Start With The Woman In The Mirror

Amidst all the to-ing andf fro-ing about Harry Reid's light-skinned, no Negro dialect comments about Barack Obama, I like this from California Senator Dianne Feinstein:

Mrs. Feinstein also said that "I saw no Democrats jumping out there and condemning Senator Lott."

But several Democrats — including Mrs. Feinstein — did in fact target Mr. Lott after his remarks. "This statement casts a dark shadow over Sen. Lott's ability to be a credible party leader," she said in 2002, according to an Inland Valley Daily Bulletin news story. 

Dark shadows?  Well, then, the latest flap casts a light-skinned shadow over Reid's leadership prospects.

LET'S GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR CALLING A SPADE A SPADE:

House leader James Clyburn explains that Reid's comments aren't racist since they came from a loyal Democrat:

Representative James Clyburn of South Carolina, the No. 3 Democrat in the House, was among the black leaders who received a call from Mr. Reid. Mr. Clyburn said that Mr. Reid should be judged on the merits of his record to respond to diversity and to advance the president’s agenda.

“I am one of those who wish to one day live in a color-blind nation,” Mr. Clyburn said. “But the fact is that none of us do today.”

Comments

[lonetown]

If its not a problem, why is Reid apologizing so much?

I think the apology makes it racist. Otherwise his statements were pedestrian political chat.

[Jane]

I think it is interesting that "negro" is now the "n" word. Someone (Sue maybe) talked yesterday about how we have morphed from "negro" to "black" to "African American" in her (and my) lifetime.

"Negro" was not a slur when I was growing up. I made the transition to "black" but have not to "African American" because at some point it all seems so PC silly.

Still, I cannot imagine how out of touch Harry Reid is to use the phrase "negro dialect". He's an old 70 year old who has clearly spent no time at all in the real world. Time for that to change.

[LTC John]

Mrs. Feinstein also said that "I saw no Democrats jumping out there and condemning Senator Lott."

Oh, I guess if you don't count yourself and remain blind and deaf to what anyone else from your Party said...

[Captain Hate]

I made the transition to "black" but have not to "African American" because at some point it all seems so PC silly.

Not to mention that you run the risk, as pc Mrs Hate has done multiple times, of offending an African by calling him/her an AA.

[Captain Hate]

And yes, DiFi is a hypocritical idiot...

[blastopocles]

I liked the explanation that Reid's statement was uttered in a "private" conversation, and should have no bearing on national discourse.

The Democratic political leadership in this country has truly, truly gone mad.

[jimmyk]

"Negro" was not a slur when I was growing up.

James Watt was forced to resign from the Reagan cabinet, for saying: "I have a black, a woman, two Jews and a cripple. And we have talent." The killer, apparently, was the word "cripple," which was no longer permissible in 1983, though it had been at some point the equivalent of "handicapped."

In any case, the rule is: If you are a Republican and use the wrong name for a group, or say anything deemed "insensitive," you have to resign. If you are a Democrat, an apology will suffice.

[centralcal]

No matter what the "error" made on the right, Liberals demand loudly, resignation. Republicans get in a lather and all join in the call for resignation. Voila, the offender resigns.

No matter what the "error" made on the left, a few Republicans call for reignation, and bunch accept "apologies." The Dems circle the wagons and defend, defend, defend. Voila, the offender stays in place.

[matt]

If you are a Republican, you are guilty. period.

If you are a Democrat you have a hall pass to say any old stupid, harmful, vicious or racist thing you want and the media and other Democrats double secret swear they won't say a word.

After all, demographically there are more teabaggers in the traditional sense of the word dwelling in the living rooms of the Democratic Party than anywhere else.

