Source From http://www.blackamericaweb.com/
It’s been a tough two years for President Barack Obama – and for many black Americans as well. “This is not the hardest Thanksgiving America has ever faced. But as long as many members of our American family are hurting, we’ve got to look out for one another,” Obama said Thursday in his Thanksgiving greeting to the nation. The hostile take-over of the House of Representatives by Republicans this month was a stunning political setback for Obama’s sweeping legislative agenda. The historic shift in power could stall parts of the president’s ambitious initiatives for the next two years. How will President Obama find common ground with House Republicans who oppose his vision for America and want him out of the White House in 2012? Still, he remains hopeful on Thanksgiving Day. “For what we are called to do again today isn’t about Democrats or Republicans,” the president said. “It’s not about left or right. It’s about us. It’s about what we know this country is capable of. It’s about what we want America to be in this new century.” With all the criticism and challenges facing Obama, here are 12 things President Obama can be thankful for this Thanksgiving: – That last week, the U.S. Senate has unanimously approved a combined $4.55 billion in settlements to black farmers and Native Americans, ending years of litigation on charges of racial bias and mismanagement. The $1.15 billion allocation to black farmers represents the largest civil rights settlement in U.S history. The federal government was accused of a decades-old practice of denying and underpaying loans to black farmers because of their race. – That for the most part, media outlets have respected the privacy of Obama’s two daughters, Sasha and Malia. – That with the constant bombardment of negative portrayals that paint black families as falling apart, nonexistent and an ideal abandoned, America sees Obama’s daughters, his wife, and their bond in love and togetherness – an image that celebrates the black family. – That in recent polls, voters still prefer Obama over prospective 2010 opponent Sarah Palin. – That the Congressional Black Caucus is still in tact after the mid-term elections. – That the stress of the job hasn’t deteriorated his health. – That Michelle Obama’s popularity rating is high. – That voters still like Obama personally, even if they don’t like – or in most cases, are unaware of – his policies. – That Obama’s new children’s book, “Of Thee I Sing: A Letter to My Daughters,” is already breaking publishing records. – That he doesn’t have to read Palin’s new book. – That Valerie Jarrett – who is known as “the other side of Obama’s brain” – continues to serve as Obama’s senior White House advisor. “Today, like millions of other families across America, Michelle, Malia, Sasha and I will sit down to share a Thanksgiving filled with family and friends – and a few helpings of food and football, too,” Obama said. “And just as folks have done in every Thanksgiving since the first,” he added, “we’ll spend some time taking stock of what we’re thankful for: the God-given bounty of America, and the blessings of one another.” “To every American, I am thankful for the privilege of being your President,” Obama said. “And from the Obama family to yours, have a very Happy Thanksgiving.”
