Hello...........I'm a Racist!

I have finally felt the sting of a political slap-in-the-face, even if it did come to me in a round-about way. Through employment and association I have been labeled a racist! OUCH!

Andy Caldwell is the host of a conservative talk radio show, The Andy Caldwell Show and the Executive Director of the Coalition of Labor, Agriculture and Business, COLAB, for Santa Barbara County and recently San Luis Obispo County to help with their start-up. I am Andy's producer and the publisher of COLAB's news aggregator, CalChronicle.com

San Luis Obispo County government has not taken kindly to Andy and a government watchdog group settling in their county.

How I became a racist:

Each year Andy puts together a dinner for the COLAB membership which is attended by 800 or more members. In April of this year he did just that and hired actor Steve Bridges who impersonates President Barack Obama as the entertainment. Steve also impersonates President George W. Bush, President Bill Clinton, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, Al Gore and more. I want to note at this point that Steve has done his President Obama impersonation on The Jay Leno Show, The Today Show and at many corporate events around the country. Oh, and Steve is white.

Andy had been asked to emcee an event for State Senator Sam Blakeslee this week and prior to the event Senator Blakeslee received an email from San Luis Obispo County Supervisor Adam Hill that read:

“Perhaps you don’t know about the hostile, secretive, and frequently racist activities of COLAB, I wish I could give you the benefit of the doubt on this one, but this is so disappointing and offensive. I only hope you won’t be featuring a black face entertainer impersonating the President as Andy Caldwell featured in COLAB’s recent fundraiser in Santa Maria. Best of luck.”

Then he shipped a copy of the email off to local media. Needless to say, I am miffed. COLAB is comprised of members of organized labor, farmers and ranchers, and members of the business community, such as doctors, lawyers, industrialists, and other family owned businesses, including those owned by Hispanics, African Americans and Native Americans; none of whom are racist.

Adam Hill's email has not been received well by the community. Even liberal columnists and a radio talk show host, yes, we have a liberal talk radio show host, have spent a lot of time defending Andy and COLAB. They might not like or agree with Andy but they know dirty, smelly politics.

Now that I am a racist I might as well share another comment from a business leader that was at this dinner:

"One of the things that I noticed about the COLAB wing ding was not so much the multiple racial hues, but that there were far too many guys in Western wear. Some of those guys I know for a fact have never even been on a horse, let alone shoveled horse shit. They certainly can’t claim to be cowboys."

"This mocking of the American cowboy by guys who have never roped a cow is an insidious form of pseudo-cultural hegemony by COLAB that must not be tolerated. I will report this to Adam Hill so that he can expose it to the press with the appropriate sensationalism."

Thank you Mike!

As Andy Caldwell and COLAB continue to grow in San Luis Obispo County, with, I am sure, the unintended help from Adam Hill to watch over our county supervisors I can find comfort in that old saying that has proven true over and over again, "Those who make the most noise have the most to hide!"

C.