Condi Plays the Victim Card [UPDATED]
Or was it the race card? I can’t keep ‘em straight.
Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice said Monday there are too few black Americans in the State Department.
“I have lamented that I can go into a meeting at the Department of State — and as a matter fact I can go into a whole day of meetings at the Department of State — and actually rarely see somebody who looks like me. And that is just not acceptable,” Rice said.
She was delivering the keynote speech at the annual Conference of the White House Initiative on National Historically Black Colleges and Universities.
…
She praised partnerships between federal government departments and agencies and black colleges.
Last year, such colleges received $5 million in scholarships and grants from the State Department for language training, study abroad and exchange programs.
“It’s good for the students, but it is good for America, too,” she said. “Because when I go around the world, I want to see black Americans involved in the promotion and development of our foreign policy. I want to see a Foreign Service that looks as if black Americans are part of this great country.”
I agree.
But she’s been Secretary of State, Number One at State, for three years. What efforts has she made toward that laudable end? Oh, by the way, Secretary Rice’s tenure follows that of the first black man in the office (Colin Powell) and of the first woman (Madeleine Albright). So for more than a decade, America has shown diverse faces to the world. Just putting that on the record.
If Ms. Rice is on a recruiting trip, I salute her, and withdraw my objection. But if she is insinuating for one second that these bright-eyed and bushy-tailed new graduates should take no inspiration from her example, I’m profoundly disappointed.
We’ve noted before Secretary Rice’s appalling statements that she identifies with the Palestinians because they remind her of the plight of black Americans in the Jim Crow South (hint, Madame Secretary: it’s about who’s blowing whom up). If she’s still mired in that time, I won’t blame her personally—it was America’s shame. But civil rights and equal opportunity have been guaranteed by law and deed for over forty years.
What kind of message does this outdated self-portrait as victim send to the rest of the world?
UPDATE
Michelle Malkin is equally unimpressed:
Who cares what they look like? It’s what they think like that matters. As I’ve blogged here many , many, many, many , many , many , many times over the years, Foggy Bottom is plagued by CAIR capitulationists and America-lasters who put appeasement above American sovereignty.
We should worry less about skin pigment, and more about skin thickness. We should worry less about skin lightness or darkness, and more about dhimmitude.
I’ll be blunt: Hearing such 9/10 talk from the Secretary of State on the seventh anniversary week of the 9/11 attacks makes me want to throw up.
Michaelene said,
September 9, 2008 @ 8:19 am
I hope for her sake that she has hired a qualified African American staff so she can have more of her own people with her daily.
Her statements regarding Palestinians are disgraceful and in no way relate to Jim Crow.
I’m so tired of focusing on the past when it is the future we should be working for. Is she not proud of her country like Ms Obama?
Whatever!! said,
September 9, 2008 @ 9:22 am
I agree with MIchaelene, I hope that she hires the qualified individuals for the correct positions within the state. I work in Corporate America and all I hear is how we have to be diverse and we need a certain percentage of this heritage and female vs. male. Who cares what heritage they are from or what sex they are, we need to most qualified person for the job.
I feel like most people who are voting for Obama, are only voting for him because he will be the “first black president”; most of them are not voting for his views - they are voting because he is black.
Tony said,
September 9, 2008 @ 9:31 am
This is an atrocious statement and attitude. She wants more people to be in the white house and involved in politics…. simply BECAUSE they are black? Doesn’t this meet the very definition of racism?
While I can applaud more representation of minorities and women in politics, elevating them to that status simple BECAUSE they are minority or women isn’t good for this country at all.
Take Sarah Palin for example. Extremely unqualified. Compare this to Hillary Clinton, extremely qualified. One is good for this country, one is not. Can you guess? Obama is good for this country, even if a bit unexperienced (maybe in 4 years).
This isn’t because of their race, or sex. Just because you don’t see “people that look like you” doesn’t mean you are alone. You aren’t a victim, stop acting like one.
Bloodthirsty Liberal said,
September 9, 2008 @ 11:41 am
Tony,
We sort of agree on Condi, but not on much else. I certainly have no problem with her wishing more qualified minorities were represented in the State Department. I have some questions on how that should be accomplished and some real problems with her insinuations, but as a goal, I see nothing wrong with it. Actually, I see that your second paragraph makes the same point. So we’re cool.
But I’m troubled by your assertion that Governor Palin is less qualified than Senator Clinton. Palin has held elective office for eight years (six as mayor, two as governor), same as Senator Clinton. You may think their experiences are in no way comparable, and I may have to agree: Senator Clinton has no experience as an executive.
You lose me completely after that. Obama is good for this country, if inexperienced? I’ll agree, if you mean as Senator of Illinois. If you mean as President, I don’t know how you come to that conclusion.
BTL