[11th Earl of Mar]

This is easy to figure out.

Corporations want a simple quota to meet.

That way they are better able to defend themselves from lawsuits.

[Libertarianize the GOP]

http://www.freerepublic.com/perl/bump-list

[Right Wing Professor]

I shall be boycotting any company that files a brief supporting U. Mich, and I encourage others to do the same.

[newgeezer]

The president has argued that other states ... are finding race-neutral ways to diversify their student populations. For example, some have guaranteed admission to public universities to the top students at all high schools in those states.

That's the way it should be. You don't give someone an edge because of the color of their skin. If you want to take some real "affirmative action" -- if you want to make a case for inner-city students being at a disadvantage -- level the playing field by guaranteeing admission to the upper tier from all the state's high schools. In other words, grade each class on its own bell curve. (Wow, what a concept!)

[ClearCase_guy]

Well, there you have it! Bush is so evil, he's even more extreme than those evil capitalists who run those evil companies!

I agree with the poster who said that quotas are supported by some, simply as insurance against lawsuits. If the firm meets the quota, they achieve some level of immunity.

[twas]

"Many companies have learned, some of them kicking and screaming, that affirmative action works,"

Companies have learned that they will have to fight expensive lawsuites if they fail to achieve someones ideas of diveristy goals.

The only thing affirmative action works for is keeping companies out of court but only because affirmative action is merely a new venue for legal extortion.

[narby]

The real story here is that "corporate America" is far more leftist than legend has it. The old "big company" alliance with Republicans vs. labor ended sometime in the FDR administration. But everybody, both left and right, assumes that the old alignment still exists.

If you doubt me, check out the supporters of NPR.