Posted on 01/19/2003 2:50:22 PM PST by TheRedSoxWinThePennant
In Rare Public Dissent, Powell Says He Disagrees With Bush on University of Michigan Affirmative Action Case By Scott Lindlaw Associated Press Writer Published: Jan 19, 2003
WASHINGTON (AP) - Secretary of State Colin Powell said Sunday he disagrees with President Bush's position on an affirmative action case before the Supreme Court. Powell, one of two black members of Bush's Cabinet, said he supports methods the University of Michigan uses to bolster minority enrollments in its undergraduate and law school programs. The policies offer points to minority applicants and set goals for minority admissions.
"Whereas I have expressed my support for the policies used by the University of Michigan, the president, in looking at it, came to the conclusion that it was constitutionally flawed based on the legal advice he received," Powell said on the CBS program "Face the Nation."
It was a rare public acknowledgment of dissent with the president and with other top White House aides.
National security adviser Condoleezza Rice said she backed Bush's decision to step into the case before the Supreme Court and to argue that the University of Michigan's methods were unconstitutional. She said on NBC's "Meet the Press" Sunday that there are "problems" with the university's selection policies, and cited the points system.
But she also said race can be a factor in colleges' selection process. The brief the Bush administration filed with the Supreme Court was silent on that issue of whether race can be a factor under some circumstances.
"It is important to take race into consideration if you must, if race-neutral means do not work," she said.
Rice said she had benefited from affirmative action during her career at Stanford University.
"I think they saw a person that they thought had potential, and yes, I think they were looking to diversify the faculty," she said.
"I think there's nothing wrong with that in the United States," Rice said. "It does not mean that one has to go to people of lower quality. Race is a factor in our society."
In a speech to the Republican National Convention in 2000, Powell sharply criticized GOP attacks on affirmative action.
"We must understand the cynicism that exists in the black community," he said. "The kind of cynicism that is created when, for example, some in our party miss no opportunity to roundly and loudly condemn affirmative action that helped a few thousand black kids get an education, but you hardly heard a whimper from them over affirmative action for lobbyists who load our federal tax codes with preferences for special interests."
Sunday on CNN, Powell said he remained "a strong proponent of affirmative action."
Education Secretary Rod Paige is the other black member of Bush's Cabinet.
Paige firmly agrees with Bush's stance, a spokesman said Sunday.
"Secretary Paige believes in equal opportunity for all students and he fully supports President Bush's position on the University of Michigan case," said spokesman Dan Langan. He wasn't sure whether Paige agreed with Rice that race can sometimes be a factor in university admissions.
Bush, who drew 9 percent of the black vote in 2000, was attending a predominantly black church on the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday Monday.
AP-ES-01-19-03 1732EST
Eduardo L. Estrada is a high schooler with olive skin and jet black hair. Eduardo comes from a household with $25,000 income in a mostly Latino neighborhood.University of Michigan affirmative action program does not consider Asian-Americans as an underrepresented minority; only African-Americans, Latinos, and Native Americans receive the extra 20 points solely because of their race or ethnicity.Eduardo L. applied to admission to University of Michigan, and he was given 20 extra points during the admission process solely for being of Latino descent.
Eduardo F. Estrada is a high schooler with olive skin and jet black hair. Eduardo comes from a household with $25,000 income in a mostly Asian neighborhood.Eduardo F. applied to admission to University of Michigan, and he was given NO extra points during the admission process solely for being of Philipino descent.
You can make case about affirmative action for African-Americans, but can you make a persuasive case for discrimination against almost identical people solely on the basis of the country of origin?
Truer words were never spoken, my friend! I have a buddy who is a retired SpecOps senior officer and he said that Powell is universally DESPISED by both the officers and most of the troops who served under him.
The only reason he's a republican is because that was the party in power when he retired! He's a globalist propagator of the New World Order who absence from the world stage at least in the front row won't be missed.
Affirmative Action and The University of Michigan's Admissions Policy
Confidential
Socioeconomicallv Disadvantaged Student or Education
The University is committed to a rich educational experience for its students, which should include interaction with students of all socioeconomic backgrounds. A diverse, as opposed to a homogeneous. student population enhances the education experience for all students. Consequently. 20 points will be awarded to an applicant who:
is sociocconomically disadvantaged. with indicators such as parents’ occupations. single parent upbringing, a deceased parent, necessary excessive work hours while attending school. overcoming extraordinary obstacles, such as abuse, or homelessness; or
is a student educated in a high school serving a population that is predominantly sociocconomically disadvantaged.
Underrepresented Racial/Ethnic Minority Identity or Education
The University is committed to an educational experience that involves students interacting with other students of different races and ethnicities than their own. Consequently, 20 points will be awarded to an applicant who:
is a member of a federally recognized underrepresented race or ethnicity, which is also underrepresented on the UM Ann Arbor campus; or
is a student educated in a high school serving a population that is predominantly comprised of federally recognized underrepresented races and/or ethnicities, which are also underrepresented on the CM Ann Arbor campus.
Scholarship Athlete
In anticipation of their contributions to the University and in recognition of the tradition and national prominence of Michigan intercollegiate athletics, applicants being officially recruited and considered for athletic scholarships should have 20 points added to their score.
Provost’s Discretion
At the discretion of the Provost (only), up to an additional 20 points may be awarded to an applicant.
Professional Diversity
Over time, some professions have become composed predominantly of one gender or another. The School of Nursing has identified a need to enroll more members of an underrepresented gender to enhance its educational environment and to improve the diversity within its profession. A counselor should award 5 points to those applicants who are men applying to the School of Nursing. (See the Guidelines for Calculation of an Engineering Selection Index for the Professional Diversity points awarded for women applicants to the College of Engineering.)
Affirmative Action and The University of Michigan's Admissions Policy
He might be in favor of affirmative action, but correct me if I'm wrong...isn't he against gays in the military?
So, it seems that if you are a "member of a federally recognized underrepresented race or ethnicity, which is also underrepresented on the UM Ann Arbor campus" you get 20 points regardless of the fact that you may benefit from other advantages.
You could be the son of Michael Jordan or Tiger Woods, have attended private schools your entire life, scored 1500 on the SAT's and STILL have 20 points extra points awarded to you on basis of race alone. I don't know how anyone can defend that. Granted, there probably aren't very many students who fall into that catagory, but I think that example illustrates how flawed the U of M policy is.
But she also said race can be a factor in colleges' selection process. The brief the Bush administration filed with the Supreme Court was silent on that issue of whether race can be a factor under some circumstances.
"It is important to take race into consideration if you must, if race-neutral means do not work," she said.
"I think there's nothing wrong with that in the United States," Rice said. "It does not mean that one has to go to people of lower quality. Race is a factor in our society." Rice contradicts herself. If race-neutral means do not manage to obtain the necessary quota, then she thinks it is acceptable to consider race in order to meet the quota. It is obvious that this most definitely does mean going to people of lower quality. If black or Hispanic people were available of equal ability and skills to those of other races, then race-neutral means would obtain them in equitable numbers. My once very high respect for Rice just plummeted. Obviously the principle of equality under the law is not as important to her as perpetuating the racial spoils system.
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