WP coverage of Bush's racist remarks

[G_j]

http://www.washingtonpost.com/ac2/wp-dyn/A57791-2004Apr30?language=printer

Bush Cites Racism in Remarks On Iraq
President's Target Unclear

Saturday, May 1, 2004; Page A06


President Bush said yesterday that people who have skin that is "a different color than white" are capable of self-government.


Bush made the comment during a Rose Garden news conference, while discussing his goal of more freedom in the Middle East.

"There's a lot of people in the world who don't believe that people whose skin color may not be the same as ours can be free and self-govern," Bush said.

"I reject that. I reject that strongly. I believe that people who practice the Muslim faith can self-govern. I believe that people whose skins aren't necessarily -- are a different color than white can self-govern."

<snip>

White House press secretary Scott McClellan was peppered later with questions about what Bush meant. Bush never says who the people are who think that, and McClellan did not, either.
..more..

[NewHampshireDem]

1. Another * strawman ...

just like the folks who want to "cut and run" in Iraq ... and on, and on, and on.

[brainshrub]

2. Bush is an elitist corporate chimp

but he isn't racist.

I think y'all are reading to much into this comment. It was obviously another flub.

[G_j]

7. Not the overt type

but to me his remarks reflect an ingrained form of racism that he obviously doesn't recognize. The war itself reflects a deep racism.
I wish I had more time to discuss it now but I have to go out.
No Bush may not be overtly a racist, but he does exhibit a cultural racism that many of us in America share with him. It is particularly evident in attitudes toward the third world and ME in general.

[Imperialism Inc.]

8. Sure it is racist.

I mean what about this country?
It self-governs right? So how could he think anyone could think those things with America right here as an example. Unless he considers America a "white country", and therefore not an example of non-whites self-ruling.

[LynzM]

27. Welcome to DU

Kudos on the sig. links! Good sites!

[Stephanie]

11. If you don't understand the racism inherent in this statement

I don't know what to say to you:

"There's a lot of people in the world who don't believe that people whose skin color may not be the same as ours can be free and self-govern," Bush said.

"I reject that. I reject that strongly. I believe that people who practice the Muslim faith can self-govern. I believe that people whose skins aren't necessarily -- are a different color than white can self-govern."

First, who is he talking about when he says "skin color ...same as ours" - OURS? Who are WE? Last I looked "skin color" in THIS nation had many variations.

Second, who talks about "skin color" at all, except freaking racist idiots.

Third, WHO in the world is actually telling George Bush that Muslims CANNOT self-govern? It's an opinion from another era. I thought this argument ended with the demise of the British Empire. If there IS in fact someone saying this, I'd like to know who it is. My guess is that Bush is talking about himself. He is not living in the 21st Century.

Fourth, "people whose skins... are a different color than white." Come on! To talk about governing ability as a function of "skin color" AT ALL, even if you are claiming to disagree with it, is just stupidly ridiculous. WHAT is he talking about? WHO is he disagreeing with? It sounds like he just left a Klan meeting.

[Terran]

16. Well put

"Another era" is right. His viewpoint sounds like something a 19th century Brit might say about India. It's all a part of Bush's inexcusable ignorance about everything not in his immediate view, like Brazil having Black people.

[maddezmom]

3. kudos fo the WP for pointing it out

[DaveSZ]

5. LOL

I call him the "war chimp."

I like "corporate chimp" though.

Or, we can combine them into the "corprate war chimp."

[liveoaktx]

4. No *Limited* Sovereignty on 6/30 if he TRULY believes they can self-govern

which is, racism or straw man racism aside, the real point of that idiocy... because the statement itself is hypocritical and a lie; Iraq is not going to be turned over for the inhabitants to *self-govern* in a couple of months.

On the racism part, if Bush is not a racist, he should quit saying things like that because his own mouth is painting him as one. He also insults others by implying that if they are not with his Mission-From-God-Free-The-Brown-Skinned-People-For-Democracy program that they are part of the vague, unnamed *they* horde who are racist. (Much like the same type of You're a terrorist if you're pro-choice argument Karen Hughes tried to make). And by implying that this is a white country as compared to the brown-skinned countries, he reinforces the thought that he's a racist, the type that says "Some of my best friends are black" while rubbing their bald heads.

[mopaul]

12. sounds racist to me

guess it's a matter of perception, but that's the impression i got when he uttered it. if it hadn't been him, the king of the stupid uneducated, wealthy, ruling white class himself saying it, it wouldn't sound racist at all.

his words fall out before his crude mind can unscramble them, and he lets slip his racism sometimes. this was one of those times.

[Skip Intro]

17. On first glance it appears racist toward Arabs

they being the specific non-whites bush is speaking of, and that's where perception could come in as to whether it is racist or not. It seems clear to me that it is.

