sources told Saharareporters that Turai, still suspicious that Yar'adua was not truly divorced from Hauwa, relocated herself to Kaduna. She lived in that city until she was convinced that the divorce was sealed through her single-minded enforcement.
Several sources in Katsina and Abuja spoke to Saharareporters about Turai Yar’adua’s obsession with fetish. Turai reportedly sent marabouts after Hauwa to secure her commitment never to ask to be re-united with Umar, their husband. Our sources say she has been inviting marabouts to Aso Rock with a frequency reminiscent of the days of the late dictator, Sani Abacha.
The “First Lady’s” other passion lies in collecting jewelry. She and the wife of “Vice President” Jonathan Goodluck have struck a strong cord on account of their shared love for jewelries and expensive frippery.
During foreign trips with her self-effacing husband, Turai Yar'adua is shown to stand confidently, radiating confidence. Our sources say she uses those foreign trips to push her pet projects as well as seek foreign partners for her burgeoning business interests.
Mrs. Yar’adua was in the U.S. all of this week supposedly to receive an award in Houston, TX. But sources knowledgeable about her movements said she was in Texas to seal some private oil deals between herself (using yet-to-be identified fronts) and foreign partners. Her itinerary included meetings with several oil executives in the Texas area.
Asked to weigh in on the description of Turai Yar’adua as a combination of Uba, Mariam Babangida and Miriam Abacha, one associate who has known the Yar’aduas for a long time said Turai is likely to be her husband’s undoing. “Umar does not do much. Hajia Turai is the only person coordinating [Aso Rock]. At least Babangida was interested in power and pretended to be doing something. Here, Turai is left to run the show. And she is doing a few things that may explode in her husband’s face.”
Last Modified on Sat 29th March, 2008 10:11:27 pm
Author: Posted by Admin Sahara
Saharareporters, New York
Turai Yar’adua, first wife of current usurper of Aso Rock, Umar Yar'adua, has emerged as the most powerful and feared personality in her husband’s lack-luster regime.
Saharareporters has carried out a month-long and extensive investigation into the “First Lady’s” shady deals, her evolution into a dominant and domineering figure, and her rapacity. We spoke to ministers and other government appointees, officials of the Peoples Democratic Party, sources within the oil sector, some associates of the Yar’aduas in Katsina, and diplomatic contacts.
Several reliable sources within Aso Rock, Nigeria’s State House, as well as outside painted a portrait of the “First Lady” as a woman whose greed for self-enrichment and fascination with power have put her firmly in control of her husband’s notoriously colorless cabinet.
“You could say that Turai is the real ruler of Nigeria,” said one of our sources, one of the ministers who quietly despise the “First Lady” for her overbearing power but admit they dare not openly express their concerns. Several other sources echoed that view. “She is the Andy Uba of this dispensation,” said another source, also a minister.
Mr. Nnamdi Uba, former domestic aide to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, was widely seen as the most powerful figure during the Obasanjo Presidency. Uba practically ran the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, helping Obasanjo and his associates to siphon away billions of dollars of the nation’s crude oil earnings. In the process, Uba, whose illegal bid to become Anambra Governor was forestalled by the Supreme Court, also amassed a personal fortune that make him one of the richest Nigerians today.
When asked to assess the evaluation of Mrs. Yar’adua as the new Uba, one former top PDP official paused to weigh his words. Then he said, “She is far more than what Uba was to Obasanjo. She is Uba, Mariam Babangida and Miriam Abacha thrown together. She not only wants power, she is pursuing wealth as if there is no tomorrow.” Most of our sources in government acknowledged that Turai Yar’adua is widely despised for her meddlesomeness, but said nobody has ever mustered the courage to ask Umar Yar’adua to restrain his wife. “Everybody knows her husband has no control over her. And we know that if she doesn’t like any official, that official’s days in office are numbered. If you cross her, you’re done with.”
In fact, one minister revealed that the secret to longevity in the cabinet may well lie in ingratiating oneself to the “First Lady.” Added the minister, “She looks harmless in public, but she is a fiery tigress within the power circles.”
The analogy with Uba speaks volumes about the sheer amount of financial control and political power wielded by the wife of the Aso Rock’s current occupant.
Turai Yar'adua’s ambition for power has been fed by her husband’s feeble health and retiring personality. “Umar Yar’adua is in bed latest by 9 p.m., leaving a vacuum in the running of this country,” said one of our sources. “On the other hand, Turai stays up till late into the night—and sometimes till the wee hours of the morning. After 9 p.m. each day, Turai enthrones herself as the ruler of this country. And her decisions stick even when her husband wakes up.”
Turai Yar’adua is known to have a daily schedule far more busy and popular than that of her husband. Umar Yar'adua, who has a history of kidney disease, is religious about conserving his energy by cutting back on his daily and weekly activities. Described by one source as a bundle of energy, Turai handles most of the business of patronage dispensation by her husband’s regime. “She decides who gets what—it’s as simple as that,” said another minister. He attributed the much-criticized ineptitude of most ministers to Turai Yar’adua’s intrusiveness. “She wants to oversee every kobo that exchanges hands in this government. And if possible, she wants all of it to come to her or her immediate family and friends.”
Like Uba, Turai Yar’adua has taken effective control over the affairs of the NNPC, Nigeria’s cash cow. Our sources said she was behind the appointment of Abubakar Lawal Yar'adua as the Group Managing Director of the NNPC. In a move that revealed more of her naked grab for power and riches, she also engineered the appointment of her blood brother, Bashir Abdullahi, to the position of Managing Director of Port Harcourt Refinery Company (PHRC). In effect, she ensured that her minions now hold two of the most powerful positions in the nation's oil industry.