[DebinNC]

Mercury News last week on "outcry" over Negro being on census:

Question 9 on the census, which asks for a person's race, lists as one of the options: "Black, African Am., or Negro." The controversy arose earlier this week as the Census Bureau started its road tour in New York. ...Sonny Le, a regional spokesman for the Census Bureau, said the term "Negro" has been on the survey for at least 100 years. He said the form is reviewed and analyzed thoroughly by different offices and advisory groups before being finalized. Le said the
decision to keep the term "Negro" on the form was due principally to the fact some older African-Americans still identify themselves by that term. In fact, in the 2000 census, more than 50,000 people chose to write down explicitly that they identified themselves as "Negro" in a section where the census allows people to provide additional information. That number does not include those who checked the box "Black, African-Am., or Negro." "We decided to keep the term, but at the same time, I think it's good for everybody to have this conversation now," Le said. "The census is an evolving process. It's supposed to reflect our country. If enough people do not want the term, we should revisit again whether or not it belongs."

Was it Reid's use of "Negro" and/or his referral to "Negro dialect" that was offensive?

[MayBee]

Barack Obama called for Lott's head. Maybe Feinstein wasn't paying attention to him back then.

I agree that African American is unwieldy, and I think it's falling by the wayside.

[Clarice]

DiFi is not an idiot. She's a Dem and therefore she knows that she can twist history with impunity and no pressie will call her on it.

BTW while my computer has been fixed, there remains something hujacking and redirecting my search engines. I've tried Symantec, Spybot and Malwarebytes and those didn't succeed in locating and deleting the installation. I tried going back to an earlier day onmy system but systm restore couldn't go back far enough to matter,

(At some point those of us effected ought to institute a class action suit against these sites to which they are redirected and the ompanies they redirect you to because surely they are in on this perfidy.)

[Jack is Back!]

Clarice,

Buy a Mac.

Then go to your local Starbucks and see if they have an articulate, clean young African-American who will bring you a cup of coffee. It will make you feel like a Democrat:)

[Clarice]

Steve Gilbert at Sweetness & Light says he thinks Clinton's comment was even more racist and is being swept under the rug.

[Jack is Back!]

Of course Clinton's comment was more racist. But he and the Hill have been getting away with this crap since Arkansas.

And Obama is so committed to his agenda that he is willing to accept overt racist remarks as part of his job to control you and me. Nothing can bother a narcissist.

[jimmyk]

I'm more inclined to give people the benefit of the doubt on these things, Bill and Harry included. Bill's comment (though I haven't seen the exact context) seems more akin to: "See how far we have come."

The problem is the double standard: Republicans not only get hammered for these sorts of statements, but (as with Watt and Lott) frequently have to resign.

[Sue]

Without further context, I'm not sure Clinton was referring to Obama's race but the fact he had only been in the senate a short time. Lack of experience, if you will. The people bringing Clinton and Kennedy coffee weren't necessarily black. Just sycophants.

[maryrose]

Reid going down.. News at 11!

[Jack is Back!]

jimmyk,

You should know that Clinton made this particular remark to Ted Kennedy in order to attain Teddy's endorsement of Hillary. It was not made as a platitude to the historic achievement of the Democrat party.

OT:

Did you hear about the recent IT audit at Barbara Boxer's office? During the audit they found out that Bab's was using the following password During a recent password audit, it was found that a blonde was using the following password:

MickeyMinniePlutoHueyLouieDeweyDonaldGoofySacramento

When she was asked why such a long password, she said she was told that it had to be at least 8 characters long and include at least one capital.

/snark

[Jack is Back!]

Darn pasting error:grrrr:

[Clarice]

jimmy and sue, I'm inclined to give him a reasonable pass--that he was talking about inexperience, not race, but then why was teddy reportedly so offended?

[MayBee]

To evaluate whether Clinton's comment was racist, we'd have to know who usually brings him coffee.
An aide, a staffer, or some sort of servant/waiter?

[narciso]

Maybe he recognized too much of himself in that comment.

[cathyf]

At some point those of us effected ought to institute a class action suit against these sites...

C'mon, clarice, you're a lawyer, go gettem! ;-)

(I suspect that they are hard to find -- a tangle of holding companies, many offshore...)

[Clarice]

But the companies that advertise on them don't appear to be, cathyf..

