Wednesday, June 30, 2010
"Separate But Equal" - Harvard Law-style
Elena Kagan at her confirmation hearings defended her restrictions on military recruiters’ access to the Harvard Law Office of Career Services:
“She said she welcomed the military, and believed her policy of requiring recruiters to work through a student veterans group — first set by a predecessor — was a valid compromise.
"We were trying to make sure that military recruiters had full and complete access to our students, but we were also trying to protect our own antidiscrimination policy and to protect the students whom it is ... supposed to protect, which in this case were our gay and lesbian students," Kagan said.” Kagan insists she didn't block military at Harvard
In other words, everything was cool because the military had “separate but equal” access.
This follows – with no apparent sense of irony - her extolling the virtue of constitutional changes via court decision, specifically citing the overturn of Plessy...you know, the Court decision that first introduced the “separate but equal” logic.
“She said she welcomed the military, and believed her policy of requiring recruiters to work through a student veterans group — first set by a predecessor — was a valid compromise.
"We were trying to make sure that military recruiters had full and complete access to our students, but we were also trying to protect our own antidiscrimination policy and to protect the students whom it is ... supposed to protect, which in this case were our gay and lesbian students," Kagan said.” Kagan insists she didn't block military at Harvard
In other words, everything was cool because the military had “separate but equal” access.
This follows – with no apparent sense of irony - her extolling the virtue of constitutional changes via court decision, specifically citing the overturn of Plessy...you know, the Court decision that first introduced the “separate but equal” logic.
Tuesday, June 29, 2010
...But She Can See Arizona From Her Milwaukee Home
This has already gotten some play throughout the blogosphere but piling on is not a crime:
County Board Delays Vote on Arizona Boycott
That would be the Milwaukee County Board and:
“There was an odd moment during the debate when Supervisor Peggy West stood up and seemed to be confused about her geography. "If this was Texas, which is a state that is directly on the border with Mexico, and they were calling for a measure like this saying that they had a major issue with undocumented people flooding their borders, I would have to look twice at this. But this is a state that is a ways removed from the border," West said during debate.”
(Fortunately, fellow Board member Joe West was gallantly there for her: "I just want to assure my colleague that Arizona does in fact share a border with the country of Mexico.")
I’d normally let such factually-free statements pass but she compounds it with her explanatory followup:
"Had Texas come out with the legislation, having the largest border, I think that I would be more receptive to the fact that there was a problem. But having it be Arizona, having it be the second largest boarder [sic] and knowing there are troops on the border in Arizona, it didn't seem to me that this legislation was particularly necessary at this moment in time," West said.”
When you think of the most efficient and well-run among our state and local governments, does Milwaukee ever pop into your mind? Well, maybe it should because apparently things are humming so smoothly out there that their Board Supervisors have the time to scour the rest of the nation to see what other governing entities could benefit from their wisdom. And so Arizona fell into their crosshairs.
Remember, she doesn’t have a problem with such legislation per se; she clearly states she could be receptive to such a law had it instead been Texas articulating a need for it. No, what really appears to have riled up this champion of good government is just how unnecessary the Arizona law is.
Now, many of you may have racistly NOT had the same reaction when you first read the Arizona law (and the numbers opposing the law does seem to be inversely proportional to the numbers having read the law) and may be wondering if this isn’t just some bit of ethnic posturing on her part. Why would you think that? Because she “has the unique distinction of being the first Latino/Hispanic American to be elected to the Milwaukee County Board.”? That’s irrelevant; Ms. West just happens to believe that ALL Americans deserve effective government (defined, I guess, as performing only that which is necessary...and politically correct). Accordingly, she will not deny Arizonans the benefit of her time management skills just because she, well, has absolutely no connection with Arizona and obviously no idea of what is going on there.
Side Note: To further bolster her geographical bona fides, she offers this:
"I did get a passing grade in Geography in high school and in college and I do obviously know that Arizona is on the border," West said in an interview after today's meeting.”
Well, it’s not that “obvious” but ignoring that; she took Geography in college?
Geography is certainly a legitimate course of study but I just don’t know many people who took it in college. So I checked her web page:
She “graduated with a degree in Human Services from the Milwaukee Area Technical College.”
That’s a 2-year Associate Degree and the latest iteration of it does not require (or even suggest as an elective) straying your studies into Geography. I guess it’s possible she took it anyway but I suspect otherwise. Still, who makes up studying Geography as a way to enhance her academic credentials?
…and if I were in the Administration at MATC, I’d be issuing a press release denying she ever took or passed a Geography course at that school.
County Board Delays Vote on Arizona Boycott
That would be the Milwaukee County Board and:
“There was an odd moment during the debate when Supervisor Peggy West stood up and seemed to be confused about her geography. "If this was Texas, which is a state that is directly on the border with Mexico, and they were calling for a measure like this saying that they had a major issue with undocumented people flooding their borders, I would have to look twice at this. But this is a state that is a ways removed from the border," West said during debate.”
