[elroypornlab]

Barry Saunders, Staff Writer
Trust me, you haven't lived until you've been verbally pimp-slapped by the Rev. Al Sharpton first thing Monday morning.

The reverend, responding to a column I wrote recently that referred to his reputation as an ill-informed rabble-rouser, called to set me straight. He was respectful, but at the end of our talk, I knew I'd been chastised.

Sharpton's assistant called first. "I've been trying to reach you since last week, but your mailbox is full," she said.

It's probably full of callers cussing me out, I told her."Get ready for another one," she said. "The Rev. Sharpton would like to speak to you."

That's intimidating, and not just because I hadn't been rebuked by a preacher since the Rev. Sawyer thought he saw my 12-year-old self taking more money out of the collection plate than I put in.

It's intimidating because when he's on his game, Sharpton is an eloquent advocate for the downtrodden, a man who can make presidents squirm.

When he's not on his game, though, he allows himself to become a mouthpiece for one of those payday loan outfits accused of exploiting poor people with loans and interest rates that would make the Mafia blush.

If you haven't already seen the ads in which Sharpton pitches woo for a Georgia car-title loan company, you won't: The ads have ceased.

Someone from Durham, he said, "called and told me, 'I think these guys are predatory lenders,' and I told him to show me evidence of that."

Sharpton said he wasn't accusing the company of wrongdoing, but he "wrote ... a letter and severed my ties with them."

I promised Sharpton that I'd publicize his jumping out of bed with the alleged predators with the same glee that I publicized his jumping into it.

"That's not why I'm calling," he said.

Fans of Sharpton, and even those who aren't, should appreciate his willingness to acknowledge his mistake, although it's hard to imagine him making such a boneheaded move in the first place.

There is a lot about the reverend that makes his fans shudder, but there is also a lot that is worthwhile and admirable.

OK, maybe not from where you're sitting, but if you've ever eaten a fried bologna sandwich for dinner and been glad to get it -- or if you're one of the 37 million Americans the Census Bureau said were living in poverty in 2004 -- Sharpton was the only presidential candidate in the last election who consistently spoke for you.

Hurricane Katrina seems to have washed the poor into general view -- at least momentarily -- so others have discovered them. For right now.

Sharpton also, thank goodness, dispelled the rumor that he was going to star in a TV sitcom called "Al in the Family."

"I haven't done the things I've done to be in a sitcom," he said. There were discussions between Paramount and someone else for a television series, he said, but they have ended.

"I'm not interested in being Archie Bunker," he said. "I'm looking forward to becoming George Bush."

Say what you want about the reverend -- and I probably already have -- but I prefer having him around to not. As long as he stops trying to be the loan arranger.
Want to tell Barry what you think? Call him at 836-2811 or send e-mail to him at barrys@newsobserver.com.

[TheBagman]

"I'm not interested in being Archie Bunker," he said. "I'm looking forward to becoming George Bush."

Nuff said.

too long , too early ... maybe i'll come back later

[AnnonUSA]

Al Sharpton, for all the good he either has done or has tried to do, is a loud mouth pompous ass, that allows himself to be made the fool by minor petty issues that he should know better about getting involved with. He has taken the wrong side of an argument more times that not, which has proven that race, and not equality or fairness guides his judgement.

His political aspirations would be better served by becoming the voice of reason rather than the loud mouth of doubt. It looks self serving and manipulative, to see his fat ass turn up behind people in the news, and everyone can see that his involvement does nothing more than inflame the situation.

For years he lied about the Tawana Brawley case, when standard damage control would have put the lying bitch in her place quickly and quietly.

His presidential hopes are just that hopes, and they hinge totally on a uneducated black voter base, that won't look at issues deeper than the candidates skin color. I find it funny that he didn't say he wanted to be President, but that he wanted to become George Bush, with that he may have a chance, at least of matching Bush's approval rating.

And By the Way, Jesse Jackson, ditto.

[gilligan]

i voted for al in the 04 dem. primaries, but he didnt win.

i thought barry sanders played football, now he is writing about al?