Deconstructing WSJ Spin on Plamegate

Article Link

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Excellent look at how the shills in the press weave GOP talking points into the news and editorials. It's not like they can think for themselves.

Thanks Dad!

A great blog entry.

College Repug Attacks College Dem's Service

Article Link

BRUNSWICK — On Dec. 1, Alex Cornell du Houx, a 21-year-old Bowdoin College senior from Solon will head to Iraq for approximately 10 months as part of the Alpha 1st Company Battalion of the Marines.

Instead of staying up late to finish off college papers and cram for finals, Cornell du Houx will use his training and experience as a 0351 Assault Man to shoot rockets, deal with demolitions and work the Javelin Missile System.

...

Others on campus, particularly his political opponents in the Bowdoin College Republicans, feel differently about his service. Daniel Schuberth, a leader of the Bowdoin College Republicans and College Republican national secretary, said, "I applaud Mr. Houx for his service, just as I applaud any other soldier who is brave enough to take up arms in defense of his country. I find it troubling, however, that one of the most vocal opponents of our president, our country and our mission in Iraq has chosen to fight for a cause he claims is wrong. Mr. Houx's rhetoric against the war on terror places him in agreement with the most radical fringes of the Democratic Party, and I am left to question his logic and motivation."

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Another Republican Chickenhawk. The next Karl Rove perhaps?

Jesus General's Letter

Right Lies About Air America...Big Surprise

Feel threatened much?

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Blog Link

In October 2004, AA had 38 affiliates with a cume of 1,997,700. Currently, it has have 70 affiliates with a cume of 3 million.

As for the debts, Danny writes me:

Air America is in strong financial shape. Last week we started broadcasting from our new multi-million dollar studios. Several weeks earlier the Board of Directors of Air America’s parent company accelerated re-payment of a loan from the Gloria Wise Boys and Girls Club of $875,000 two years in advance of a previously agreed upon re-payment plan.

As for the handouts,

The Air America Associates Program was created in response to our listeners requests to support our programming financially and is modeled after the Nation’s Magazine program, “The Nation’s Associates,” which is also a for-profit company.

And hey look:

Rush Limbaugh’s Web site offers his fans the “Limbaugh Letter” for $34.95 a year and a totally separate service called Rush 24/7 which includes access to archived programs at the cost of $49.95 a year. The Limbaugh site also features the “EIB Store” which sells such items as $19.95 polo shirt which amusingly says, “My Mullah went to G’itmo and all I got was this lousy t-shirt.”
The Sean Hannity Web-site features a “subscription” to something called, “The Hannity Insider” for $5.95 a month.

But no one tops the self proclaimed non-spinner Bill O’Reilly. Bill O’Reilly.com offers a “premium membership” for either $4.95 a month or $49.95 a year. He also offers a “Gift certificate” for $14.95. Products for sale on the Web site include:

Radio Factor diner coffee mug available in white or navy blue for $14.95
O’Reilly Factor keychain for $7.95 “while supplies last.”
Three different “No Spin” tote bags at $14.95 apiece
Ten different hats at a cost of $16.95 each
The “no spin” jacket for $79.95
The “ Unisex Black Fleece” embroidered with “The Spin Stops Here” for $39.95
Several bumper stickers including one that reads “Boycott France” for $2.50
License plate frame for $18.95
Three different “No Spin” tote bags at $14.95 each
An O’Reilly Factor Gear Bag at $64.95
“Mens Garment Bag” for $64.95 (sorry ladies!)
a “Spin Stops Here” organizer briefcase
A “Spin Stops Here” pen and pad bundle for $19.95
Two different designs of “Spin Stops Here” doormats for $49.95 and
Two different “Rain Stops Here

As for the ratings, Danny says,

On a nationwide basis the most recent Arbitron ratings Spring 2005 book showed that our affiliates reach over three million people per week, each of whom listens for an average of several hours a week. This is more than triple the amount of people who were listening when measured one year earlier in the Spring, 2004 book.

Here’s the data:

According to the most recent Arbitron Report, Summer 2005 Metro:

Mon-Sun 6a12m, AQH, Share and Cume have all increased for both Persons 12+ and Adults 25-54.For Adults 25-54, WLIB’s target audience, AQH is up 29%, Share increased 40% (from 1.0 to 1.4) and Cume increased 9%; for Persons 12+, AQH is up 6%, Share is up 20% and Cume is up 11%.WLIB ranks #2 in A25-54 TSL MSu6a12m (10h30m per week) among NY Talk stations, a 20% increase since the Spring 2005 book.

