Posted on 12/07/2004 5:09:00 PM PST by Mike Fieschko
WASHINGTON - Mary Frances Berry, blunt-spoken chairwoman of the U.S. Civil Rights Commission, resigned Tuesday after more than two decades of criticizing the governments, both Democratic and Republican, that she served.Berry, an independent, and Democratic Vice Chairman Cruz Reynoso sent resignation letters to President Bush (news - web sites) a day after the White House moved to replace the two. Both had resisted leaving Monday, arguing their terms wouldn't expire until midnight Jan. 21, 2005.
The White House maintained that their six-year terms expired Sunday, and Berry and Reynoso had been replaced.
In brief letters to Bush, Berry and Reynoso said they believed they still had more time to serve but it wasn't worth the fight.
"Given that the conclusion of my tenure is only a few weeks away, a legal challenge would be an unwise expenditure of resources," wrote Berry, a civil rights history professor at the University of Pennsylvania. "Therefore, I am resigning my position as commissioner on the United States Commission on Civil Rights effective immediately."
Berry did not reflect in her letter on her more than two decades on the commission, during which she served under five presidents and criticized them all.
White House spokesman Ken Lisaius said Berry and Reynoso's terms on the commission had ended.
"While we are grateful for the service of Berry and Reynoso, their terms ended, and their replacements have been named, and we're working on an orderly transition," Lisaius said. "The president is moving now to ensure the commission has direction and leadership to continue its work."
First appointed by President Carter, Berry became chairwoman in 1993. She earned plaudits from supporters as a civil rights hero but criticism from opponents as overly divisive.
President Reagan fired her but had to reinstate her after a lawsuit. Former Presidents Bush and Clinton also came in for criticism.
Most recently, Berry sided with other Democratic-leaning commissioners to keep a report critical of the current President Bush on the commission's Web site before the election.
When the commissioners finally voted on the report the vote split four to four, a typical division between Democratic-leaning and Republican-leaning commissioners that could change with the new Bush appointees.
The newly named commissioners are Gerald A. Reynolds, former assistant secretary for the office of civil rights in the Education Department, and attorney Ashley L. Taylor of Richmond, Va. Bush intends to designate Reynolds the commission chairman, succeeding Berry, and to name Abigail Thernstrom, already a commission member, as vice chairwoman.
The eight-member panel investigates civil rights complaints and publicizes its findings but has no enforcement power.
As I've said before about Berry:
"And here we have, in a nutshell, an illustration of the complete affirmative action, peter principle, failure cycle. This bitch has been afforded every opportunity and courtesy, deserved or not, and still she has the social graces of a crack ho. When are we going to wise up?"
The administration has "wised her up" momentarily, but watch for how many more bogus accolades and honorary degrees this narrow-minded, bigoted, racist bitch is awarded by liberal syscophants before her "career" is finally over.
Hannity has more on Chairman Berry.
Good riddance to bad garbage.
Bush wins again. More lefties strewn in his wake.
She can go back to the Ivy League and teach kids to hate America.
The Commission members are not all appointed by Presidents. Presidents appoint half and Congress appoints half.
I hope they exorcise the place now that this witch has left the premises.
Mary Frances Berry, Marion Berry, are all the Berrys in Washington, D.C. fruitcakes?
I hope they keep a careful watch at the door next time the committee convenes, or she's liable to slip in wearing a burkha. She's the kind of person vampire stakes were invented for.
I think the idea was supposed to be that the commission would be evenly divided, with 4 Democrats and 4 Republicans, but she and another leftist pretended to be "independents" so they could occupy slots that should have gone to Republicans, thus giving the 'Rats a 6-2 advantage.
The only person Berry ever served was herself and her perverse imagination regarding alleged civil wrongs perpetrated on people of color. What a waste. This commission has been largely a propaganda tool for left wing ideologues.
The hits just keep on coming don't they? These are great times to wake up to a new Republican day.
actually, there are some good people on the commission, like Peter Kirsanow..so perhaps, for the first time in ages, it will actually function as a real board, now that the boondoggle is gone...Berry was the worst possible piece of protoplasm to amass power and position, on a panel she felt was much more important than it really was...her little reign is over and now maybe some REAL work can begin...
Hopefully, the GAO can find some fraudulent activity that Berry engaged in and prosecute her as*.......
well written...but not anymore...the commission has a few Bush appointees now..and the money will actually be used wisely...no more propaganda......
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