[squaredance]

People should lay off REID. With him out of the way, the Dems will hold onto that seat. We do not want him to go down. We want him to stand for that seat.

[John Bibb]

***
Negro wasn't an insult when I was growing up--although the term Black seems more appropriate. But the term African-American seems wrong to me.
***
If it's necessary to refer to skin color--Black American seems better. But just American should be the goal--re: Dr. Reverend Martin Luther King's I HAVE A DREAM speech--he was a real American with a better view of the future for our country.
***
Rocketman
***

[Danube of Thought]

Does it matter that "Negro" was the term regularly used by Martin Luther King?

I'm another who transitioned to "black," but will go no further. (I always keep my eyes peeled for non-Americans being described as African-American, e.g. "Kofi Annan was the first African-American Secretary General."

Someone somewhere will soon describe the panty bomber as an African-American from Nigeria.)

I was actually watching live when former Klansman Robert Byrd use the term "white nigger." A three-day flap; no more.

[Sue]

but then why was teddy reportedly so offended?

I don't know that he was, just some second-hand report alleging it. I think he was inclined to back Obama, no matter what Clinton said or didn't say. The new Camelot didn't just spring up out of nothing, it had the blessing of the Kennedys.

[Dave (in MA)]

LET'S GIVE HIM CREDIT FOR CALLING A SPADE A SPADE

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[Sue]

I want to get away from Reid's use of the word Negro and focus on his acknowledgment that Obama was a fake. I love that he added that little bit at the end after saying no Negro dialect unless he wants to.

[MayBee]

Teddy was offended because he knows only women should bring men coffee, so the men can then "sandwich" them.

[Neo]

Funny .. you don't write with a "Negro dialect"

[Clarice]

I think you're right, Sue--I think this is something of a slander if it's possible to slander such an odious pair as the Clintons.

[Captain Hate]

Yes Maybee; according to the Olympic swimmer, de wimmens were only worth being driven to drink or into the drink.

[Sue]

if it's possible to slander such an odious pair as the Clintons

Which makes my longing for them to be back in the WH that much more bizarre.

[Rocco]

If Clinton comes to Boston Friday, maybe Deval could get him a coffee...light-skim, no sugar.

[rse]

My youngest child, 11 at the time, was quite concerned that I used the term "Black" instead of AA so she surveyed all of her affected friends to make sure it wasn't a problem. She was quite surprised and relieved to discover that none of her friends thought were uncomfortable with it.

Of course this is the same child who was raised to believe skin color was irrelevant so she was shocked last year to discover others saw skin color as a reason to vote for someone. When her friends asked, she said she knew a few facts they weren't aware of yet.

[narciso]

Well they seem less odious than their 2.0 counterparts and they are. They are as narcissistic and not as ideological. The same flacks for them, on the economy, foreign policy, flack for Obama.

[Porchlight]

People should lay off REID. With him out of the way, the Dems will hold onto that seat. We do not want him to go down. We want him to stand for that seat.

Agree. But if the pressure on him can somehow derail Obamacare in the short term, I'm for it.

How's that for cynical political calculation.

[Extraneus]

4. "Make the enemy live up to its own book of rules. You can kill them with this, for they can no more obey their own rules than the Christian church can live up to Christianity."

-- Saul Alinsky

(I agree with squaredance, though. We need Reid in there until November!)

[Captain Hate]

Which makes my longing for them to be back in the WH that much more bizarre.

Ugh; lose that thought quickly. One of the worst aspect of Toonces and Worf is they've made people forget just how loathsome the latter day Snopes family was in the White House.

[Danube of Thought]

Rasmussen analyzes the three Mass. polls.

[Jane]

Hey Rocco,

Can you email me at [email protected] when you get a chance?

she said she was told that it had to be at least 8 characters long and include at least one capital.

I just tried to read that to Amy. I was laughing so hard I had tears running down my cheeks. I couldn't finish the sentence.

