Time to Get Tough on Obama, Say Some Blacks

Making 'history is not enough,' argue commentators
By Matt Cantor,  Newser Staff
Posted Apr 6, 2009 10:11 AM CDT
Time to Get Tough on Obama, Say Some Blacks
President Barack Obama disembarks Air Force One at the Esenboga airport in Ankara, Turkey, yesterday.   (AP Photo/Burhan Ozbilici)

He made history on January 20—but some black politicos say the honeymoon is over with President Obama, the Washington Post reports. Taking the president to task will ultimately help him lead, says talk show host Tavis Smiley. “History is not enough,” notes black media personality Jeff Johnson. But many in the black community would rather the talking heads go easier on the new president.

“It's not about being a second-guessing cynic,” says the president of the National Urban League. “That's not what brings change.” But others worry about promoting a “double standard,” fearing some groups are letting Obama off the hook. The party’s over, and it’s time to scrutinize, says Johnson. “The person that I believe we voted for doesn't want us to continue to celebrate him.”
(More President Obama stories.)

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