Since Obama has expressed admiration for the portrait of Abraham Lincoln that Doris Kearns Goodwin paints in 'Team of Rivals,' he could do the 16th president one better: He should name Hillary Clinton as his running mate in 2012. That would be both needed change and audacious.

During the 2008 campaign, I strongly endorsed Barack Obama for president. I did so early, when many Democratic leaders – including many prominent African-American politicians – believed the safe bet was to back then-front-runner Hillary Clinton.

Suppose something would happen to the president, who would be in charge? The Vice President. Joe Biden? You have got to be kidding today when you say the Taliban’s not our enemy.

You don’t ever earn a right to stop doing anything if you feel there is an obligation to move in terms of public service.

Certain black leaders would believe that you have to go through their prism: ‘If I lay my hand on you, you’re OK.’ So many people have made a living off of the pimping of race.

There will be those who will tell you that you can’t make it because of how you look, because of the way you talk. We all have heard that – I almost listened.

In the class that I teach at one University, I stress that my one-word definition of politics is money. You can’t name a subject matter that money doesn’t touch.

What is blackness? Is it the way you talk? Do you got to say, ‘Dey this, dey dat.’ Or the way you dress? Or is it the forgiving of certain things? What is black enough?

There will be those who will tell you that you can't make it because of how you look, because of the way you talk. We all have heard that - I almost listened.

Africa is not a country, but it is a continent like none other. It has that which is elegantly vast or awfully little.