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White House Stacked Civil Rights Panel
You're familiar with what the Bush Administration did to the Civil Rights Division at the Justice Department. After all, who could forget such muck luminaries as Bradley "Good Americans" Schlozman, voter suppression guru Hans von Spakovsky, and John "Minorities Die First" Tanner?
In today's Boston Globe, Charlie Savage reports on how the administration has stacked the Civil Rights Commission, a fifty year-old agency that is supposed to serve as a watchdog for civil rights infractions:
Democrats say the move to create a conservative majority on the eight-member panel violated the spirit of a law requiring that no more than half the commission be of one party. Critics say Bush in effect installed a fifth and sixth Republican on the panel in December 2004, after two commissioners, both Republicans when appointed, reregistered as independents.
Clever. The effect of the move has been predictable. Just as the Civil Rights Division has been effectively sidelined, the commission significantly diminished its activity on behalf of minorities:
Before the changes, the agency had planned to evaluate a White House budget request for civil rights enforcement, the adequacy of college financial aid for minorities, and whether the US Census Bureau undercounts minorities, keeping nonwhite areas from their fair share of political apportionment and spending. After the appointments, the commission canceled the projects.Instead, the commission has put out a series of reports concluding that there is little educational benefit to integrating elementary and secondary schools, calling for closer scrutiny of programs that help minorities gain admission to top law schools, and urging the government to look for ways to replace policies that help minority-owned businesses win contracts with race-neutral alternatives....
The commission has also stopped issuing subpoenas and going on the road to hold lengthy fact-finding hearings, as it previously did about once a year. The commission had three planned hearings in the works when the conservative bloc took over and canceled them. Instead, the panel has held only shorter briefings, all but one of which was in Washington, from invited specialists.
Read the whole thing.
I'm sorry but in my view all of this "stuff" regarding elections -- including all the campaigning -- is pure Kabuki.
As I write this I'm wearing a 130-gallon cowboy hat. If Bush DOESN'T declare a state of emergency before the election, I'll eat my hat. This cabal of curs has way too much to lose if power changes hands.
And we need not look any further than the cowardice of the Dems to guess the level of resistance such an act will be met with.
Just watch your TV for the FOX NEWS banner: "America Celebrates: MARTIAL LAW '08"
November 6, 2007 2:17 PM | Reply | Permalink
I know our little shrub likes big boys uniforms, he's always been jealous of Musharrefs' General duds. So I expect our little fascist to design an start wearing his own CIC uniform. How do you say seig heil in Texan?
November 6, 2007 2:52 PM | Reply | Permalink
No wonder black unemployment is in double digits compared to whites. There's no accountability to make anyone hire blacks, qualified or no all the way to the top.
Damn. Guess I'll still be without a job this Christmas too.
November 6, 2007 4:08 PM | Reply | Permalink
Rove needed these alterations for the election fraud, you know his "stuffs best" approach.
He couldn't do it with vote machine tampering alone. He had to hit all fronts. Really, suppression was vital to avoid another coup by SCOTUS.
November 6, 2007 4:25 PM | Reply | Permalink
Let a Democratic president pull something like that, and see how the Republicans howl about it. Hell, if I were President HRC, I'd just do it to prove the point and see who screams loudest.
November 6, 2007 4:39 PM | Reply | Permalink
How shocking that the most corrupt President in history, who runs the most corrupt administration in history, is transparently making appointments to bipartisan panels a farce via his morally bankrupt, corrupt use of having appointees of his own party "switch" parties in order to manipulate the outcome?
November 6, 2007 5:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
He does make Nixon look pretty clean, I'll say that for him.
I just do not understand why he is still standing.
November 6, 2007 5:18 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Civil Rights Commission is nothing but a joke, regardless of who is President. It is time for black America to look in the mirror and quit blaming whitey for their problems.
"No wonder black unemployment is in double digits compared to whites."
Lack of education, gang violence, fatherless homes, guns, drugs, welfare mothers.....these are the problems facing black America. George Bush can't fix it for you. Straighten up your act, pull up your pants, quit glorifying rappers, and get your own damn job.
November 6, 2007 6:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
The Democrats have stacked these Civil Rights Commissions for years, they are nothing more than arms for the democrat bedwetters.
It is about time they got a taste of their own medicine. Face it, not all of us blacks are "Uncle Tom"s to the democrat party. Actually, some of us help ourselves and have moved past blaming centuries old racism for our problems.
The hardworking hispanics moving to this country and prospering are proving to many people that being black is no excuse. If you work hard and educate yourself, you won't have to look to Washington DC for 21st century handouts.
November 6, 2007 6:55 PM | Reply | Permalink
"How shocking that the most corrupt President in history,"
The most corrupt President in history? Did you sleep during the 90s? Travel-gate, file-gate, Whitewater, Chinese campaign donations, stolen White House property, 9/11 secrets stuffed in underwear (see Sandy Berger) Monica-gate, rape accusations from various women, etc, etc., etc.
