Historian Douglas Brinkley on Imus this morning.

[Zen Democrat]

This was probably posted earlier today, but in case anyone missed it, Brinkley was right on time with his remarks to Imus. And Imus agreed that it was racism.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/3226997/

Historian, author, and New Orleans resident Douglas Brinkley:

"If you had to say one line about this, this whole hurricane is about racism. I think if you go to the Astrodome like I've been or if you go to any of the evacuation centers you are going to see the divide between African American community and others. The fact that the Bush administration seem in my mind to behave as if the underclass or as Michael Herrington use to call it, the other America, the poor, the disenfranchised, those without a lot, those that when a hurricane is announced and they are told to evacuate they try to say, how can I evacuate? I don't have a car. I don't own any other way of mode to get out and I'm scared to get put into some bus, leave my animals and money behind. So these people are the ones that are getting the brunt of it. The insensitivity for example, Barbara Bush the other day made a comment which I thought was incredible when she said that the people at the Astrodome, her exact quote was, 'These displaced people were already underprivileged so this is working out very well for them', meaning now they have a cot or they are in the Astrodome. There is this kind of attitude, there is something about, maybe if you are in a bubble too long or you're rich too long you lose sight of what it's like to be poor in America. Hopefully out of all this Hurricane Katrina mess we'll start re-talking and looking at race in America because the divide is just gigantic."

[MO_Dem]

1. Thanks for posting

I hadn't heard any of it. In fact, I've seen Brinkley on c span a few times and always wondered about his political views. Great to hear he could possibly be one of us, in philosophy if not here in DU.

[faithnotgreed]

2. say it mr brinkley

[Zen Democrat]

3. I watched him this morning and he said a lot more.

He's had to evacuate to Houston with his family and is going back and forth between New Orleans and Houston.

One other important thing he said is that Imus and buddies should stop dissing Sean Penn. He said Sean Penn is a hero for what he is doing on his own dime to save stranded residents in New Orleans. Imus had to agree.

[UTUSN]

4. & sL-IMUS Knows Racism When He Does It, I Mean, Sees It n/t

[Zen Democrat]

5. Ain't that the truth! But he sure was being righteous about racism today.