Turai Yar’adua’s desire to handpick candidates for several offices extends also to traditional offices. The Leadership newspaper recently reported that Turai Yar’adua was trying to influence the appointment of the Magajin Gari by the newly installed Emir of Katsina, Alhaji Abdulmumini Kabir Usman. Turai is reported to be interested in imposing her son-in-law, 39-year old Badamasi Kabir Usman, in the traditional post.
There is also a whiff of salacious scandal around Turai Yar’adua. Several sources told us that the woman has been known to carry on an affair with Ibrahim Shema, her husband’s successor as Katsina Governor. “She single-handedly tipped him for the position of governor. That’s how powerful she is,” said one source.
Several sources also told Saharareporters that the “First Lady” even dabbles in diplomatic business. “Not only is she courted by businessmen, many diplomats also prefer to talk to her rather than to meet her husband.” A Nigerian with a top position in one of the European embassies in Abuja confided in us that several diplomats describe Umar Yar’adua as boring and taciturn. “He hardly makes comments at meetings, a direct opposite of Turai, who is described as chatty and sociable.”
Turai is known as the go-to-person for all Aso Rock-based requests that may be delayed by her husband’s sluggish bureaucracy. Corporate executives, including bankers with one favor or another to ask, have found out that things become quicker once they have paid courtesy visits to Turai Yar’adua.
“In banking circles, she’s called Madam President,” said a top executive of a bank. “If you make her happy, your bank stands to reap a windfall.”
Turai Yar’adua is said to demand absolute loyalty from government officials outside of and beyond their loyalty to her husband. It is an open secret in government circles that Attorney General Michael Aondoakaa and the Inspector General of Police Mike Okiro report primarily to her. Early this year, she saved Okiro’s job after the IG got into trouble with Umar Yar’adua over some financial dealings with some interests who worked to remove Nuhu Ribadu from the post of chairman of the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission. After Turai’s intercession, a grateful Okiro proclaimed that he was “ready to die for Yar’adua.”
Turai Yar’adua’s distribution of patronage came in handy when she anchored the massive bribes handed out to members of the Presidential Elections Petitions Tribunal to induce their controversial favorable judgment for Umar Yar'adua. Our sources disclosed that she played a central role in raising the bribes, estimated at $100 million, for the tribunal judges.
She arranged a substantial part of the bribe through the GMD of the NNPC, Abubakar Lawal Yar'adua. Her brother, S.B. Abdullahi, supplied some of the cash while the rest were provided by Emeka Offor and Tanimu. Governor Shema of Katsina State provided a huge chunk as well. Both Abubakar Yar'adua and S.B Abdullahi are from the same local government in Katsina State.
Saharareporters exclusively reported a phone call Turai Yar’adua placed to AGF Aondoakaa as the latter reveled in a “victory party” at the Abuja home of controversial London-based businessman, Terry Waya. Mrs. Yar’adua thanked Aondoakaa for delivering on his promise to facilitate a favorable judgment.
Turai Yar’adua’s Amazonian habit extends to her domestic life where she is described as a fierce control freak. Though Turai is Yar'adua's first wife, and the mother of their five daughters, she was not always his only wife. Umar Yar’adua took a second wife, Hajiya Hauwa Umar Radda, who now lives with his two sons in Kaduna. Hauwa Radda's short-lived marriage to Yar'adua ended as a result of Turai's power and muscle flexing.
Hauwa met Umar Yar'adua in 1992 and they got married shortly afterwards and had two kids. But Turai soon kicked Hauwa out of Yar'adua's family house in Katsina. In 1997, Turai Yar’adua engineered her husband’s formal divorce from Hauwa just as he prepared to run for governorship of Katsina State. Sources told Saharareporters that Turai, still suspicious that Yar'adua was not truly divorced from Hauwa, relocated herself to Kaduna. She lived in that city until she was convinced that the divorce was sealed through her single-minded enforcement.
Several sources in Katsina and Abuja spoke to Saharareporters about Turai Yar’adua’s obsession with fetish. Turai reportedly sent marabouts after Hauwa to secure her commitment never to ask to be re-united with Umar, their husband. Our sources say she has been inviting marabouts to Aso Rock with a frequency reminiscent of the days of the late dictator, Sani Abacha.
The “First Lady’s” other passion lies in collecting jewelry. She and the wife of “Vice President” Jonathan Goodluck have struck a strong cord on account of their shared love for jewelries and expensive frippery.
During foreign trips with her self-effacing husband, Turai Yar'adua is shown to stand confidently, radiating confidence. Our sources say she uses those foreign trips to push her pet projects as well as seek foreign partners for her burgeoning business interests.
Mrs. Yar’adua was in the U.S. all of this week supposedly to receive an award in Houston, TX. But sources knowledgeable about her movements said she was in Texas to seal some private oil deals between herself (using yet-to-be identified fronts) and foreign partners. Her itinerary included meetings with several oil executives in the Texas area.
Asked to weigh in on the description of Turai Yar’adua as a combination of Uba, Mariam Babangida and Miriam Abacha, one associate who has known the Yar’aduas for a long time said Turai is likely to be her husband’s undoing. “Umar does not do much. Hajia Turai is the only person coordinating [Aso Rock]. At least Babangida was interested in power and pretended to be doing something. Here, Turai is left to run the show. And she is doing a few things that may explode in her husband’s face.”
Sunday, August 24, 2008
Super-celeb Kobe epitomized team-first approach
Scott Ostler, Chronicle Staff Writer
Sunday, August 24, 2008
More...
