February 27, 2004
BRANDED?:
Brown rips into Bush administration official (KEN THOMAS, 2/25/04, Associated Press)
U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown verbally attacked a top Bush administration official during a briefing on the Haiti crisis Wednesday, calling the President's policy on the beleaguered nation "racist" and his representatives "a bunch of white men."Her outburst was directed at Assistant Secretary of State Roger Noriega during a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill. Noriega, a Mexican-American, is the State Department's top official for Latin America. [...]
Brown sat directly across the table from Noriega and yelled into a microphone. Her comments sent a hush over the hourlong meeting, which was attended by about 30 people, including several members of Congress and Bush administration officials.
Noriega later told Brown: "As a Mexican-American, I deeply resent being called a racist and branded a white man," according to three participants.
Brown then told him "you all look alike to me," the participants said.
The GOP would do well to exploit the mutual hatred of blacks and Latinos. That exchange should be a campaign ad. Posted by Orrin Judd at February 27, 2004 8:06 AM
Why should he resent being called a white man?
He looks whitish to me.
Well, what IS the US supposed to do about Haiti, short of taking it over ?
The "President" is merely an elected thug, as opposed to a self-appointed thug; He certainly doesn't deserve US support.
The best thing is probably to let it be known that the Coast Guard won't be intercepting any Haitian refugee ships, rafts, innertubes, or bathtubs, and that green cards await all those who make it to US shores.
The second best thing is simply to ignore Haiti, except to intercept drug smugglers.
Michael -- Because we have no national interest in Haiti, we are morally obliged to intervene. What we really need to do is discover oil there, at which point we'll be required to avoid any interference whatsoever.
Posted by: David Cohen at February 27, 2004 9:37 AMDavid:
I DO think that the US should do something, I just don't think that now's the time.
In fact, until Syria and North Korea are dealt with, it won't be time.
My inexpert take on the situation is that putting Haiti on the very back burner will do the US no harm.
I think I'll print up copies of the Brown/Noriega exchange and post it all over my town, Manassas, VA, which has a big Latino population. Actually, Prince William County (VA) is a solid red-state precinct, but this little to-do ought to help make it a little bit redder.
Posted by: Joe at February 27, 2004 10:14 PMA.J.P. Taylor used to make a big deal of the difference between governing and administering.
Double that for merely winning elections.
People who want to govern a complicated, large nation wouldn't whip up hatred between subsets. Especially not if they plan to have children.
Posted by: Harry Eagar at February 28, 2004 2:19 PMBut conservatives have to divide to rule because the majority will always prefer their own security at whatever cost.
Posted by: oj at February 28, 2004 2:31 PM