Now compare them to O’Reilly on WOR, also Arbitron Summer 2005:

The ratings for the Bill O’Reilly radio show in New York were worse in the demo of A25-54 than those on Air America that he described as “catastrophic.”

In the key 25-54 demographic which talk radio offers to advertisers, the Summer 2005 Arbitron ratings showed that Monday-Friday from 2-4 PM when O’Reilly is on WOR-AM and which at Air America’s 1190 WLIB-AM contains the last hour of “The Al Franken Show” and the first hour of “The Randi Rhodes Show,” that O’Reilly had a 0.6 share and Air America a 1.8 share. O’Reilly had a cumulative audience of 45,800 and Air America had a cumulative audience of 95,700.

Thoughtful Piece on FOX News

The Earth may be warming, but Hell is getting colder. How much longer will the editors let this go on?

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Reality Vs. Rhetoric in the Abortion Debate
Monday, October 24, 2005
By Martin Frost

I am normally reluctant to write about the highly charged issue of abortion, but this time is an exception.

For those of you who consider all abortion to be murder, you should stop reading now. These remarks are directed to the rest of the population that considers abortion appropriate in at least some circumstances — a clear majority of the American public.

Two noteworthy events occurred recently that are critical to further discussion of this very important public issue: publication by the think tank ThirdWay (search) of a study entitled “The Demographics of Abortion “ and the resignation of Susan Wood, the top Food and Drug Administration official in charge of women’s health issues.

First, let’s examine the ThirdWay study, one of the most comprehensive treatments ever put together on basic facts underlying the abortion issue in this country.

Let’s look at the basic numbers: since Roe v. Wade was decided in 1973, there have been more than 40 million abortions in America. According to the study, “one of every three American women will have an abortion by the time they reach 45.” Additionally, in a typical year there are 4.1 million live births, 1.3 million abortions and 900,000 miscarriages.

The study found that “the average woman who seeks an abortion is 24 years old, unwed, earns a yearly income of about $25,000 and already is a mother…She has religious beliefs and is a Christian…the typical abortion is performed around the eighth week — well within the first trimester.”

There are two remarkable findings buried in this study. Again quoting, “The social conservatives’ focus on so-called 'partial-birth abortion' affects, at most, eight of every 10,000 abortions performed. The social liberals’ traditional defense of abortion on the grounds of rape and incest or the life of the mother is irrelevant in approximately 98 of every 100 abortions.”
And then there is the issue of religion. The study found “There is a vast gap between the rhetorical positions that religious leaders take on abortion and the actual practices of the laity in those religions.”

Specifically, Catholics represent 27 percent of those having abortions -- roughly 350,000 per year— and Born-Again or Evangelical Christians represent 13 percent of those having abortions – roughly 170,000 per year.

Obviously, abortion is widely practiced in the United States, even though it remains controversial. Virtually no one is pro-abortion, though millions of people want it to be available as an option when a pregnancy is unplanned or when the mother’s health is seriously at risk.
So what’s the answer? One answer is to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies and thus to reduce the need for abortion.

That’s why the resignation of Assistant FDA Commissioner Susan Wood (search) is so significant.

Wood said she was leaving her position with the FDA because of FDA Commissioner Lester M. Crawford’s recent announcement that he would delay approval of the emergency contraceptive Plan B (search), which is also known as the morning-after pill.

Plan B has been available as a prescription-only drug since 1999. Its distributor applied to the FDA for permission to sell the drug over the counter, and an FDA expert advisory panel voted 23 to 4 in favor of their application. It was Crawford’s action delaying approval of this application that prompted Wood’s resignation after working for the FDA for five years.

Plan B prevents pregnancy if taken within 72 hours of sexual activity. Some religious conservatives have opposed it, even though in most cases it prevents fertilization of an egg and there is no abortion. This is the crowd that must believe that conception occurs when they take Cialis.

And so we have the situation that abortion is widely practiced in this country by people of all religious persuasions, many of whom are religious conservatives, and our government is taking action that could actually result in more abortions rather than fewer.
These are things that should be discussed openly, even if the subject itself is considered to be radioactive by many politicians.

Martin Frost served in Congress from 1979 to 2005, representing a diverse district in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. He served two terms as chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, the third-ranking leadership position for House Democrats, and two terms as chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee. Frost serves as a regular contributor to FOX News Channel, and is currently a fellow at the Institute of Politics at the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University. He holds a Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri and a law degree from the Georgetown Law Center.