(08-24) 08:57 PDT Beijing -- The taxi driver stared blankly at my map. I had circled the Olympic basketball arena on the map, but there was a disconnect. The driver spoke no English; I spoke no Chinese.
It was Sunday afternoon, I needed to get to the U.S.-Spain gold-medal game, but it wasn't looking good.
After several moments of gloomy silence, the cabbie shaking his head slowly, his face suddenly brightened. He pantomimed a jump shot, flicked his wrist in graceful follow-through, and cried out, "Kobe!"
And off we went to Kobe.
The Chinese fans love Kobe Bryant. He is their adopted son, who, with supernatural skill, shines above the rest of the world in the game that is their new love.
Everyone digs Kobe. When the U.S. basketball team visited the Olympic Village (the U.S. basketballers stayed in a luxe hotel), the other athletes treated Kobe like Elvis.
Seemingly the only person in Beijing who didn't embrace the Kobe-centric view of the Olympic basketball universe was Kobe.
In eight games, never did Bryant go off. Never did he shoot the ball 10 times in a row, or even three. In the few moments of stress the U.S. team faced, Bryant did not grow larger while his teammates disappeared.
He came through in the clutch, but almost quietly. He was one of the guys.
The executives, coaches and players of USA Basketball - the Olympic team - have been telling us for three years that this group of players would be different. It would be a team. The players would blend, respect one another, respect the coach, play hard for their country, not personal glory.
They would not be a bunch of knuckleheads.
The assurances sounded to skeptics like a slick sales pitch.
Why should we believe? It had become apparent that while America produces the world's greatest basketball players, those players treat the team concept with contempt and disdain.
Now we can believe. For eight games, the U.S. walked the walk, passed the pass, set the pick, played the D, and honored the game of Dr. James Naismith.
The U.S. defeated Spain 118-107 Sunday afternoon. The Spaniards played a gritty, ferocious game. Whenever the 2004 U.S. Olympic team was similarly engaged, it folded like a soggy roadmap.
"I do believe that what we instituted three years ago helped us not to crack today," said Jerry Colangelo, managing director of USA Basketball. It was Colangelo who stripped the program down and rebuilt it, picking players based on commitment, character and class.
Colangelo's message: Don't join this team to pimp your shoe-endorsement deal or to dominate discos for Uncle Sam. Join it to re-invent American international basketball.
Sunday's postgame news conference, based on a rigid format, was to be coach Mike Krzyzewski and one or two players. Team USA was having none of that. After the medal-presentation ceremony, LeBron James told his teammates they would storm the press conference as a unit - all 12 players, Krzyzewski and Colangelo.
Panicky young Chinese volunteers scrambled to find enough podium chairs for the sweaty Americans.
Colangelo, by the way, is now the most popular man in American basketball. He is receiving and will continue to receive hundreds of pleas from American players and their agents to be allowed to jump aboard this crazy new bandwagon.
The second most popular man will be Krzyzewski, who will be fending off monster contract offers from roughly 28 of the 30 NBA teams.
If Coach K can get 12 skillionaire superstars to meld their individual brilliance into a team effort, he has a secret mojo that is priceless.
"Everybody wants to talk about NBA players being selfish, being ignorant, being individuals," Krzyzewski said. "What you saw today was a team bonding together, facing adversity, and coming out of here with a big win."
You saw a team believing in its coach, and vice versa.
"I told coach K (after the game), 'Thanks for believing in me,' " said Dwyane Wade, who came to this team with his rep badly sagging, partly because of two surgeries last year (shoulder and knee).
If the U.S. team had an MVP - and they don't, of course - it would be Wade. In terms of sheer brilliance, Wade out-Kobe'd Kobe. Wade led the U.S. in scoring Sunday with 27, including three three-pointers (in four attempts). He had four steals.
And Wade never started a game here. When a team can bring Dwyane Wade off its bench, that team is going to break some hearts. But the U.S. victory was about more than talent.
"I've seen a big improvement in (the U.S. team's) play (between '04 and '08)," said Spanish center Pau Gasol. "I think they took this tournament very seriously, they were very hungry. They gave a better feeling of a team; it wasn't so much individual stuff, individual talent."
It wasn't about one person, not even Kobe.
In the athletes' village, at the many events he attended, during pregame introductions, Bryant was a god.
Once the games started, he was one of the guys. The supporting cast consisted of 12 players, supporting one another - one golden team, knuckleheads no more.
E-mail Scott Ostler at sostler@sfchronicle.com.
Sunday, August 24, 2008
More...
(08-24) 08:57 PDT Beijing -- The taxi driver stared blankly at my map. I had circled the Olympic basketball arena on the map, but there was a disconnect. The driver spoke no English; I spoke no Chinese.
It was Sunday afternoon, I needed to get to the U.S.-Spain gold-medal game, but it wasn't looking good.
After several moments of gloomy silence, the cabbie shaking his head slowly, his face suddenly brightened. He pantomimed a jump shot, flicked his wrist in graceful follow-through, and cried out, "Kobe!"
And off we went to Kobe.
The Chinese fans love Kobe Bryant. He is their adopted son, who, with supernatural skill, shines above the rest of the world in the game that is their new love.
Everyone digs Kobe. When the U.S. basketball team visited the Olympic Village (the U.S. basketballers stayed in a luxe hotel), the other athletes treated Kobe like Elvis.
Seemingly the only person in Beijing who didn't embrace the Kobe-centric view of the Olympic basketball universe was Kobe.
