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SPINNING RACE
MSNBC ^ | January 27, 2003 | By Howard Fineman and Tamara Lipper

Posted on 01/19/2003 8:36:42 PM PST by Uncle Bill

SPINNING RACE

NEWSWEEK
MSNBC.com
By Howard Fineman and Tamara Lipper
January 27, 2003
Jan. 27 issue

He speechified to the right. He briefed to the middle. And he sought cover by trying to bring in Condi Rice. The color of racial politics

No one in Washington can be as ominously sympathetic as Dick Cheney. He was that way last week, when he placed a call to Theodore Olson, solicitor general. President George W. Bush was preparing to take a politically explosive step, filing friend of the court briefs opposing the University of Michigan’s use of racial preferences in admissions.

IT WAS IMPORTANT that the “rollout” of the briefs be as careful—as Escher-like in its eye-of-the-beholder balance—as the briefs themselves. And Olson was a problem.

Here was a conservative purist, to whom preferences of any kind were abhorrent and who wanted to advise the Supreme Court to reverse the landmark Bakke case of 1978, which held that race can be “a factor” in college admissions. But Bush had decided to move surgically, making only a relatively narrow (though still potentially far-reaching) attack on the U of M procedures. Olson’s shop could draft the briefs, but final decisions would rest with the White House counsel, Alberto Gonzales. Olson was furious: it was a slap at the powers of the SG (who would normally run the show) and, in his view, a cave-in. “If you want to be SG, that’s fine!” he barked at Gonzales. Indeed, NEWSWEEK learned, Olson even considered quitting.

Olson on a rampage could hurt the administration—big time—with its conservative base. So Cheney made his call. He told Olson that he was sympathetic to his position, but that wasn’t what The Boss wanted to say. Time to get onboard. Cheney didn’t have to add—but Olson apparently understood—the rest of the message: shut up. The SG did so, signing the brief but otherwise staying out of sight while other hard-core conservatives were in full cry. (A Justice Department spokeswoman declined to comment.)

MSNBC/Newsweek articles must be excerpted.

http://www.msnbc.com/news/861383.asp?0cl=c1


Bush to Propose Funds for Black, Hispanic Education

Condoleezza Rice Partly at Odds with Bush on Race Case

Powell Says He Disagrees With Bush on University of Michigan Affirmative Action Case

Rush Limbaugh says the affirmative action brief still keeps promoting race preference and its bad

White House Brief Stops Short of Bush Speech (Folks, I really don't relish the next words)RUSH

Affirmative Action Faces a New Wave of Anger

Bush Administration Defends Affirmative Action

(Excerpt) Read more at msnbc.com ...


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism
KEYWORDS: action; affirmative; answerluvsunclebill; cave; fold; mush; pimp; race; spamatitsbest; spin; unclebill4anarchy; unclebillworx4thednc; yoyo

1 posted on 01/19/2003 8:36:42 PM PST by Uncle Bill
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To: All
DO YOU REMEMBER TOMMY ON ELECTION NIGHT

LET'S DO IT AGAIN IN 04

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2 posted on 01/19/2003 8:37:17 PM PST by Support Free Republic (Your support keeps Free Republic going strong!)
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To: TLBSHOW
Bttt
3 posted on 01/19/2003 8:40:45 PM PST by Uncle Bill
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To: Uncle Bill
Interesting article.
4 posted on 01/19/2003 8:45:21 PM PST by rdf
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To: Uncle Bill
ya can't win, Bush does nothing he's a loser, Bush does something, he's a loser (according to MSNBC).

media bias at its best.

5 posted on 01/19/2003 8:49:23 PM PST by mcenedo
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To: Uncle Bill
Thanks for the ping! Drudge just reported Olson almost quit over this.
6 posted on 01/19/2003 9:21:50 PM PST by TLBSHOW
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To: RLK; Askel5
'We Stand with Africa' - Bush

"Government ought to have a policy that helps people with a downpayment." - George W. Bush

Bush to Propose $500M AIDS Funding

Bush pushes minority homeownership

A Home Of Your Own: Expanding Opportunities for All Americans

Bush Touts Low - Income Homes Plan

U.S. Prepares 'Big-Time' Response To Famine - Impact of African crisis could be felt at White House

Bush to Propose Another $100 Million Over Five Years for Education in Africa

President Highlights Compassionate Conservative Agenda for Inner Cities

James Madison, the Father of the Constitution, elaborated upon this limitation in a letter to James Robertson:

In 1794, when Congress appropriated $15,000 for relief of French refugees who fled from insurrection in San Domingo to Baltimore and Philadelphia, James Madison stood on the floor of the House to object saying, "I cannot undertake to lay my finger on that article of the Constitution which granted a right to Congress of expending, on objects of benevolence, the money of their constituents."
James Madison, 4 Annals of congress 179 (1794)

"Congress has not unlimited powers to provide for the general welfare, but only those specifically enumerated."
Thomas Jefferson

"If Congress can do whatever in their discretion can be done by money, and will promote the general welfare, the government is no longer a limited one possessing enumerated powers, but an indefinite one subject to particular exceptions."
James Madison, "Letter to Edmund Pendleton," -- James Madison, January 21, 1792, in The Papers of James Madison, vol. 14, Robert A Rutland et. al., ed (Charlottesvile: University Press of Virginia,1984).

Source


George W. - Master of Disguise

7 posted on 01/19/2003 9:28:38 PM PST by Uncle Bill
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To: Uncle Bill
Wow, these folks sure do know a lot of details about what goes on in the White House.
8 posted on 01/19/2003 9:31:21 PM PST by Jeff Chandler ( ; -)
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To: Uncle Bill; ThanksBTTT; nunya bidness
Thanks for the flag, Uncle Bill.

You do such good work.

9 posted on 01/19/2003 9:34:23 PM PST by Askel5
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To: Uncle Bill
I feel like I've been waitin in line for 3 hours at the Department of Motor Vehicles, and everyone else in line thinks their getting great, reasonable service.
10 posted on 01/19/2003 9:41:03 PM PST by Joe Hadenuf
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To: Askel5
Thanks much Askel5. Hope all is well.

Calif. Republican Leaders Still Bickering About Race - January 19, 2003

Condoleezza Rice approves of race as admissions factor

11 posted on 01/19/2003 9:50:01 PM PST by Uncle Bill
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To: Joe Hadenuf
"I feel like I've been waitin in line for 3 hours at the Department of Motor Vehicles, and everyone else in line thinks their getting great, reasonable service."

LOL! Insanity rules! Think of the poor person who waits all that time, finally makes it to the front counter, and they tell him, sorry, you must have a number stub, you'll have to get one and go to the end of the line.

12 posted on 01/19/2003 9:53:56 PM PST by Uncle Bill
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To: Uncle Bill
bttt
13 posted on 01/20/2003 10:27:52 AM PST by Joe Hadenuf
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To: Joe Hadenuf
Hi Joe. Bump.
14 posted on 01/20/2003 11:23:23 AM PST by Uncle Bill
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To: NotJustAnotherPrettyFace
BTTT
15 posted on 01/22/2003 12:41:00 AM PST by Uncle Bill
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