The TAO of W

Blog Link

Is Bush on the beam? Is the world’s most churchgoing country truly following the path pioneered by sages? Or savages? To find out, it seems appropriate to compare Dubya’s most noteworthy sayings with the aphorisms of one the world’s first great teachers. In the Way of the Tao, Lao Tzu taught the path to achieving harmony—something Dubya is teaching the world through increasingly inventive examples that ensure just the opposite. In the classic tradition of Chinese sagacity, the emperor’s quote is given first, followed by commentary from the sage.

Deaths Reach 2000

Honor The Fallen On The Front Page

Good Thing He Didn't Get A Blowjob

W pals bushwhack CIA leak prosecutor
BY THOMAS M. DeFRANK and MICHAEL McAULIFF
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON BUREAU

WASHINGTON - As the White House and Republicans brace for possible indictments in the CIA leak probe, defenders have launched a not-so-subtle campaign against the prosecutor handling the case.

"He's a vile, detestable, moralistic person with no heart and no conscience who believes he's been tapped by God to do very important things," one White House ally said, referring to special counsel Patrick Fitzgerald.

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If I were "W" I would be insulted. I mean, come on, everyone KNOWS that only HE has been tapped by God to do very important things. Just ask him.

Seriously, lying to go to war, lying to cover up outing a secret agent for some vindictive attack on someone calling you on your lies...THAT'S just politics. But, lying about getting a BJ from some tart, something WHOLLY unrelated to the original investigation...now THAT'S important.

How is it the most self-righteous seem to have the least perspective?

P.S. - "W" stands for Worst President Ever.

Whipping Up The Christians On a Non-Issue

Article Link

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Can someone please tell me how a nation that CLAIMS to be over 80% Christian can somehow marginalize Christians. Seriously. And, how about the use of the term WAR for their straw man? No emotional appeal there.

Can anyone tell me what John Gibson did before he became a mouthpiece for the radical right?

FOX News Directive: Let's talk about ANYTHING...ANYTHING...but the failure of this administration and the direction of this country. Oh, and help John Gibson sell a few books.

Feel the hate...

Article Link

Boortz suggested that Katrina victim turn to prostitution

Interesting Observation

From a friend:

"We live in a time where observation classifies one into a political party. Take global warming. State there is global warming means one is a Democrat. Besides the fact the seas are warmer and all resulting affects speak to this fact. But, somehow, this scientific observation makes one a Democrat. Now, at what sea temperature does one become a Republican? That is the logic we have in today's country."

Schwarzenegger too busy to meet with Bush

Oh...my...God. I think W has ebola.

Here's my prediction:

W will have a nervous breakdown as he finally realizes that he is nothing more than a trust fund kid whom no one really likes. It, of course, will be covered up.

Where's The Outrage?!?!

Va. firm pleads guilty in oil-for-food scandal

Trading company accused of paying Iraq kickbacks; will pay $250,000 fine

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Where's the story on Fox? Where's the outrage?

Oh, that's right, our hands were caught in the cookie jar too.

I can see Cheney calling Murdoch and saying, "Ixnay on the Oil for oodfay. Some big donors have been eating the cookies."

The New Elliot Ness

Blog Post

"But the good news in all of this is that Fitzgerald gets it. He sees into the ugly, greedy, oozing heart of the NeoCon kleptocracy, its mafia-like structure and the all-too-cozy overlap between the war party and the profiteers, and it pisses him off. "Shareholders in public companies have a right to expect that their monies will be managed properly by officers and directors and that the officers and directors won't steal it," he said.

Fitzgerald has also been busy indicting henchmen of the cravenly corrupt Daley administration, proving along the way that a) he is non-partisan in his pursuit and just as willing to throw a beating to crooked Democrats, and b) he is, as he was once described, Elliot Ness with a sense of humor.

Let's hope Mr. Fitzgerald can put a few more NeoCons in the "posthumous" category before this is all over."

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One man with a brain and a backbone.

"And he whispered in his ear...all glory is fleeting."

Just thought I would ask...

...where is Osama Bin Laden?

Nixonian

Ok, perhaps I am just a bit slow here, but it suddenly occured to me that the reason this growing scandal smells so much like the 70's is because it's all the same damn people from the Nixon administration or their former juniors mixed with Ray-Gun disciples. Are we really surprised at this administration's approach to politics and policy when W reached back, or should I say under a rock, to get all the old cronies who were junior henchmen for Nixon or frustrated (because they got caught too) Ray-Gun disciples?

