USDA's Cheryl Cook Asked Shirley Sherrod To Pull Over And Resign

Simply put, the White House must have surely been informed and knew about the USDA action - within hours of the story surfacing her resignation was asked for and received - the USDA is not exactly a swift moving institution and one suspects that they would not have moved on this without administration approval

I pray the USDA official who fired her at least saw the entire video, if not I agree with the first poster, the White house is spooked and  acted too soon to treat an employee this way. I have read what she said in it's entirety and and I don't like how she  responded to this man 24 years ago, But, I understand.....  the racial climate at that time was totally differrent, especially regarding women in  positions of authority. She was being just a little too honest ( outloud)  concerning her feelings regarding black farmers not receiving help and now  being faced with being black and having to help a white farmer as she watched her own race not receiving the same  help. These were clearly thought processes she  was relaying to the audience/ feelings from a past era , she even said so, these are not the things she did or how she feels now. She helped the family. Doing enough is all that is required, she is not required to go above and beyond, but you know I think she really did go beyond and above because  the family loves her to this day... 24 years later.   I don't personally know her, but I saw her character and I think she is an honorable woman and she should hold her head up high.   SHAME ON YOU USDA FOR USING PEOPLE AS PAWNS IN THE HEATED POLITICAL ARENA,   MS.SHRLEY DIDN'T DESERVE THIS.  

Cheryl Cook was a cutthroat territorial individual when she worked in the Pennsylvania Department of Agriculture.  It is no surprise that she is involved in corruption at the federal level.  

Sounds to me like Cheryl Cook lied!  She knew if she said the White House, Ms. Sherrod would comply as would most people who work for the government.  Ms Cook needs to be called on the carpet because she had no authority to speak for the administration.Cook and her boss are the two people who should be fired.

There is much fault to be handed out here, and from what I've seen none of it should be placed on Mrs. Sherrod.  The Age of Journalism has ended and been replaced by gotcha tactics.   A woman that has done actual good for the place she calls home has been raked through the mud.  There was once a time when you'd hear the  words, "We're investigating the issue to learn all the facts," but not anymore.   People who don't take stock in words, are being allowed to determine which ones are important.  Racist - - is being tossed around as easy as the "He, She, and It."  Use to be you actually had to be confirmed hard, to be labeled as one.  Now anyone wanting to throw attention off themselves jump to calling anyone else it.  The NAACP, after having their point proven over the weekend needed someone to demonize on their side of the spectrum, and were too ready to do so the second an opportunity was presented.   Instead of doing what anyone in their position was supposed to do and investigate first then speak second, they chose to, jump on the bandwagon.  In so, they have lost my respect.  And that's hard to do seeing I'm an actual a former NAACP scholarship recipent and up to now supporter and defender.  The Obama administration is being pulled into this.  Their response on TV was they didn't have anything to do with this, but I have to believe Mrs. Sherrod when she said someone higher up used them as an influencing measure.  If they truly want to make this right, cause this is a hotbed that will only get even more out of hand, they need to speak themself to Mrs. Sherrod.  Let her confirm she has spoken to by them and that they have done everything in their effort to rectify this.  If not Shirley Sherrod will be reduced as a talking point tool by people like Glenn Beck as a prime example of Big Government over stepping bounds.  I just got word from a friend that he has already taken steps to defend her, which is the right thing to do.  Let's face it, from what he has said and done in the pass, it's not like he actually cares for her, but he'll be more than happy to use her. There are some that have done the right thing.  I thank CNN for actually doing what more should have.  True Journalism, lifting up the stones and looking under them.  Vilesack is only making things worse as he defends his decision.  Right now you're proving to the world you don't control what you're in charge of.  Someone else is pulling you're strings to do what they want, be it the Administration, Right extreme, or your own fears.  Everyone, Stop!!!  Take a breathe...  and think...

