Posted on 03/15/2006 3:21:06 PM PST by mathprof
Speaking of Allen, the Los Angeles Times carries a rather jaw-dropping column on his case from Erin Aubry Kaplan:
"I don't support conservatism in its current iteration, and I support black conservatives even less, but we cannot ignore the racial implications of this latest Republican fall from grace. Here is a decidedly white-collar black man getting clipped for a blue-collar crime associated with economic necessity, one that practically guarantees prison time for most black men in this country. (Even if he's ultimately convicted, it's doubtful that Allen will end up behind bars.) . . .
"Fast-track people such as Allen are praised by conservatives for being shining examples of their race, and, at the same time, they are used in one way or another for public relations purposes and damage control during racially charged moments. . . .
It's hard to imagine that such compromises and cognitive dissonance don't exact a psychological toll at some point, and Allen's alleged dabbling in crime might have been that point for him. Was he testing the limits of a power he wasn't sure he had, but needed? Was he fatally overconfident -- fatal indeed for a black man -- that his position shielded him from the consequences of crime, or at least the consequences of petty theft? After a career of always conducting himself appropriately, as his mentor Clarence Thomas reportedly advised, did he finally crack under the pressure?"
Kaplan dislikes conservatives, but she dislikes black conservatives even more; and she is eager to attribute Allen's alleged crimes to his race. Hard to believe such racist views find a hearing in a major newspaper in the 21st century.
(Excerpt) Read more at opinionjournal.com ...
The New York Times editorial page has become increasingly shrill and detached from logic over the past few years, and we blame President Bush! Well, OK, we don't really blame Bush, but the Times would if it recognized the problem. A catch-all editorial today blames Bush for two totally unrelated events:
This page opposes the death penalty, so we're not going to be upset if federal prosecutors fail to execute Zacarias Moussaoui on conspiracy charges related to Sept. 11, and have to settle for sending him to jail for life. But it's unnerving that the setback for the prosecution was due to the incredible misbehavior of one of the government lawyers, a member of the Transportation Security Administration. The lawyer, Carla Martin, violated a court order and drew down the wrath of the presiding judge by attempting to coach via e-mail some witnesses expected to testify--in a manner that a first-year law student should have known was a very, very bad idea. It may be irrelevant that Ms. Martin's main job is as an aviation security expert, but it doesn't make us feel any better.
Minor flare-ups of bad news are also much more disturbing when they remind us of the administration's history of rewarding party loyalists and campaign workers with jobs that are far above their level of competence. Claude Allen, who recently resigned as the president's domestic policy adviser, was arrested in a bizarre case involving a scheme to collect refunds from stores for merchandise he had never purchased, from a home theater system to an item worth only $2.50. The allegations about Mr. Allen might have been classified as a sad tale of a White House official who fell victim to pressure or overwork, had it not been for the fact that the Bush administration had also nominated him for a seat on the United States Court of Appeals despite a résumé that's exceedingly thin on legal experience.
So let's see, it's Bush's fault that a government lawyer--presumably a civil servant, though the Times doesn't say--screws up. And Allen's alleged crime somehow shows that Bush erred in appointing him to the bench, even though there have been no allegations that Allen committed any crimes before his nomination.
Translation complete.
More like ... I hate anyone who disagrees with me
It's the racism of the liberals. Thinly veiled, threatening and disgusting.
(Just as a total aside, I made that exact joke to a colleague I knew to be liberal and they immediately agreed with me - then paused momentarily to make sure they understood what I said - and then qualified their agreement by making sure that I didn't actually believe that they thought that Bush himself had blown up the dam but that he probably still didn't care about the poor Hawaiians who were impacted. Those crazy liberals will just believe anything they hear if its bad and about Bush.)
Thursday.
-PJ
I wanted to post something ridiculous, like "dandruff," and then the list of possibilities began growing longer and ever more ridiculous, though less funny because it's not really that farfetched.
Then it grew really serious when I thought of this...the ruining of the US economy by the next lib president (barring a miracle of God's grace) would be the sort of thing that the current administration would be blamed for.
I dunno, what'll you got? : )
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