I guess they think that the only problem is that Nixon and Ray-Gun got caught. So, really, it was just a matter of execution, right? Oops, guess not. So, once again, it was their collective hubris in thinking that they could do it better that bit them in the ass.

Karma is right nasty bitch.

You do realize its the same type of people, who all went to the same B-Schools, currently running all our corporations into the ground don't you?

Fox News Pushing “Criminalization of Politics” Talking Point

Think Progress

Conservative defenders of Karl Rove and Scooter Libby have settled on their No. 1 talking point: the grand jury investigation into the CIA leak scandal represents the “criminalization of politics.”
In other words, they say, the outing of a covert CIA agent in a time of war to punish a whistleblower is just everyday “politics” — nothing out of the ordinary, certainly nothing criminal. In fact, according to conservatives (as articulated by the National Review), the “criminalizing of politics” is actually “the most dangerous fire of this ordeal.”

To spread this talking point across the nation, the right has received a major assist from Fox News. According to a database search, every single television reference to the CIA leak scandal as the “criminalization of politics” in the last 30 days has been on Fox. Even more stunning: on every occassion, the phrase was introduced into the segment by a Fox News anchor or correspondent, never by a guest.

Paranoia May Destroy Ya...

What's hate got to do with it?
Plenty, because media firebrand Bill O'Reilly spawns enmity in all that he does - and he's sick of it

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Wow, when you start out as a paranoid with a big mouth and a healthy dose of hubris mixed with victimization, I can't even imagine what his level of paranoia must be now.

Let me get this straight, he uses his pulpit to spew his opinions as if they were gospel, tears down people who have no outlet for response and won't let them respond, verbally abuses those he doesn't like, won't admit anything when he is wrong, is a letch, and generally acts like an angry white man and then whines because people don't like him and some even want to do him harm?

So, basically he is a typical bully: a whining pussy who thinks the world is against him for every reason except his own behavior.

Oh, sweet Karma...

Army is Broken
Joe Galloway
military.com

Editorial Link

"Armies are fragile institutions and, for all their might, easily broken."
Remember those words? They were written here, in this column, at the end of September 2003. I laid out the recipe for how to break a magnificent Army that had taken nearly two decades to rebuild itself in the wake of the Vietnam debacle.

In that early fall two years ago, Defense Secretary Donald H. Rumsfeld was still running victory laps and the words of his boss, President George W. Bush, were still ringing: "Bring `em on!"

Sadly, those two were, and still are, in charge.

Now they've broken the Army, and after this administration is history, it will take 12 or 15 or 20 years to repair the damage it's inflicted on an institution that our country desperately needs in a century as dangerous as this one.

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No comment.

For GM, New Deal and Big Loss
Firm Reaches Agreement With Union

Article Link

Wagoner also said yesterday GM is cutting $4 billion in costs by shuttering factories, slashing 25,000 manufacturing jobs, freezing bonuses, and cutting health benefits for nonunion workers and retirees. The GM of the future will be a smaller, leaner company designed to better compete with its more nimble foreign rivals.

Staggered by slow sales of its SUVs, GM said it is stepping up development of more fuel-efficient technology and the rollout of hybrid-powered cars. The automaker has long relied on the popularity -- and profitability -- of its trucks and SUVs, but the run-up in gas prices has turned the strategy into a liability. Wagoner told GM employees yesterday that the company had "too much reliance" on trucks and SUVs.

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Ok, first, NO SHIT! Everyone who cared about energy or the environment has been telling you NOT to rely on such large vehicles...but noooooooo...you Harvard, Penn, Standford educated MBAs just KNEW better. Sound familiar?

So, who gets screwed for executive incompetence? Yeah, the little guy doing real work. "Yeah, we screwed the pooch, so now you get fucked. Now is not the time to dwell on our mistakes, we must move forward." Wow, there seems to be a theme here.

Gee, I wonder how much the executives will be taking from their compensation packages to help with the crunch? Methinks, none. Oh, that's right, they're getting paid for this great strategy for cleaning up the mess from the last executive staff that fucked it up in the first place...and got paid well to do so.

Oh, and guess who is going to be picking up the tab for the health care for all of those losing benefits, or worse, their jobs? That's right, the taxpayer. But, don't worry, that executive who ISN'T taking any kind of significant pay cut and can probably afford to buy the clinic they would need to go to, won't be paying their share thanks to BushCo's tax cuts.

