Changes

==Political Views==

==Political Views==

==Published Criticism==

==Published Criticism==

In April 2007 Staff writers of ''The Boston Globe'' criticized Obama and the concerns of several prominent Black academics and social leaders for Obama's failure to speak out regarding acclaimed radio personality [[Don Imus]] who made racially insensitive on air remarks. <ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/04/11/obamas_silence_on_imus_alarms_some_blacks/ Obama's silence on Imus alarms some blacks], Rick Klein and Joseph Williams, ''The Boston Globe'', April 11, 2007.</ref> Imus, the longtime mainstay of liberal radio talk show hosts, recieved only a two week suspension from a few offended affiliates who carry his broadcast.  In 1986, longtime ''CBS Sports'' broadcaster Jimmy the Greek was summarily fired for what was percieved then as a racially insensitive remark.  More recently, the character known as Kramer from the Jerry Sienfeld Show was publicly ostracized for racially insensiteve remarks made during a stand-up comic perfomance.

In April 2007 staff writers of ''The Boston Globe'' reported the criticisms of several prominent Black academics and social leaders regarding Obama's failure to speak out regarding acclaimed radio personality [[Don Imus]] who made racially insensitive on air remarks.  Obama did not comment on the Imus situation until well after prominent civil right's leaders [[Al Sharpton]] and [[Jesse Jackson]] had called Imus to account and after Imus was suspended by MSNBC and CBS Radio.  Obama's comment on the situation on April 10 was, "The comments of Don Imus were divisive, hurtful, and offensive to Americans of all backgrounds." <br />

The incident serves to further illustrate Obama's disconnection from the civil rights era due to both his age and nontraditional background.  Failing to address the Imus issue was described by Melissa Harris Lacewell, a professor of politics and African-American studies at Princeton University, as a "missed opportunity" to prove himself as a force for civil rights.<ref>[http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2007/04/11/obamas_silence_on_imus_alarms_some_blacks/ Obama's silence on Imus alarms some blacks], Rick Klein and Joseph Williams, ''The Boston Globe'', April 11, 2007.</ref>  

 

==Sources==

==Sources==