In eight games, never did Bryant go off. Never did he shoot the ball 10 times in a row, or even three. In the few moments of stress the U.S. team faced, Bryant did not grow larger while his teammates disappeared.
He came through in the clutch, but almost quietly. He was one of the guys.
The executives, coaches and players of USA Basketball - the Olympic team - have been telling us for three years that this group of players would be different. It would be a team. The players would blend, respect one another, respect the coach, play hard for their country, not personal glory.
They would not be a bunch of knuckleheads.
The assurances sounded to skeptics like a slick sales pitch.
Why should we believe? It had become apparent that while America produces the world's greatest basketball players, those players treat the team concept with contempt and disdain.
Now we can believe. For eight games, the U.S. walked the walk, passed the pass, set the pick, played the D, and honored the game of Dr. James Naismith.
The U.S. defeated Spain 118-107 Sunday afternoon. The Spaniards played a gritty, ferocious game. Whenever the 2004 U.S. Olympic team was similarly engaged, it folded like a soggy roadmap.
"I do believe that what we instituted three years ago helped us not to crack today," said Jerry Colangelo, managing director of USA Basketball. It was Colangelo who stripped the program down and rebuilt it, picking players based on commitment, character and class.
Colangelo's message: Don't join this team to pimp your shoe-endorsement deal or to dominate discos for Uncle Sam. Join it to re-invent American international basketball.
Sunday's postgame news conference, based on a rigid format, was to be coach Mike Krzyzewski and one or two players. Team USA was having none of that. After the medal-presentation ceremony, LeBron James told his teammates they would storm the press conference as a unit - all 12 players, Krzyzewski and Colangelo.
Panicky young Chinese volunteers scrambled to find enough podium chairs for the sweaty Americans.
Colangelo, by the way, is now the most popular man in American basketball. He is receiving and will continue to receive hundreds of pleas from American players and their agents to be allowed to jump aboard this crazy new bandwagon.
The second most popular man will be Krzyzewski, who will be fending off monster contract offers from roughly 28 of the 30 NBA teams.
If Coach K can get 12 skillionaire superstars to meld their individual brilliance into a team effort, he has a secret mojo that is priceless.
"Everybody wants to talk about NBA players being selfish, being ignorant, being individuals," Krzyzewski said. "What you saw today was a team bonding together, facing adversity, and coming out of here with a big win."
You saw a team believing in its coach, and vice versa.
"I told coach K (after the game), 'Thanks for believing in me,' " said Dwyane Wade, who came to this team with his rep badly sagging, partly because of two surgeries last year (shoulder and knee).
If the U.S. team had an MVP - and they don't, of course - it would be Wade. In terms of sheer brilliance, Wade out-Kobe'd Kobe. Wade led the U.S. in scoring Sunday with 27, including three three-pointers (in four attempts). He had four steals.
And Wade never started a game here. When a team can bring Dwyane Wade off its bench, that team is going to break some hearts. But the U.S. victory was about more than talent.
"I've seen a big improvement in (the U.S. team's) play (between '04 and '08)," said Spanish center Pau Gasol. "I think they took this tournament very seriously, they were very hungry. They gave a better feeling of a team; it wasn't so much individual stuff, individual talent."
It wasn't about one person, not even Kobe.
In the athletes' village, at the many events he attended, during pregame introductions, Bryant was a god.
Once the games started, he was one of the guys. The supporting cast consisted of 12 players, supporting one another - one golden team, knuckleheads no more.
E-mail Scott Ostler at sostler@sfchronicle.com.
U.S. men rise to new heights, on court and off
By Alan Abrahamson, NBCOlympics.com
Posted Sunday, August 24, 2008 3:20 AM ET
BEIJING - Anything less than gold simply would not do. That was the mission. That was the mandate. Gold, and only gold, would redeem recent American failures -- the missteps that had reduced American stature in the game Americans had long dominated.
The U.S. men's basketball team hung tough on Sunday to defeat Spain, 118-107, to win the 2008 Beijing Games gold medal. It was a victory that culminated the journey of the so-called "Redeem Team," a collection of NBA stars - Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and others - that came together to play together.
Bryant screamed amid an embrace with Wade just moments after the final buzzer. The two of them pulled at their blue road jerseys to show off the "USA" emblems and Bryant yelled, "I'm just so excited. We all are."
On the podium, Bryant blew kisses to the crowd, raised his hands in triumph, held his hand to his heart and, after he got it, kissed his gold medal. Repeatedly. "The moment is finally here," he said.
"It feels," Deron Williams said, clutching his medal, "like gold."
Just because it was expected - indeed, demanded - doesn't make the 2008 gold medal any less special, and didn't make the moment any less worth savoring. The rest of the world has gotten better at basketball, and even a collection of some of the best ballplayers in the world were always going to have to play better than those who came before them - pointedly, the 1992 Dream Team - to prevail at the Olympics.
Spain, for instance, is the 2006 world champs. The United States is not.
Spain's roster includes star center Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers and other NBA standouts, including Jose Calderon of the Toronto Raptors, fifth last season in the league in assists. The 1992 opposition is remembered mostly for a skinny Angolan.
The 1992 team was legendary. So, too, should this 2008 team be.
"Man, this feels great," Wade said. "We haven't won in eight years," a reference to the last time the Americans won gold at the Olympics, in Sydney in 2000.
The victory Sunday also validates the enormous culture change and shift in direction for American basketball at the Olympics that one man, more than any other, knew would have to be implemented for Team USA - a program stung by a third-place finish at the 2004 Athens Games and a semifinal defeat to Greece at the 2006 FIBA world championships.