Just HOW much pain is the electorate willing to endure?

Me, mine & the bottom line.

'Rule of Law'? That's So '90s
By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Washington Post

Editorial Link

These cases portray an administration and a movement that can dish it out, but want to evade responsibility for doing so and can't take it when they are subjected to the same rule book that inconvenienced an earlier president. An editorial in the latest issue of the conservative Weekly Standard is a sign of arguments to come. The editorial complains about the various accusations being leveled against DeLay, Libby, Rove and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, and it says that "a comprehensive strategy of criminalization had been implemented to inflict defeat on conservatives who seek to govern as conservatives."

I have great respect for my friends at the Weekly Standard, so I think they'll understand my surprise and wonder over this new conservative concern for the criminalization of politics. A process that was about "the rule of law" when Democrats were in power is suddenly an outrage now that it's Republicans who are being held accountable.

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Yes, funny how the tone changes when the tables are turned. Let's see, Clinton was eventually charged with perjury for not admitting to getting a blowjob in the Whitehouse. Crass, yes, lacking in judgment, yes, just plain selfish, yes; but, not really Earth shaking.

Now, graft, money laundering, violating the Secrets Act, propaganda, and taking us to war on a lie...well, those things and more have really shaken the Earth. Forget the fact that they were supposed to be setting the example and that they would unite this nation.

A little perspective please.

Spoon-Feeding The Machine

Another Win for 'Friends & Allies'

When John G. Roberts is approved as chief justice of the United States, as expected, he can thank President Bush 's "Friends & Allies" program, which went to work on him immediately after he was nominated. The project, started by the Republican National Committee in the 2004 re-election campaign, is simple and effective: Give opinion makers, media friends, and even cocktail party hosts insider info on the topic of the day. How? Through E-mailed talking points, called D.C. Talkers, and conference calls. For Roberts, it worked this way: A daily conference call to about 80 pundits, GOP-leaning radio and TV hosts, and newsmakers was made around 9 a.m. On the other end were the main Roberts gunslingers like Steve Schmidt at the White House and Ken Mehlman and Brian Jones at the RNC. D.C. Talkers would then be distributed to an even larger list filled with positive info about Roberts and lines of attack on his critics. "The idea," said one of those involved, "is to feed them information and have them invested in us." It has even created addicts, he added. "Now they come to us before going on TV."

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Yup...no shock that right-wing pundits are incapable of thinking for themselves. The entire right-wing agenda relies on the intellectual laziness of its followers. Is it any wonder the majority of evangelicals are right-wingers? Why think and actually do research when I can have snappy, emotionally charged "points" spoon-fed to me? Hell, gives me more time to watch reality television.

Touchdown In The Eyes Means Dropping The Ball Beforehand

Bush to Blair: First Iraq, then Saudi

George Bush told the Prime Minister two months before the invasion of Iraq that Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Iran and North Korea may also be dealt with over weapons of mass destruction, a top secret Downing Street memo shows.

The US President told Tony Blair, in a secret telephone conversation in January 2003 that he "wanted to go beyond Iraq".

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See, here's the rub: Even if you believe that such belligerent action is warranted (I worry if you did), you have to admit that you better have your ducks in a row before you start trying to kick everyone's ass. Seriously, did he believe that the world would just follow his lead? ("Who's with me...ahhhhhh) I mean...it's HIS lead after all. It's not like the rest of the world has been drinking from the same Kool-Aid that half of America has. Bush couldn't lead a turd into a toilet if he was sitting on it. Frat President is about all he is qualified for.

Oh, and if you get into the ring during an elimination tournament, you'd better be sure you can win the first fight and have enough left over to make it through the next round. Oops...guess not. I think he was already so enamoured with his "legacy" that he took his eyes off the ball. Seriously, WHO starts talking about their legacy BEFORE their job even ends. So, he is either a belligerent fool or incompetent; if the idea was right, then the execution was pathetic.

Hmm...I'm thinking both.

I swear, the 3rd generation removed from where the money was EARNED is rarely up to the most menial task. Too rich to look in the mirror and know one's limits I guess. Daddy will always make it right.

"Man's GOT to know his limitations."
- Dirty Harry

Feel the hate...

Playing a character out of Mel Brooks' "History of the World", Boortz says, "Fuck the poor!"