Your dislike of Bush doesn't equal corruption, impeachment and disbarment do....Clinton fits this description, not Bush.
November 6, 2007 7:00 PM | Reply | Permalink
My people cross deserts and oceans to get into this great country and have prospered as we've done so. Why do blacks need a "civil rights" commission anyway.
How about a "get off your ass and quit blaming whitey" commission?
My people are doing it, what is the excuse for black America?
You need to get your priorities straight, do a better job of raising your children, and provide a role model for god's sake. Tupac, Iverson and Beyonce your child ain't. If they don't stay in school, work hard, and educate themselves, they'll be sitting around on their ass blaming whitey also.
The only people to blame for the problem of black America are black. Create your own Commission or whatever, just get your acts together.
November 6, 2007 7:05 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Just as the Civil Rights Division has been effectively sidelined, the commission significantly diminished its activity on behalf of minorities:"
Bullshit, you mean the Division went from a racism witchhunt to actually doing something "for" minorities. As the article states:
"the commission has put out a series of reports concluding that there is little educational benefit to integrating elementary and secondary schools, calling for closer scrutiny of programs that help minorities gain admission to top law schools, and urging the government to look for ways to replace policies that help minority-owned businesses win contracts with race-neutral alternatives...."
These studies will accomplish more for minorities than "The commission has also stopped issuing subpoenas and going on the road to hold lengthy fact-finding hearings"
So they are upset they don't get to go on taxpayer supported, fruitless, "listening tours". What have these listening tours accomplished in the past?
You left wing morons don't like your civil rights commissions to do anything but look for evidence of racism to blame your problems on others. Get over it, your days of the playing the victim card have come to an end.
November 6, 2007 7:14 PM | Reply | Permalink
Welcome, trolls.
To you Hispanics -- you've seen what the Republicans think of you illegals.
It is easier for individual blacks to succeed in this society if they ignore racism. This does not mean that it it not there.
If the penalties for cocaine usuage are light and those for crack are heavy, who goes to prison for a long time? What about for abuse of prescription drugs assuming you have the money for a presription in the first place? Flush Limbaugh? Yeah, right.
When generations have been brought over as slaves, denied jobs for which they have the education, have less effective education supplied to them -- have you ever tried to teach science without text books let alone lab equipment?
Doesn't still happen? So why does a white drop out have a better shot at a job than a black high school graduate?
And for toppers, less keep all the black residential in the most polluted areas --
never mind that exposure to lead leads to a great increase in propensity to violence.
Sweeping facts under the rug doesn't stop them from being facts and the vitriol of the above comments indicates that racism is alive and well in the US of A.
November 6, 2007 8:26 PM | Reply | Permalink
Jane, the ignorant, racist liberal wrote:
"To you Hispanics -- you've seen what the Republicans think of you illegals."
You illegals? Did I say I was illegal. Do you think all hispanic immigrants are illegal?
And you are right, sweeping facts under the rug doesn't stop them, such as those facts you ignore, lack of education (because that's acting white), gang violence, fatherless homes, guns, drugs, welfare dependent multi-fathered mothers.
No, you'd rather fret that cocaine doesn't get as much punishment as crack. So how would this help blacks? It wouldn't, it just allows you to ignore facts.
November 6, 2007 8:57 PM | Reply | Permalink
Oh, I missed this jewel from Jane, the ignorant racist liberal:
"And for toppers, less keep all the black residential in the most polluted areas --
never mind that exposure to lead leads to a great increase in propensity to violence."
You are comical. Excuses, excuses, excuses.
Jane also whines:
"the above comments indicates that racism is alive and well in the US of A."
I'm not the one who wants a NAACP, a Congressional Black Caucus, affirmative action, and the Civil Rights Commission for my benefit based on my race. Who's the racist?
November 6, 2007 9:02 PM | Reply | Permalink
@ Sharmen on November 6, 2007 7:00 PM:
So you've had your eyes closed for the last six years?
Or is this more situational ethics?
It never ceases to amaze me that some choose to see this as "red team vs. blue team" battle. I don't care what color the quarterback is, if he fucked up, it's WRONG.
November 6, 2007 9:06 PM | Reply | Permalink
>> Let a Democratic president pull something like that, and see how the Republicans howl about it. Hell, if I were President HRC, I'd just do it to prove the point and see who screams loudest. <<
A commenter somewhere else (might have been Salon.com) suggested that what the next Democratic president should do is to work to elbow the Republican members of the commission to resign, and then appoint four Democrats and four Green Party members. See how the Repugs like getting a taste of their own medicine!!
They wouldn't pull this stuff if they thought the Dems might pay them back in kind, so we need to start playing hardball to make them employ some self-interested self-restraint. That is, after all, the primary thing that makes the system work: neither side wants to do anything that the other side is likely to retaliate for. Republicans need to have to weigh the strong possibility of retaliation when they are tempted to play dirty.