Jerry Colangelo, the former owner of the Phoenix Suns who after Athens was charged with making sure Olympic bronze in 2004 would turn to gold in 2008, could write a book about what he got done that would be a must-read case study at the top American graduate business schools.
Surveying the landscape after those Athens Games, Colangelo saw, among other issues, these:
An American roster of stars but no cohesivness.
Little understanding that role players and jump shooters are essential in international ball.
No continuity - no commitment from the players beyond a short training camp leading up to the Olympics themselves.
Uncertain desire from some stars to play in a red, white and blue jersey after the rigors of an NBA season.
And, finally, little appreciation of the perceptions created by even the slightest wrong note struck by any NBA player, typically among the biggest of the big stars at every Olympics since the Dream Team in 1992.
Colangelo set out to change all that.
He convened a meeting in Chicago in June, 2005, at which he summoned coaches and players from prior Games. That one meeting was the defining moment - the turn in the direction of American basketball that led inexorably to Sunday's gold.
At that meeting, coaches and players - everyone from John Thompson to Michael Jordan - stood up and said things had to change.
From that point on, Colangelo had, in business terms, buy-in.
He also had momentum.
Word began to spread among players and their agents that Team USA for 2008 was the thing to do.
Eventually, Bryant and James signed up. So, too, did the likes of Michael Redd, an outside shooter who -- upon arriving in sweats for his interview in Chicago with Colangelo, having just driven down after from practice in Milwaukee -- said "excuse me," walked into the bathroom, changed into a suit, came back out and said, "now I'm ready to tell you why I want to play."
At that moment it was plain, too, that the culture had changed.
"It's about winning with dignity. It's showing humility, showing respect for the game and the people in the game internationally," Colangelo said.
The difference from some prior American teams would manifest itself time and again here at the 2008 Olympics.
"We stayed at the soccer matches to see the U.S. women get their gold medals - just to see what that was going to be like," Bryant said.
"We had our flag and we were holding our flag and waving it around, just to support them, just to see their families, how they interacted with them - with the emotion that comes along with that.
"Months and months and months of preparation - it was good for us to see that and draw inspiration from that."
Colangelo was moved by the effort his players showed throughout the three weeks in China.
"We are very, very proud of the way our players have conducted themselves, how engaging they've been during the entire Olympics ...They scored a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10."
As for the basketball itself, the U.S. roared through pool play undefeated despite a mysterious inability in the first few games to shoot threes - relying instead on quickness and athleticism to depose of the likes of China, 101-70, in a game attended by President Bush and other American and Chinese dignitaries.
In the preliminary round game in which the Americans finally started shooting threes (12 of 25, 48 percent), the U.S. beat up on Spain, 119-82.
In the medal round, the Americans dispatched Australia in the quarterfinals, Argentina in the semis.
At practice Saturday, preparing for Spain, no one expecting another 37-point blowout, Wade observed, "The last eight years have been talked about as - you know, this is not our game anymore, we're nothing but showboat players, all the bad things that have been said about NBA players about Team USA.
"We're 40 minutes away from shutting that all up. That'll be good."
As they lined up at halfcourt for the start of Sunday's final, Bryant brushed by Gasol. The Spanish center patted his Laker teammate on the backside - and it was game on.
From that point on, they were combatants, not friends. Spain hung tough, and a 7-0 Spanish run at the start of the fourth closed the American lead to two with 8:13 to go.
But the Americans responded, with the professionalism and passion Colangelo expected. After Bryant hit two free throws with 26.1 seconds left, he came out to high fives and hugs all around with Team USA firmly in control.
After the final buzzer, Bryant and Gasol met again. They embraced and rubbed each other's heads in friendship and respect. "It was fun," Gasol said later of the championship-game experience.
A few minutes laer, the world watching, they played the Star Spangled Banner for the 2008 U.S. men's basketball team.
They put their hands over their hearts.
"Man," Carlos Boozer said, an American flag draped over his shoulders, "this is something special."
Copyright 2008 NBC Universal. All rights reserved. Any use, reproduction, modification, distribution, display or performance of this material without NBC Universal's prior written consent is prohibited.
Posted Sunday, August 24, 2008 3:20 AM ET
BEIJING - Anything less than gold simply would not do. That was the mission. That was the mandate. Gold, and only gold, would redeem recent American failures -- the missteps that had reduced American stature in the game Americans had long dominated.
The U.S. men's basketball team hung tough on Sunday to defeat Spain, 118-107, to win the 2008 Beijing Games gold medal. It was a victory that culminated the journey of the so-called "Redeem Team," a collection of NBA stars - Kobe Bryant, LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and others - that came together to play together.
Bryant screamed amid an embrace with Wade just moments after the final buzzer. The two of them pulled at their blue road jerseys to show off the "USA" emblems and Bryant yelled, "I'm just so excited. We all are."
On the podium, Bryant blew kisses to the crowd, raised his hands in triumph, held his hand to his heart and, after he got it, kissed his gold medal. Repeatedly. "The moment is finally here," he said.
"It feels," Deron Williams said, clutching his medal, "like gold."
Just because it was expected - indeed, demanded - doesn't make the 2008 gold medal any less special, and didn't make the moment any less worth savoring. The rest of the world has gotten better at basketball, and even a collection of some of the best ballplayers in the world were always going to have to play better than those who came before them - pointedly, the 1992 Dream Team - to prevail at the Olympics.
Spain, for instance, is the 2006 world champs. The United States is not.
Spain's roster includes star center Pau Gasol of the Los Angeles Lakers and other NBA standouts, including Jose Calderon of the Toronto Raptors, fifth last season in the league in assists. The 1992 opposition is remembered mostly for a skinny Angolan.