Article Link

I get it...and I don't

Editorial Link

Mr. Dobson quelled the controversy by saying that Karl Rove, the White House's deputy chief of staff, had not given him assurances about how a Justice Miers would vote. "I would have loved to have known how Harriet Miers views Roe v. Wade," Mr. Dobson said last week. "But even if Karl had known the answer to that--and I'm certain that he didn't because the president himself said he didn't know--Karl would not have told me that. That's the most incendiary information that's out there, and it was never part of our discussion."

It might, however, have been part of another discussion. On Oct. 3, the day the Miers nomination was announced, Mr. Dobson and other religious conservatives held a conference call to discuss the nomination. One of the people on the call took extensive notes, which I have obtained. According to the notes, two of Ms. Miers's close friends--both sitting judges--said during the call that she would vote to overturn Roe.

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Ok, I get it that almost EVERY politician is a hypocrite sometimes. I get it that they pander. But, what I don't get is how these particular politicians have the balls to scream about ideology not being a part of the process for SCOUTUS positions, but then make it a priority when it's in their favor. What gives? Is it really just unadulterated hubris stemming from absolute power?

I guess you're only an activist if you are a liberal-minded judge.

Oh, sweet Karma, please come soon.

George Will Calling Out The Faux Conservatives?

Editorial Link

"Conservatives are not supposed to be cuddly, or even particularly nice. They are, however, supposed to be competent. And to know that scarcity—of money, virtue, wisdom, competence, everything—forces choices. Furthermore, they are supposed to have an unsentimental commitment to meritocracy and excellence. The fact that none of those responsible for the postwar planning, or lack thereof, in Iraq have been sacked suggests—no, shouts—that in Washington today there is no serious penalty for serious failure. Hence the multiplication of failures."

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Damn, the rats are leaving the ship. It's about time.

Senators For Torture

These nine Senators voted against tenets of McCain's anti-torture principles, the safety of our Troops, against the future of the Iraqi people, and against the best American values and FOR torture. Here they are:

NAYs:
Allard (R-CO)
Bond (R-MO)
Coburn (R-OK)
Cochran (R-MS)
Cornyn (R-TX)
Inhofe (R-OK)
Roberts (R-KS)
Sessions (R-AL)
Stevens (R-AK)

A Response To: Defending A Parents Rights To Teach Values
Fox News
Wendy of iFeminist


The problem is that teaching about the social/family construct of a household headed by same-sex adults is NOT ABOUT SEX!

It's about two CONSENTING adults who are acting in the role of parents. Only the near-sightedness of a fundamentalist would trivialize it into a question of sexuality and sex. However, this isn't surprising given the fact that it's the sexual act of same sex partners that is the crux of personal revulsion; because, if it was about the worthiness to parent, then the focal point would be turned on everyone, including those who teach their children fundamentalist beliefs that preach hate and exclusion. And, we can't have that.

A Response To: White Oppressor? Me?
Fox News Editorial
Wendy of iFeminist

I agree with you on this specific case as it is obviously a case of doing exactly what one is meeting to discuss how to mitigate. However, your general denial of the concept of "white privilege" is myopic at best.

You don't perceive "white privilege" because you have never been denied anything based on your skin color. Having never been in that situation makes everyday life completely different as many people's initial perceptions of you are "good" due only to the color of your skin, white. "White privilege" isn't a matter of law, it's a matter of social construct and perception. Your offense to the reaction of this group's denial of participation is exactly what those not in the "white privilege" group deal with on an almost daily basis - not by construct, but by social norms and latent racists beliefs.

Are things considerably better than just 20 years ago? Yes. But to deny that racism is still prevalent, in a much more stealthy, and therefore odious way, is simplistic on its face.

You cannot see the "privilege" of the forest for the white trees that dominate it.

YES! Finally someone calls them on it...

"And Ed Morrissey, whose "Captain's Quarters" is one of the most popular conservative blogs, said publicly what other concerned conservatives have said privately. "The push by more enthusiastic Miers supporters to consider her religious outlook smacks of a bit of hypocrisy," Morrissey wrote. "After all, we argued the exact opposite when it came to John Roberts and William Pryor when they appeared before the Senate Judiciary Committee. . . . Conservatives claimed that using religion as a reason for rejection violated the Constitution and any notion of religious freedom. Does that really change if we base our support on the same grounds?"

I'm eagerly awaiting the White House's answer to that question."

.....

Editorial Here: Faith-Based Hypocrisy

By E. J. Dionne Jr.
Washington Post