[Ignatz]

--I don't know that he was, just some second-hand report alleging it.--

Well, the other second hand report concerning what Reid said was obviously accurate or he wouldn't be begging forgiveness for it, so I'd say that lends some credence Teddy's reaction to Bubba's comment.

--I think this is something of a slander if it's possible to slander such an odious pair as the Clintons.--

clarice,
Isn't there a concept in the law that one's reputation can already be so low that slander is nearly impossible?
If there isn't there ought to be.

[MayBee]

At least Reid said a real word, not a made up one like Macaca.

(as pointed out by Tops)

[Sue]

so I'd say that lends some credence Teddy's reaction to Bubba's comment

Yes, but you have slime sliming slime. Or some unknown slime quoting slime sliming slime.

[Clarice]

ignatz, one does have to establish that one had a reputation before being able to claim it ws tarnished by the slander.

[MayBee]

Oh. you HAVE to read this post at Ezra Klein's place. The most amazing study ever.

[glasater]

Jane--the link below shouldn't surprise and perhaps you've already seen it but:

Lobbyists for Coakley

[MikeS]

The most amazing study ever.

Yup. I've always thought racism was the real reason people turned against the war in Iraq too. I'm pretty sure they just weren't willing to talk about it.

[matt]

Dot:

If you go way down south Caribbean way, don't you dare call them anything other than Jamaicans, Cayman Islanders, Bahamians, etc....Inhabitants of St. Kitt's don't especially like the inhabitants of Nevis, etc. The term Afro-Caribbean is not common and island to island rivalry is very strong.White people just sort of get lumped in as tourists/minorities.

What is sad is that the color of one's skin does matter in Caribbean society. the lighter the skin the higher the caste, even in Cuba.

[Sue]

MayBee,

That is why I pay no attention to PC crapola. If I name my daughter Butterfly McQueen, and she is white as the driven snow, don't you think some employer will look at her resume and say, Butterfly. Hmmm...next.

Anyway, no offense to any Butterfly McQueens out there. I happen to like the name.

[Neo]

The New York Times reports that former Governor and vice president candidate Sarah Palin signed on as a contributor to the Fox News Channel.

[MayBee]

Yeah, Mike, I can see that study.

Which name do you have more positive feelings for:
Saddam or Michael
Shatha or Elizabeth

The study then took those who preferred the names Michael and Elizabeth, and classified them as racist....

[MayBee]

I agree, Sue.
I hope the study used the names Bristol, Track, and Trig.

[Jane]

Thanks Glasater. I had heard that. The drug companies already got their pay hike. It seems like they should want this bill to fail.

[jimmyk]

The study then took those who preferred the names Michael and Elizabeth, and classified them as racist....

But not those who chose Saddam or Shatha? I guess because we know it's impossible for blacks or Arabs to be racist.

[MayBee]

Here's the blurb about the study, for those who don't want to click through:

To better measure people's "implicit" (or unconscious) prejudice, the California researchers asked those in the study to quickly sort stereotypically "black" and "white" words and names (Tyrone and Shaniqua vs. Brett and Jane) into positive and negative categories. They found that individuals displaying above-average levels of racial prejudice on this task were 42.5 percent less likely to have voted for Obama than those with average scores.

The researchers also found a negative correlation between racial prejudice and support for Obama's health-care reform effort. As a further test of this relationship, the researchers divided study participants into two groups and read both groups a health-care reform plan -- but one group was told that the policy was Obama's, while the other group was told that it was Bill Clinton's 1993 plan. Those subjects with higher levels of racial bias were more negative about the plan when it was attributed to Obama.

I find it hilarious.

[MayBee]

Were people racist for rejecting Clinton's health care plans in the 90's? Or just when it was credited to Obama in the study?

[What's the self-label of the day?]

It's pitiful that blacks, Negroes, African-Americans, coloreds, whatevers are so insane about the issue of controlling what they are called. I remember when the feeble theory of the "power of naming" was birthed by the deconstructionists, or was it political correctionists, in academia and that little world went wild. Now those silly students have grown up to patrol the internet and all discourse and demand the latest "self-naming power expression" be used as if that really means anything at all in terms of producing respect for a group.