The 1992 team was legendary. So, too, should this 2008 team be.
"Man, this feels great," Wade said. "We haven't won in eight years," a reference to the last time the Americans won gold at the Olympics, in Sydney in 2000.
The victory Sunday also validates the enormous culture change and shift in direction for American basketball at the Olympics that one man, more than any other, knew would have to be implemented for Team USA - a program stung by a third-place finish at the 2004 Athens Games and a semifinal defeat to Greece at the 2006 FIBA world championships.
Jerry Colangelo, the former owner of the Phoenix Suns who after Athens was charged with making sure Olympic bronze in 2004 would turn to gold in 2008, could write a book about what he got done that would be a must-read case study at the top American graduate business schools.
Surveying the landscape after those Athens Games, Colangelo saw, among other issues, these:
An American roster of stars but no cohesivness.
Little understanding that role players and jump shooters are essential in international ball.
No continuity - no commitment from the players beyond a short training camp leading up to the Olympics themselves.
Uncertain desire from some stars to play in a red, white and blue jersey after the rigors of an NBA season.
And, finally, little appreciation of the perceptions created by even the slightest wrong note struck by any NBA player, typically among the biggest of the big stars at every Olympics since the Dream Team in 1992.
Colangelo set out to change all that.
He convened a meeting in Chicago in June, 2005, at which he summoned coaches and players from prior Games. That one meeting was the defining moment - the turn in the direction of American basketball that led inexorably to Sunday's gold.
At that meeting, coaches and players - everyone from John Thompson to Michael Jordan - stood up and said things had to change.
From that point on, Colangelo had, in business terms, buy-in.
He also had momentum.
Word began to spread among players and their agents that Team USA for 2008 was the thing to do.
Eventually, Bryant and James signed up. So, too, did the likes of Michael Redd, an outside shooter who -- upon arriving in sweats for his interview in Chicago with Colangelo, having just driven down after from practice in Milwaukee -- said "excuse me," walked into the bathroom, changed into a suit, came back out and said, "now I'm ready to tell you why I want to play."
At that moment it was plain, too, that the culture had changed.
"It's about winning with dignity. It's showing humility, showing respect for the game and the people in the game internationally," Colangelo said.
The difference from some prior American teams would manifest itself time and again here at the 2008 Olympics.
"We stayed at the soccer matches to see the U.S. women get their gold medals - just to see what that was going to be like," Bryant said.
"We had our flag and we were holding our flag and waving it around, just to support them, just to see their families, how they interacted with them - with the emotion that comes along with that.
"Months and months and months of preparation - it was good for us to see that and draw inspiration from that."
Colangelo was moved by the effort his players showed throughout the three weeks in China.
"We are very, very proud of the way our players have conducted themselves, how engaging they've been during the entire Olympics ...They scored a 10 on a scale of 1 to 10."
As for the basketball itself, the U.S. roared through pool play undefeated despite a mysterious inability in the first few games to shoot threes - relying instead on quickness and athleticism to depose of the likes of China, 101-70, in a game attended by President Bush and other American and Chinese dignitaries.
In the preliminary round game in which the Americans finally started shooting threes (12 of 25, 48 percent), the U.S. beat up on Spain, 119-82.
In the medal round, the Americans dispatched Australia in the quarterfinals, Argentina in the semis.
At practice Saturday, preparing for Spain, no one expecting another 37-point blowout, Wade observed, "The last eight years have been talked about as - you know, this is not our game anymore, we're nothing but showboat players, all the bad things that have been said about NBA players about Team USA.
"We're 40 minutes away from shutting that all up. That'll be good."
As they lined up at halfcourt for the start of Sunday's final, Bryant brushed by Gasol. The Spanish center patted his Laker teammate on the backside - and it was game on.
From that point on, they were combatants, not friends. Spain hung tough, and a 7-0 Spanish run at the start of the fourth closed the American lead to two with 8:13 to go.
But the Americans responded, with the professionalism and passion Colangelo expected. After Bryant hit two free throws with 26.1 seconds left, he came out to high fives and hugs all around with Team USA firmly in control.
After the final buzzer, Bryant and Gasol met again. They embraced and rubbed each other's heads in friendship and respect. "It was fun," Gasol said later of the championship-game experience.
A few minutes laer, the world watching, they played the Star Spangled Banner for the 2008 U.S. men's basketball team.
They put their hands over their hearts.
"Man," Carlos Boozer said, an American flag draped over his shoulders, "this is something special."
Copyright 2008 NBC Universal. All rights reserved. Any use, reproduction, modification, distribution, display or performance of this material without NBC Universal's prior written consent is prohibited.
Redemption achieved: U.S. men win gold
By The Associated Press
Posted Sunday, August 24, 2008 1:54 AM ET
Mike Breen & Doug Collins wrap up Team USA's run to Olympic gold. BEIJING (AP) Arm-in-arm, they climbed onto the middle of the medals platform, the spot that for so long was U.S. private property.
Some players flashed their Olympic medals to the crowd. One pretended to take a bite, just to make sure it was real.
Yep, it was gold - the color the Americans always used to win but hadn't since 2000.
Culminating a three-year mission to end years of embarrassment, the U.S. team survived a huge challenge from Spain, winning 118-107 in the gold-medal game Sunday.
Order was restored in international basketball.
"Much respect to Spain, but the U.S. is back on top again," LeBron James said at a press conference attended by the entire team.
But not by that much anymore.