BUT - and it didn't dawn on me until the third read of his comments or so, what he's actually saying, in addition to the above, is saying that the US is a "white" country -

"...people whose skin color may not be the same as OURS (America's) .... whose skins aren't necessarily -- are a different color than WHITE..."

That is amazingly offensive and racist, and I don't see where perception comes into it. bush basically declared that "we" are a "white" nation.

Am I reading it wrong?

[liveoaktx]

18. That's how I read it too-very offensive

[Karenina]

26. Gimme a break

In this equation, doubt=denial. He grew up in a family of EUGINICISTS fer cryin' out loud.

[G_j]

29. I had forgotten about that

http://www.geocities.com/SoHo/Exhibit/2412/eugenics/Bush.html

<snip>
Then Prescott Bush ran into a completely unexpected problem. At that time, the old Harriman eugenics movement was centered at Yale University. Prescott Bush was a Yale trustee, and his former Brown Brothers Harriman partner, Lawrence Tighe, was Yale's treasurer. In that connection, a slight glimmer of the truth about the Bush-Harriman firm's Nazi activities now made its way into the campaign.

Not only was the American Eugenics Society itself headquartered at Yale, but all parts of this undead fascist movement had a busy home at Yale. The coercive psychiatry and sterilization advocates had made the Yale/New Haven Hospital and Yale Medical School their laboratories for hands-on practice in brain surgery and psychological experimentation. And the Birth Control League was there, which had long trumpeted the need for eugenical births--fewer births for parents with `` inferior '' bloodlines. Prescott's partner Tighe was a Connecticut director of the league, and the Connecticut league's medical advisor was eugenics advocate Dr. Winternitz of Yale Medical School.

Now in 1950, people who knew something about Prescott Bush knew that he had very unsavory roots in the eugenics movement. There were then, just after the anti-Hitler war, few open advocates of sterilization of `` unfit '' or `` unnecessary '' people. (That would be revived later, with the help of General Draper and his friend George Bush.) But the Birth Control League was public--just about then it was changing its name to the euphemistic `` Planned Parenthood. ''

Then, very late in the 1950 senatorial campaign, Prescott Bush was publicly exposed for being an activist in that section of the old fascist eugenics movement. Prescott Bush lost the election by about 1,000 out of 862,000 votes. He and his family blamed the defeat on the expose@aa. The defeat was burned into the family's memory, leaving a bitterness and perhaps a desire for revenge.

<snip>

[Stephanie]

6. Wow! Thank you Mike Allen!

I'm glad this made the WaPo! Now I'm going to look for the transcript of the press briefing. So glad it was just US here at DU who were horrified by these remarks. What a freaking stupid chimp.

[SoCalDem]

20. c-span.org has it.. The "wheels come off the wagon" at around 6:11

on the video:)

[Stephanie]

24. No, I'm mean McClellan's press briefing yesterday

where apparently he was questioned about this. I already saw the C-Span video, and transcribed this part:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=104x1502868

[IronLionZion]

9. "Bush never says who the people are who think that, and McClellan did not"

That's because Bush and his regime are the ones who think that. The Republican base thinks that. Right wing radio listerners think that. Ignorant Americans in general think that.

[Snoggera]

10. Just the fact that he felt he had to mention it

lets all know that he's thinking about it. And, if thinking about it, his puppeteers had better stand back, because something's gonna blow.

[newyorican]

13. *I see brown people*

:/

[Skittles]

14. yes, Bush, who DOES think that?

I certainly have never thought that people with "skins other than white" could not self-govern. :o

[Stephanie]

15. I just copied your post to LBN

I want everyone to see this. Hope you don't mind. I didn't see it there yet.

[G_j]

21. great

I'm glad you did, I didn't have time earlier to check to see if it was there. :-)

[jokerman93]

19. Racist

And I'm not sure why nobody seems to notice that while this administration has been redefining the world in its image, it's also moved ahead on redefining who real Americans are.

Take a breath. Here it comes:

White Christian conservative franchise owners with lapel pins.

The rest of us are all traitors, muscle, or hired help.

Racist. Dominionist. Fascist.

[AgadorSparticus]

25. you forgot the pearl necklaces.

[Serenity-NOW]

22. Maybe he really is an alien and his 'skin' isn't like that of humans

so he thinks that humans may well be capable of self governance.

Fucking racist moran. I have precious little patience for people who use this sort of language and I'm generally a very calm, tolerant person. Aside from the US in general, does he think that people in government specifically all have similar skin color? How can this go on. Can you imagine what a field day the clenis-envy crowd would flip out if Clinton said anything even remotely similar?

[trof]

23. Not only can they govern themselves,

a lot of them can tapdance like nobody's business, too!
aw jeez

[deacon]

28. McClellan provided a really lame cover up n/t

[Stephanie]

30. AL FRANKEN is opening with this today!

Just played the audio clip!