The title of Ellis Cose's book, Envy of the World, taken from the pen of Toni Morrison and the from the mouth of her protagonist Sula resurfaced in my memory after I clicked the link--provided of course by TPM -- to Politico's story about Obama. It resurfaced because I remember reading Sula the book as the character was telling Nell, her best friend and a man name Jude, a small story about black men being the envy of the world. I remember this part of the book because it was ridiculous. Ridiculous in only the way Sula is/was telling this story to Nell and Jude. Sula is telling this tall tale because Jude is complaining about being a black man in this world. I understood his complaints. Lord, do I know his complaints. Sula was trying to illustrate to Jude that black men were the envy of the world because we are either greatly admired or feared; and sometimes admired and feared at the same time. There usually isn't a middle ground and it is maddening.