Tom Vilsack should reinstate her.  Here is his email address:AgSec@usda.gov

I have for sometime wondered why Mister Obama has not used the mandate which he was given last year to put a stop to all the problems this country is facing due to the republicans and Bush instead of forcing the republicans and his own party to pony up and help this country when he had the power he has tried to play the so called bipartisan game which any fool knew would not work with the republicans. Now that he has lost the power he once commanded and will likely lose the majority in either the house or the senate or both we see that the white house has also lost the guts to stand up for a decent hard working and courageous woman like Mrs. Sherrod only to cower like some frightened child before the lying individuals on the right. After seeing this last folly the white house has been involved in I can say for certain that Mr. Obama and the democratic party will never receive another vote of mine we need a leader who is not afraid to use the big stick when needed and stand up for what is right in this country and not wait until it is too late to do anything the Obama administration has become impotent and we need new blood in the white house to get the job done it seems he had plenty to say during the Gates matter but not one word for a decent human being like  Mrs. Sherrod.  Mrs. Sherrod I only wish you where sitting in the oval office.

Sherrod is a bigot, pure and simple. She should have her pension taken away.

I do not see how anyone could view the entire speech and not see her message was one of peace, telling the kids of today racism in any form is wrong, and that she felt what she did  was wrong at first for not doing all she could for the white farmer just because of his skin color, and in the end she did help him, cause she knew in her heart that if she did not help him just because of his skin color that would make her a racisist.We all could learn from her. After everything she and her family went through, and to raise above it is something special, and we can all learn from her. We do have to work together to better our neighborhoods. I think she is great. I hope she takes her job back because we need people like Shirly in office to stand up for all the people.

Cheryl Cook is a crook and corrupt.  I know.......She was a boss of mine.She pulled in favors for people and fired people for her friends. She does not practice what she preaches....I hated her.  I will never forgive her for ruining people's lives.

yankee jim is just looking to rattle a cage. he knows better. ignore this clown please.

everyone in government is corrupt to someone or another. all depends on who is getting the help and who isnt. that slavery thing was pretty corrupt to me.

everyone in government is corrupt at one point to someone. it all depends on who is getting helped. that slavery thing was kinda corrupt to me.

Well spoken, Gloria Davis!  What has come out of this cluster is what a bumbling bunch of idiots will do when the paranoia flag is raised. How dare all invoved  not investigate? How dare the NAACP make ANY statement without its guard up? Who the heck is Cheryl Cook that she can call someone, travelling, and bully them into a resignation?  And why did Ms. Sherrod take the bait?  She should have told Cook where to go. Wrong is wrong, 24/7/365.  Sherrod never should have resigned. She should have made Cook and Vilsack fire her, then try to sell that one to the public.  And whoever was involved at the White House needs to be fired too. At best they should all be assigned to a war zone. Let's see how proactive and aggressive they can be, attacking petty issues like these in Iraq or Afghanistan.

It's not a demonstration of how "sensitive" the Obama Administration is, it's a demonstration of how incompetent they are.

I think the Cheryl Cooke aspect is not as scrutinized as it should be.  What role did she actually play in this debacle; whose permission did she have to request and secure a resignation; were her efforts on behalf of preserving the integrity of the agency or was she attempting to rid the department of someone she saw as hostile.  Only a true journalist would investigate this aspect and draw up a timeline to determine perhaps one of the most overlook players in this story.  Follow the Cooke story line and you may find a uninvestigated aspect

Shirley Sherrod thinks someone in the White House told Cheryl Cook to see that she resign immediately.  Sherrod was a White House appointee, so it seems Cook or Kilseck would have checked with the White House about how to handle the matter.  Kilseck says he had full responsibility. He may have been told to handle it anyway he wanted.  It is possible, as someone else has said, the fact Sherrod is a claimant in the Black farmers' suit may be a thorn in the side of Kilseck. Cook has a reputation of being tough, so she was given the job to contact Sherrod.  The perfect hatchet-man for any company! Er, hatchet woman? The biggest problem is  bloggers can run doctored video's and set everyone aflame without regard to the truth. I hope Sherrod sues  Breitbatt for defamation of her character. Something has to be done to correct such blog games, or there will be new rules made for everyone on the internet. Good journalism appears to be dead! San Rafael, California