[Rocco]

Not racist

Obama, as a black candidate, could be successful thanks, in part, to his "light-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

Racist

Obama, as a black candidate, could not be successful thanks, in part, to his "dark-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with a Negro dialect, unless he didn't want to have one."

Now if he would only straighten his hair...eh Harry?

[Cecil Turner]

This pretty much says it all:

Mr. Clyburn said that Mr. Reid should be judged on the merits of his record to respond to diversity and to advance the president’s agenda.

So when a Democrat says "Racist!" they really mean "Republican." I know that I'll give all future pronouncements from race baiters who support him the same weight I give similar winges from feminists who supported Bill. (Which is to say: none at all.)

[Jack is Back!]

Sarah Palin at Fox!

The New York Times will have to follow up on Sunday's story about Ailes. I thought it was pretty fair and they had to admit that Fox News is the cash engine of News Corp. [Well FNC and Avatar].

With Palin there, the only way the profits can go is up, up, and away.

[Publius, a.k.a. The Idaho Publius]

People should be careful in what they wish for when asking Harry Reid to step down.

Harry is a dolt, but his likely successor, Dick Durbin, or Chuck Schumer, are more insidous dolts.

[bgates]

Tyrone and Shaniqua vs. Brett and Jane

OK, I like Tyrone Power more than I like my sister-in-law's ex-husband Brett. And who could not put "Jane" into a positive category?

I'd love to see the complete list of stereotypically black words. I'm guessing "clean", "articulate", "coffee"....

[glasater]

Clarice--I don't know if this article will help explain your browser problems but:

Researcher exposes Google spyware connections

A prominent anti-spyware researcher is calling on Google to sever its ties with an advertising partner that covers popular sites with pop-up PPC advertisements promoting those same sites.

The article reminded me of the situation you describe.

[Rob Crawford]

Oh. you HAVE to read this post at Ezra Klein's place. The most amazing study ever.

Is it wrong to use the provided "report abuse" links to flag the "all conservatives are racists" comments as "hate speech"?

I like to think of it as playing by the rules the lefties have written, but...

[daddy]

Anybody know if Don "Nappy Headed Ho" Imus has commented on the racist Harry Reid?

[PD]

Mrs. Feinstein also said that "I saw no Democrats jumping out there and condemning Senator Lott."

... because I had those cucumber slices on my eyes, part of that failed beauty treatment.

[MikeS]

Harry is a dolt, but his likely successor, Dick Durbin, or Chuck Schumer, are more insidous dolts.

Yeah but, Nevada has a Republican Gov who hates Obamacare. So, likely a Republican would be named immediately to replace Harry.

[PD]

Without further context, I'm not sure Clinton was referring to Obama's race but the fact he had only been in the senate a short time. Lack of experience, if you will. The people bringing Clinton and Kennedy coffee weren't necessarily black. Just sycophants.

Back in Flashman's day, the term for these underlings was "fags."

[PD]

I'm not African-American or Black. But I am a Native American, I guess; I was born in country.

[PD]

At least Reid said a real word, not a made up one like Macaca.

It's not made up. It refers to monkeys (also spelled "macaque").

[JM Hanes]

Somebody finally explains how Harry "Hapless" Reid got the slot as Majority Leader:

Reid has been referred to as the “accidental leader” because he was picked when there was no heir apparent to South Dakota Democrat Tom Daschle when he lost in a historic upset in 2004.

The senior senators at the time — including Sens. Chris Dodd and Tom Harkin, and then-Sens. Ted Kennedy and Bob Graham — determined that Reid as leader would not upset their own internal power centers in the committees, so they picked Reid, according to colleagues.

[Murgatroyd]

Years ago, before political correctness achhieved a stranglehold on public discourse, comedians used to ridicule liberals who tried to be hyper-sensitive by calling black people "persons of the Negro persuasion."

If you Google that phrase, you can find some comedy routines that would be Quite Unacceptable today.