Breaking News Obama Arrives in Moscow for Two-Day Summit, First Since the Early Bush Presidency

Spike Lee Wants Rev. Wright to 'Do the Right Thing'

Friday, May 02, 2008

Now some fresh pickings from the Political Grapevine:

The Wright Thing

Director Spike Lee wants Reverend Jeremiah Wright to do the right thing and shut up. Lee tells the British newspaper The Guardian, "Jeremiah Wright needs to be quiet. If he loves Barack Obama he needs to shut up right now."

And Lee hinted at a political conspiracy behind Wright's comments: "It makes me question his motives for talking. I'm starting to wonder whether somebody has been contributing to the building funds of his church. Seriously... It looks like he's being paid to keep talking."

Dirty Tricks?

Some automated calls to North Carolina voters implying that they are not yet legally registered to vote, have been traced to a women's advocacy group run by people with links to the Clintons.

Wired magazine reports the group Women's Voices, Women Vote has acknowledged making the calls and promised to stop. A Raleigh newspaper reports the calls were made primarily to black households.

Related

Many of the group's officials worked in Bill Clinton's administration or have made donations to Hillary Clinton's campaign. The North Carolina attorney general's office says the calls are illegal because the group did not identify itself and the state is investigating.

The Clinton campaign acknowledges it has supporters on the group's board and staff and says group officials have admitted their mistake and apologized.

Pimp My Ride

Did you know that members of the House of Representatives can lease the most expensive cars they can find — and you have to pay for it — along with the gasoline, registration, and insurance?

A TV station in New York reports Democratic Congressman Gregory Meeks leases a Lexus LS460 for $998 a month. Brooklyn Democrat Ed Towns rides in a Lincoln SUV for $715. And Congressman Charles Rangel tools through town in a Cadillac Deville for $774 a month.

Rangel dismisses the idea that he should downsize and save some taxpayer bucks, saying,
"When I'm in New York, my car is my office. I use it to conduct congressional business. It really pleases me that [my constituents] appreciate driving in a comfortable car, especially the senior citizens.

"I could probably find something for... one of those red cars and then I think my constituents would say, 'With all the money that he gets, this is the respect he shows us?'"

The U.S. Senate does not allow its members to lease cars with taxpayer funds.

Name Game

Some people on the Greek island of Lesbos are taking a gay group to court over the use of the word "lesbian" in its title. The people on the island of Lesbos are known as "Lesbians" and they say the group calling itself the "homosexual and lesbian community of Greece" is insulting the identity of the islanders.

Lesbos has become a favored holiday destination for gay women. And the plaintiffs are okay with that — they just want some changes. Says Lesbos resident and plaintiff Dimitris Lambrou, "My sister can't say she is a Lesbian. Our geographical designation has been usurped by certain ladies who have no connection whatsoever with Lesbos."

He says that while the word lesbian has been linked with gay women for a few decades — people on the island have been Lesbians for thousands of years.

FOX News Channel's Martin Hill contributed to this report.

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