November 6, 2007 10:29 PM | Reply | Permalink
Hate to break it to you, Pedro. Set-aside programs originally intended to benefit African-Americans and other under represented AMERICAN minorities were hijacked by non-minority frontmen who hired droves of undocumented Latino immigrants so their companies could claim minority status. This trend started in the eighties and continues to this day. You or someone that you know benefits from sacrifices made by African-Americans and others on YOUR behalf, even if you are, as I suspect, not an actual minority.
According to you:
"And you are right, sweeping facts under the rug doesn't stop them, such as those facts you ignore, lack of education (because that's acting white), gang violence, fatherless homes, guns, drugs, welfare dependent multi-fathered mothers."
Your words apply to Hispanics, as well. Ever heard of MS-13, the Latin Kings, meth, or brown heroin? A word to Curtis: Jane's right. Character assassinations mean that you're apparently incapable of participating in a civil dialogue. By the way, I'm a card-carrying Red State Republican, albeit a rather disgusted one. Our numbers are growing, of course.
November 6, 2007 10:36 PM | Reply | Permalink
"A commenter somewhere else (might have been Salon.com) suggested that what the next Democratic president should do is to work to elbow the Republican members of the commission to resign, and then appoint four Democrats and four Green Party members. See how the Repugs like getting a taste of their own medicine!!"
ooooh, that'll show us repugs!!
The difference here is that as a card-carrying repug, I couldn't give a shit less who is on the commission or what their opinion is of anything. It is nothing more than another bloated government tentacle that costs much, accomplishes little, and basically represents the feelings of whichever party holds the White House. You demopugs?? just hate that it has changed hands and Bush has gotten his way...again.
November 6, 2007 10:45 PM | Reply | Permalink
"Republicans need to have to weigh the strong possibility of retaliation when they are tempted to play dirty."
You can always tell a sheeple when they accuse the other party of being the only one who plays dirty.
November 6, 2007 10:46 PM | Reply | Permalink
Goldilocks wets:
"By the way, I'm a card-carrying Red State Republican, albeit a rather disgusted one. Our numbers are growing, of course."
Bullshit, I'm not buying it. You're a bleeding heart liberal who thinks he can suddenly claim to be a Republican who just happens to agree with the Democrats to give himself some sort of validity. Transparent to me, but you democrats are used to being bamboozled.
November 6, 2007 10:50 PM | Reply | Permalink
Goldilocks claims:
"AMERICAN minorities were hijacked by non-minority frontmen who hired droves of undocumented Latino immigrants so their companies could claim minority status."
I love you bomb-shelter types. This is one hell of a conspiracy you've uncovered. Be sure to inform Kucinich next time you guys are in intergalactic flight.
November 6, 2007 10:53 PM | Reply | Permalink
Why is this stuff reported as if it's something new? This has been their MO ever since the first time Bush took the oath of office. They should just search through every god damned agency, commission, and department to list them all, not discover it by accident, and dribble it out as if they're saving it to have something juicy to report.
November 6, 2007 10:54 PM | Reply | Permalink
Wow, that's really Bush league. A false flag attack by the Bushies, who woulda thought?
November 7, 2007 3:25 AM | Reply | Permalink
Pedro(troll)
The commission is supposed to look into complaints of racism. So if a contractor is paying Hispanic laborers 2 Dollars an hour less than whites, they would be a recourse.
Of course, you being Hispanic, never heard nor seen any discrimination anywhere right? And if you did, you wouldn't need any help correcting it right?
If you went to court, seeing the panel of judges made up of known Hispanic haters wouldn't bother you right?
Go back to your trailer park, cracker. Pop open another beer and sit down to watch fox news like every other day of your life.
November 7, 2007 9:48 AM | Reply | Permalink
Face it, the Bush administration and Republican elite have been planning for this day for a long time. The public has turned against the Republicans after discovering that they are inhuman, authoritarian pigs out to create an oligarchy based upon the corporate money and personal wealth of a few select families.
The DEMOCRAT party have proven themselves to be cowards who are unable to take effective action to protect our democracy. The AG nomination and other constant cave ins to the Bush administration stands as in testimony to their impotence.
The Republicans have been carefully filling career civil service positions with select fifth columnists who will do the bidding of this authoritarian party in the likely event of a DEMOCRAT party victory in '08. The courts have been stacked with extremist judges due to the failure of the DEMOCRAT party to block right wing appointees.
This democracy can only be saved by blocking any additional appointments. However, it will also take the removal of fifth column agents left in place by this administration in career civil service positions, commissions and other appointed positions. Do not waste your breath waiting for our country to be saved. The panty wearing DEMOCRAT party would have to call the Republicans on their duplicitous and illegal actions to justify the removal of these personnel. WE ALL KNOW DEMOCRAT COWARDS HAVE NO STOMACH FOR THE FIGHT.
November 7, 2007 11:35 AM | Reply | Permalink