After overwhelming everyone for seven games, the Americans led by only four points with under 2½ minutes to play. Then they proved they could handle a close game that it seemed would never come in Beijing.
Their prize: the first U.S. gold medal since the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Argentina won the bronze with an 87-75 victory against Lithuania.
Dwyane Wade scored 27 points for the Americans, who found a much gamer Spanish team than the one they humiliated by 37 points earlier in the tournament. Kobe Bryant added 20 points.
Videos
Highlights
Best plays of the US/Spain gold medal final
Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade interview
Lebron James interview
Carlos Boozer Interview
Photos
Pics
Images from Team USA's gold medal matchup against Spain.
Related Stories
Box score
Bracket
Beijing stats
Argentina earns bronze, beats Lithuania
U.S. men rise to new heights, on court and off
In a game so devoid of defense that it felt more like an NBA All-Star game than one with a title at stake, the Americans had too much offense down the stretch. Bryant converted a clutch four-point play with 3:10 remaining, holding his finger to his lips to quiet the rowdy Spanish crowd behind the basket.
Wade added another 3-pointer that made it 111-104 with just over 2 minutes left, and only then could the Americans relax a little.
They began to celebrate during a break after some technical fouls on Spain with 26 seconds left, then partied at midcourt when it was over with "Born in the USA" blaring over the arena's speakers.
"We played with great character in one of the great games in international basketball history, I think," U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
Nobody else had been close to the Americans in Beijing. This team's only Olympic competition had been history, in a Dream matchup with guys named Jordan, Magic, Bird and the rest of the U.S. team that dominated the Barcelona Games in 1992.
Forget comparisons to those guys. The Americans were lucky to be better than Spain on Sunday.
Rudy Fernandez scored 22 points and Pau Gasol had 21 for the Spanish, the reigning world champions who were hoping to win their first Olympic gold.
U.S. players appreciated the challenge, hugging the Spanish players afterward. Bryant had an especially long embrace for Gasol, patting his Los Angeles Lakers teammate on the back.
"They did what they were supposed to do," Gasol said. "We fought hard all the way."
Seeming to appreciate the moment, after congratulating Spain, the team joined in a circle, jumping up and down at center court and waving triumphantly to the crowd as Krzyzewski applauded on the sidelines.
"I know that we had a tough road ahead of us. We knew that these guys weren't going to roll over and give up that easily," U.S. forward Chris Bosh said. "So we had to be men, and that's what it takes to win."
The Americans had won their first seven games by 30.3 points, including a 119-82 rout of Spain. But they never had control of this game, giving up open looks from the perimeter and plenty of points in the paint against the defending world champions, who were playing without injured point guard Jose Calderon.
Bryant, who waited so long to finally wear the red, white and blue, hit two 3-pointers in a big fourth quarter to add the gold medal to his collection of basketball hardware. The three-time NBA champion and league MVP pounded his hands toward the floor in celebration at the end.
James scored 14 points, while Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul had 13 apiece for the Americans, who had won bronze medals in their last two international events, the 2004 Olympics and '06 world championships.
The U.S. started planning for this game after the Athens Games four years ago, the low point in its hoops history, following a sixth-place flop two years earlier in the world championships. Jerry Colangelo was given control of USA Basketball and constructed a national team program in 2006, requiring those who wanted to play to commit to three years.
He got Bryant and James quickly on board and landed almost everyone else he asked for, finding a group of NBA stars eager to give up their summer to get back what they felt belonged to their country.
And he needed all of them against a Spanish team that on this day would have likely beaten any other recent U.S. squad.
"Being a part of the '04 team, we really didn't get the opportunity to showcase our talent," said Wade, one of four holdovers from Athens. "We really wanted to come in and help lead this team."
Jason Kidd ran his record to 56-0 in senior international play and collected another gold to place alongside the one he earned in 2000, becoming the 13th U.S. player with multiple golds.
That elite list, which includes Michael Jordan and seven other Dream Teamers, could grow in 2012. Paul and Dwight Howard said they would be in London if asked, and perhaps half this team could join them.
James ran out for pregame warmups with his finger in the air, already believing the U.S. was No. 1. But even though the Americans were shooting better than 70 percent for most of the first half, it would take a long time to prove it.
James and Bryant were both on the bench after picking up two fouls in the first 3½ minutes, and though Wade came in and picked up their scoring load, the U.S. reserves couldn't open their usual cushion.
Spain hit seven of its first nine shots, leading for much of the first quarter. A quick burst of 10 points by James and Wade had the U.S. advantage up to 14 points with 4 minutes left in the half, but Spain chipped away and trailed only 69-61 at the break.
"We faced some incredible teams here," Bryant said. "We knew coming in that Spain was going to be a big problem."
Fernandez's 3-pointer cut it to 91-89 with 8:13 remaining in the game, but Bryant answered with a bucket and then a 3, and things seemed safe when James scored to make it 103-92.
Spain made one last push to close within 108-104 on Carlos Jimenez's 3-pointer, but Wade hit one on the other end, and the final score became lopsided when the Americans hit a bunch of free throws after the Spanish became frustrated and were called for the technicals.
Copyright 2008 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
Posted Sunday, August 24, 2008 1:54 AM ET
Mike Breen & Doug Collins wrap up Team USA's run to Olympic gold. BEIJING (AP) Arm-in-arm, they climbed onto the middle of the medals platform, the spot that for so long was U.S. private property.
Some players flashed their Olympic medals to the crowd. One pretended to take a bite, just to make sure it was real.
Yep, it was gold - the color the Americans always used to win but hadn't since 2000.
