Google
 

Ralph Nader: Obama Uncle Sam or Uncle Tom?

November 5th, 2008 by Scott Marks

I was all over the dial last night relishing the Obama victory from as many different points-of-view as possible. With Larry King and Bill O’Rielly safely hidden from public view, watching Jesse Jackson use the little air time afforded him to weep on camera because it wasn’t he gathering all the attention should have been the unintentionally hilarious highlight of the evening.

Instead, that honor goes to the irrelevant, outmoded and all but forgotten (even though technically a candidate) Ralph Nader. After the results were in, the once forceful consumer protection activist told Fox News mannequin Shepard Smith, “To put it very simply, he is our first African American president; or he will be. And we wish him well. But his choice, basically, is whether he’s going to be Uncle Sam for the people of this country or Uncle Tom for the giant corporations.”

His question of whether Obama will turn out to be a corporate stooge is a valid one, but “Uncle Tom?” Call him a shill, lackey, flunky, suck up, anything but a racially inflammatory term. Bad choice of words, Ralphie boy. And while I’m on it, did Nader suffer a stroke? What’s with the cockeyed stare and talking out the side of his mouth?

Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Filed Under News

David Elliott interviewed in San Diego Magazine

July 24th, 2008 by Scott Marks

I’d like to say good evening, and how do you do, ladies and gentlemen. Kup’s world ends tonight with a bunch of bon mots from the lovely Ginette Vicot. (I’d like to point out that long before Jesse Jackson’s corresponding verse, this rhymin’ Hyman had such a funny meter to the roar of his repeater, if you catch my drift.)

It’s been pointed out to yours truly, that not unlike legendary prankster Red ” Aaron Chwatt” Buttons, my friend Donald, err, uhh, David, I should say, Elliott never got a dinner.

You can’t blame a guy for wanting to throw back a few farewell stingers with Burl Stiff and his fellow penman at the Tickled Trout. More than sedi…cough…sentiment and supper, I mean, Dave wanted a chance to bid farewell to his loyal readers who couldn’t wait to rip open the Night and Day section to peruse his latest cinematic missives.

I gotta’ tell you that David was always a good man when we worked together at the Chicago Sun-Times, and according to Essee a very capable wordsmith. I preferred schmoozing with the stars to watching their dreck pictures where I frequently caught some shuteye. If only Elliott had written more about Bears great Sid Luckman, because I never was big on movie reviews. Besides, who am I to critique someone else’s writing? Truth be told, Essee writes most of this crap…Anyway, I’d like to go on record as personally thanking Dave for never letting it be known that I once let loose a trouser fillip in his presence while ascending the Chicago Theatre in their cramped elevator. Yes sir, two rode together and one blew! Heh! Heh!

Since I already ran a photo of Dave and his lovely daughter Samantha, I found it only fitting to publish a shot of his son Tarvis. That Elliott is one loyal foot soldier. I don’t care how much Marshall Field paid me, you’ wouldn’t catch me dead wearing a chazarai Sun-Times t-shirt. Only Manny’s in Elmhurst for this reporter!

Now Ivan Bunny, there’s one for movies! I tell ya’ he sees everything. He was the one that saw Meet Dave. You know, just recently, Bunny’s bald spot finally filled in. I’ll never forget the day he performed a self-inflicted Larry Fine in my office. It was right after he read where Elliott proclaimed The Road to Perdition “the greatest gangster film since The Godfather.” Now I going to stick up for the man because for this reporter’s money Perdition far outclassed Marty Scorceske’s Goodfellows or Casino. I think it was even better than Stop! or My Mom Will Shoot and Feds. (By the way, Mary Gross is a Chicago gal, I might add.)

Continue reading David Elliott interviewed in San Diego Magazine

Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Filed Under Interviews, News

keep looking »