April D. Ryan

Republican Senator John McCain, known as a huge boxing fan, wants a pardon for boxing great Jack Johnson.  The late black heavyweight champion Jack Johnson, was sent to prison nearly a century ago because of his romantic ties with a white woman.

Johnson became the first black heavyweight champion in 1908 - 100 years before Obama was elected the nation’s first black president. Johnson was convicted in 1913 of violating the Mann Act, which made it illegal to transport women across state lines for immoral purposes.

Senator McCain at the White House said, “Jack Johnson was one of the great athletes in history.  He was done a gross mis justice and he should be pardoned because he was not guilty of anything expect a victim of racism.”  McCain is hopeful the House will follow the Senate’s lead.  The Senate approved the resolution by voice vote Wednesday.  When asked about the pardon resolution, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs admitted he was not familiar with the issue.

The White House office of Faith-Based and Neighborhood partnerships is working to implement the Obama Cairo speech with more outreach to the Muslim community on American soil.  The June speech is credited with inspiring elections change in Iran.     Administration sources admit the Obama Cairo address affected the margins in the Iranian elections.  To what extent, it is not known.     Republican National Committee chairman, Michael Steele contends, “the Cairo speech was something that stuck in the minds of a lot of the activist out there.    I think that they feel empowered in so many ways. But again, when you empower people you have got to sustain that empowerment. You cannot empower them and then walk away from it.”   Meanwhile, Tuesday President Obama gave his strongest statements yet on the turmoil in Iran since elections there.  He said he was “appalled and outraged by the threats, beatings and imprisonments of the past few days.”   Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad warned President Obama to “avoid interfering” in Iranian affairs.     “Do you want to speak with this tone? If that is your stance then what is left to talk about?” Ahmadinejad said of Obama.