Culminating a three-year mission to end years of embarrassment, the U.S. team survived a huge challenge from Spain, winning 118-107 in the gold-medal game Sunday.
Order was restored in international basketball.
"Much respect to Spain, but the U.S. is back on top again," LeBron James said at a press conference attended by the entire team.
But not by that much anymore.
After overwhelming everyone for seven games, the Americans led by only four points with under 2½ minutes to play. Then they proved they could handle a close game that it seemed would never come in Beijing.
Their prize: the first U.S. gold medal since the 2000 Sydney Olympics.
Argentina won the bronze with an 87-75 victory against Lithuania.
Dwyane Wade scored 27 points for the Americans, who found a much gamer Spanish team than the one they humiliated by 37 points earlier in the tournament. Kobe Bryant added 20 points.
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Best plays of the US/Spain gold medal final
Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade interview
Lebron James interview
Carlos Boozer Interview
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Images from Team USA's gold medal matchup against Spain.
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Box score
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Argentina earns bronze, beats Lithuania
U.S. men rise to new heights, on court and off
In a game so devoid of defense that it felt more like an NBA All-Star game than one with a title at stake, the Americans had too much offense down the stretch. Bryant converted a clutch four-point play with 3:10 remaining, holding his finger to his lips to quiet the rowdy Spanish crowd behind the basket.
Wade added another 3-pointer that made it 111-104 with just over 2 minutes left, and only then could the Americans relax a little.
They began to celebrate during a break after some technical fouls on Spain with 26 seconds left, then partied at midcourt when it was over with "Born in the USA" blaring over the arena's speakers.
"We played with great character in one of the great games in international basketball history, I think," U.S. coach Mike Krzyzewski said.
Nobody else had been close to the Americans in Beijing. This team's only Olympic competition had been history, in a Dream matchup with guys named Jordan, Magic, Bird and the rest of the U.S. team that dominated the Barcelona Games in 1992.
Forget comparisons to those guys. The Americans were lucky to be better than Spain on Sunday.
Rudy Fernandez scored 22 points and Pau Gasol had 21 for the Spanish, the reigning world champions who were hoping to win their first Olympic gold.
U.S. players appreciated the challenge, hugging the Spanish players afterward. Bryant had an especially long embrace for Gasol, patting his Los Angeles Lakers teammate on the back.
"They did what they were supposed to do," Gasol said. "We fought hard all the way."
Seeming to appreciate the moment, after congratulating Spain, the team joined in a circle, jumping up and down at center court and waving triumphantly to the crowd as Krzyzewski applauded on the sidelines.
"I know that we had a tough road ahead of us. We knew that these guys weren't going to roll over and give up that easily," U.S. forward Chris Bosh said. "So we had to be men, and that's what it takes to win."
The Americans had won their first seven games by 30.3 points, including a 119-82 rout of Spain. But they never had control of this game, giving up open looks from the perimeter and plenty of points in the paint against the defending world champions, who were playing without injured point guard Jose Calderon.
Bryant, who waited so long to finally wear the red, white and blue, hit two 3-pointers in a big fourth quarter to add the gold medal to his collection of basketball hardware. The three-time NBA champion and league MVP pounded his hands toward the floor in celebration at the end.
James scored 14 points, while Carmelo Anthony and Chris Paul had 13 apiece for the Americans, who had won bronze medals in their last two international events, the 2004 Olympics and '06 world championships.
The U.S. started planning for this game after the Athens Games four years ago, the low point in its hoops history, following a sixth-place flop two years earlier in the world championships. Jerry Colangelo was given control of USA Basketball and constructed a national team program in 2006, requiring those who wanted to play to commit to three years.
He got Bryant and James quickly on board and landed almost everyone else he asked for, finding a group of NBA stars eager to give up their summer to get back what they felt belonged to their country.
And he needed all of them against a Spanish team that on this day would have likely beaten any other recent U.S. squad.
"Being a part of the '04 team, we really didn't get the opportunity to showcase our talent," said Wade, one of four holdovers from Athens. "We really wanted to come in and help lead this team."
Jason Kidd ran his record to 56-0 in senior international play and collected another gold to place alongside the one he earned in 2000, becoming the 13th U.S. player with multiple golds.
That elite list, which includes Michael Jordan and seven other Dream Teamers, could grow in 2012. Paul and Dwight Howard said they would be in London if asked, and perhaps half this team could join them.
James ran out for pregame warmups with his finger in the air, already believing the U.S. was No. 1. But even though the Americans were shooting better than 70 percent for most of the first half, it would take a long time to prove it.
James and Bryant were both on the bench after picking up two fouls in the first 3½ minutes, and though Wade came in and picked up their scoring load, the U.S. reserves couldn't open their usual cushion.
Spain hit seven of its first nine shots, leading for much of the first quarter. A quick burst of 10 points by James and Wade had the U.S. advantage up to 14 points with 4 minutes left in the half, but Spain chipped away and trailed only 69-61 at the break.
"We faced some incredible teams here," Bryant said. "We knew coming in that Spain was going to be a big problem."
Fernandez's 3-pointer cut it to 91-89 with 8:13 remaining in the game, but Bryant answered with a bucket and then a 3, and things seemed safe when James scored to make it 103-92.
Spain made one last push to close within 108-104 on Carlos Jimenez's 3-pointer, but Wade hit one on the other end, and the final score became lopsided when the Americans hit a bunch of free throws after the Spanish became frustrated and were called for the technicals.
Copyright 2008 by STATS LLC and Associated Press. Any commercial use or distribution without the express written consent of STATS LLC and Associated Press is strictly prohibited.
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