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'We Can't Make John Black,' Says Elizabeth Edwards

"We can't make John black, we can't make him a woman. Those things get you a lot of press, worth a certain amount of fundraising dollars," says Elizabeth Edwards in an interview with online CIO Insight, an online business journal. "Now it's nice to get on the news, but not the be all and end all."

Eric Schultz, a national press secretary for the Edwards campaign, translates her comments: "Elizabeth was noting what countless reporters and pundits have said for months, that Senators Clinton and Obama get a lot of media attention, and deservedly so, because of the potential 'firsts' of their candidacies." Read more.

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GLAAD Condemns Anti-Gay FOX News Comments

FOX News Radio's KCOL host and program director, Scott James, made defamatory, anti-gay comments equating the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) community to child molesters, reports the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). On the July 31 broadcast of his show "Ride Home with The James Gang," James stated, "Do they just want everybody to be politically correct and be tolerant and get along? 'You must accept me in my homosexual and/or perverted, i.e., child molestation ways. You must accept it.'"

GLAAD contacted KCOL, a 5,000 watt AM station based out of Fort Collins, Colo., to express concern over the piece and spoke with James, who was unapologetic about his statements. "There is no room on the airwaves for these types of hateful comments," says GLAAD's Rashad Robinson, senior director of media programs. "Irresponsible statements like those of Scott James only serve to perpetuate negative stereotypes of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender community." GLAAD calls on James and KCOL to offer an apology for his anti-gay remarks. Will they get one? Read more.

(See also: Which Network Gets the Top Score for LGBT Inclusion?)

N.J. Tops for Female Corporate Attorneys

A survey of legal departments at 24 New Jersey companies finds that eight--or 33 percent--of the general counsels are women, the highest percentage in the country. New Jersey is second in the nation in the raw number of female lawyers in the top spots, bested only by New York and Texas, each with 10. New Jersey's numbers have been steadily climbing, from four out of 23 in 2004 and two out of 20 in 1999. New Jersey's growth is better than the national trend. According to the Minority Corporate Counsel Association's report in the July/Aug. issue of its magazine, Diversity and the Bar, 90 women head legal departments at Fortune 500 companies, up from 73 in 2004 and 44 in 1999. Nationally, women represent 18 percent of all Fortune 500 general counsels, up from 17 percent in 2004 and 10 percent in 1999. Read more.

(See also: Why General Counsels Are Pushing Supplier Diversity)

Obama Courts Latinos

Sen. Barack Obama made a pitch for unity between blacks and Latinos before 2,000 people at the National Council of La Raza convention. "Our separate struggles are really one," the Democratic presidential hopeful declares, quoting a telegram Martin Luther King Jr. sent in 1968 to farm-worker activist Cesar Chávez. Obama called for the two groups to stay the course in a common fight for equality. To rousing applause, he alluded to "one dream" for blacks and Latinos. Later, he cited his Kenyan-born father as an example of an immigrant who came here in pursuit of the American dream. Despite becoming this presidential race's phenomenon with the power to draw huge crowds and raise millions of dollars, Obama remains relatively unknown among the country's fastest-growing electorate. Nearly half of Latino voters have never heard of him, according to a June Gallup poll. How will that affect his electoral prospects? Read more.

(See also: Who Would Vote for Obama? You'll Be Surprised at New Results and Face to Face With Barack Obama: He Talks Education, Healthcare, Unions)

Latinos Waste Political Clout, Says Columnist

Only 13 percent of the Latino population voted in 2006, according to the Pew Hispanic Center--a 1 percent increase from 2002. In contrast, 39 percent of all whites and 27 percent of all blacks headed to the polls in 2006. Latinos don't have the luxury of taking a "mañana, mañana" approach when it comes to increasing their impact in the voting booth. Pivotal issues are being decided right now. If Latinos want their voice to be considered by lawmakers, they have to register and then vote, writes Chicago Sun-Times Columnist Sue Ontiveros. During the immigration marches, many Latinos carried signs that read, "Today we march, tomorrow we vote." That's a wonderful sentiment, but it looks like they missed their "tomorrow." You can't make a promise that you're going to show up at the polls and then not do it, Ontiveros writes, according to Suntimes.com.

(See also: How Would Your Presidential Candidate Vote on Immigration?)

Harvard Struggles With Faculty Diversity

Data published last month in the second annual report on Harvard University's faculty development and diversity showed little change in percentages of female and faculty members of color from 2005 and 2006 in many of the 13 faculties assessed. The proportion of female faculty members did not rise by more than 3 percent in any faculty over the two-year period measured in the report, and overall representation of faculty members of color increased by less than 2 percent during the period. The report reveals particularly stark disparities in diversity for faculty hiring and retention of tenured faculty members. Women comprise less than a quarter of tenured faculty members in 10 of 13 faculty populations assessed; and faculty members of color are fewer than 15 percent of tenured professors in 11 of 13 faculties. University Provost Steven E. Hyman says they are not satisfied. Read more.

Barry Bonds Makes History

After hitting his 756th home run in his home ballpark Tuesday night, San Francisco Giant Barry Bonds has the title of home-run king all to himself, ending Hank Aaron's 33-year reign. "This record is not tainted at all. At all. Period," Bonds, who was accused of using steroids or performance-enhancers to elevate his game, says in a statement. Bonds sent the 84-mph fastball arcing high into the night, 435 feet into the right-center- field seats. And then, the celebration began in force--fireworks, streamers, banners commemorating the accomplishment, and even a party in McCovey Cove. Read more.

Atlanta Special-Ed Advocates Not Giving Up

Special-education advocate and activist Carmen Allen has petitioned Atlanta's State Board of Education to rescind special-education rules approved in June. Allen, vice president of Educate America!, a nonprofit advocacy group, was one of the most vocal opponents of rule changes, which state officials said were necessary to keep Georgia in line with new federal standards for the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. Allen and others are convinced that the guidelines--governing not only which students are eligible for special-education services but how those services are delivered--limit the rights of the more than 184,000 children with disabilities in Georgia's public schools. Read more.

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