I made the tragic mistake of having a huge iced mocha at 11pm. I am not sure why I did it, other than it is so hot out and I thought it would taste great. It did taste great, but now I am ready to start chewing paint chips off the wall I am so wired. So, with nothing else to do, and living alone for the first time in my life, I decided to read the papers BEFORE I wake up. It did not take long before I hit the jackpot. I am going to cut an paste this entire vacuous editorial from the NY Times, and it should serve as the Art of War (or whatever classic you choose) for conjecture and foolishness.
J. C. Watts, Into the Sunset
With minority appointees in a variety of high-profile posts – including Secretary of State Colin Powell, Housing Secretary Mel Martinez and Condoleezza Rice, the national security adviser – George W. Bush has assembled the most racially diverse Republican administration in memory.
It should also be noted that every one of these individuals were chosen for their qualifications, and not their demographic appeal. Maybe Bush was not looking for a group of hacks who ‘looked like America,’ but rather was looking for the BEST QUALIFIED people to serve America. Who would have thunk that Republicans would do something like this (other than grass roots Republicans who are working every day with a wide array of minorities- ask Kevin Holtsberry about the struggle to get the school voucher program in Ohio- and btw- drop him an email and thank hi for his efforts). Unfortunately, this just does not fit the sound bites of venom and bile that many in the DNC and the NAACP love to employ with little or no disgression. Remember- according to the NAACP, Bush was almost complicit in the horrible lynching of James Byrd.
The diversity of the executive branch, however, has underscored the whiteness of the Republican delegation in Congress, which has but one black member, Representative J. C. Watts of Oklahoma.
This is such an annoying statement that I almost want to smash something. Like Gail Collins. The statement is constructed so that the reader will infer that the Republican party is racist because Congress does not have any black Republicans, while the executive branch has a number of high profile minorities. It is rather apparent that the NY Times is incapable of discerning between individuals who are elected and who are appointed. Or maybe they would just rather state that all people who vote for anything other than a black Republican are racist. If anything, this should be construed as a plus for the executive branch, who is capable of choosing appointees in a color-blind manner- not a negative against Republican voters throughout the country. After all- black candidates do have to run in order to be elected- and they usually have to run VIGOROUS campaigns against Democrats and the NAACP (although that may be redundant). Once black Republicans are elected- they will be denied entry to the Congressional Black Caucus- a bigotry towards idea, and not skin color. In the end, this is another not-so-veiled snide attack on those racist damned republicans- that means you. By the way- the Senate has only had two African-Americans since the end of the Civil War- Massachusetts Republican Ed Brooke and Carol Moseley-Braun.
He announced yesterday that he would not seek re-election in November. Mr. Watts, the fourth-ranking member of the House Republican leadership, said his goals in Congress had been accomplished and that he wished to spend more time with his family.
Sounds like valid reasons to me- but I tend to believe people at their word.
Behind these bromides
Main Entry: bro