(Fortunately, fellow Board member Joe West was gallantly there for her: "I just want to assure my colleague that Arizona does in fact share a border with the country of Mexico.")
I’d normally let such factually-free statements pass but she compounds it with her explanatory followup:
"Had Texas come out with the legislation, having the largest border, I think that I would be more receptive to the fact that there was a problem. But having it be Arizona, having it be the second largest boarder [sic] and knowing there are troops on the border in Arizona, it didn't seem to me that this legislation was particularly necessary at this moment in time," West said.”
When you think of the most efficient and well-run among our state and local governments, does Milwaukee ever pop into your mind? Well, maybe it should because apparently things are humming so smoothly out there that their Board Supervisors have the time to scour the rest of the nation to see what other governing entities could benefit from their wisdom. And so Arizona fell into their crosshairs.
Remember, she doesn’t have a problem with such legislation per se; she clearly states she could be receptive to such a law had it instead been Texas articulating a need for it. No, what really appears to have riled up this champion of good government is just how unnecessary the Arizona law is.
Now, many of you may have racistly NOT had the same reaction when you first read the Arizona law (and the numbers opposing the law does seem to be inversely proportional to the numbers having read the law) and may be wondering if this isn’t just some bit of ethnic posturing on her part. Why would you think that? Because she “has the unique distinction of being the first Latino/Hispanic American to be elected to the Milwaukee County Board.”? That’s irrelevant; Ms. West just happens to believe that ALL Americans deserve effective government (defined, I guess, as performing only that which is necessary...and politically correct). Accordingly, she will not deny Arizonans the benefit of her time management skills just because she, well, has absolutely no connection with Arizona and obviously no idea of what is going on there.
Side Note: To further bolster her geographical bona fides, she offers this:
"I did get a passing grade in Geography in high school and in college and I do obviously know that Arizona is on the border," West said in an interview after today's meeting.”
Well, it’s not that “obvious” but ignoring that; she took Geography in college?
Geography is certainly a legitimate course of study but I just don’t know many people who took it in college. So I checked her web page:
She “graduated with a degree in Human Services from the Milwaukee Area Technical College.”
That’s a 2-year Associate Degree and the latest iteration of it does not require (or even suggest as an elective) straying your studies into Geography. I guess it’s possible she took it anyway but I suspect otherwise. Still, who makes up studying Geography as a way to enhance her academic credentials?
…and if I were in the Administration at MATC, I’d be issuing a press release denying she ever took or passed a Geography course at that school.
Wednesday, June 09, 2010
Baghdad Bob speaks for organized labor
On the PostPolitics page, they’re highlighting this:
Labor gunning for other moderate Dems
“If working families were able to accomplish this in Arkansas, imagine what they can achieve in other states," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement.”
What the “working families” – in the guise of organized labor - did was spend some $10,000,000 to support Arkansas Lt. Governor Bill Halter’s bid for the state’s Democratic Senate nomination and, in an exciting two person run-off, they “accomplished” second place.
Congratulations "working families" on this significant accomplishment!
Labor gunning for other moderate Dems
“If working families were able to accomplish this in Arkansas, imagine what they can achieve in other states," AFL-CIO President Richard Trumka said in a statement.”
What the “working families” – in the guise of organized labor - did was spend some $10,000,000 to support Arkansas Lt. Governor Bill Halter’s bid for the state’s Democratic Senate nomination and, in an exciting two person run-off, they “accomplished” second place.
Congratulations "working families" on this significant accomplishment!
Monday, June 07, 2010
What's the matter - did it offend Helen Thomas?
Right-wing D.C. think tank spawns Israeli PR blunder
“We think this is an important Israeli contribution to the discussion of recent events,” the Center for Security Policy's Caroline Glick wrote on her Web site Friday, touting a video mocking Monday night's deadly flotilla incident, “and we hope you distribute it far and wide.”
Evidently Israeli media-relations officials took Glick's advice -- and set off a public relations backlash.
“We Con the World,” a parody of the 1985 Michael Jackson-Lionel Ritchie video…
My sympathies obviously lie with Israel so I think it’s rather well done. No back lash here.
Side Note: And when you saw this; Helen Thomas agrees to bow out as commencement speaker at Walt Whitman High, was your first reaction like mine: “why was she even invited?”
“We think this is an important Israeli contribution to the discussion of recent events,” the Center for Security Policy's Caroline Glick wrote on her Web site Friday, touting a video mocking Monday night's deadly flotilla incident, “and we hope you distribute it far and wide.”
Evidently Israeli media-relations officials took Glick's advice -- and set off a public relations backlash.
“We Con the World,” a parody of the 1985 Michael Jackson-Lionel Ritchie video…
My sympathies obviously lie with Israel so I think it’s rather well done. No back lash here.
Side Note: And when you saw this; Helen Thomas agrees to bow out as commencement speaker at Walt Whitman High, was your first reaction like mine: “why was she even invited?”
