It's unfortunate, because no matter how completely and utterly incompetant[sic] a person is, if he fits in the wrong demographic, you're stuck with him. It doesn't matter what his job history is, or that he may have been fired by every other campaign in the
county's history, you can't let him go.
And when his supervisor, after explaining the same detail seventeen different times, becomes frustrated and less then pleasant, he has one recourse that is only available to him because of the color of his skin.
He plays the racism card, the magic passport to a different chain of command.
His supervisor has no such weapon in her arsenal, she has only the documentation of their interactions, and her own good standing within the organization. She has the respect of her supervisors, and their backing, but still nothing can be done.
[...]
Looming in the back of one of the campaign pantries is a large stack of Oreos. A much smaller stack of generic chocolate pastries sits forlornly beside it.
Periodically staffers will sureptitiously[sic] glance around and then sneak in for a treat. One or two certainly has a stash hidden in a desk drawer.
The subterfuge would be unnecessary, and snack time would be far less amusing, had an angry citizen not thrown the aforementioned delicious snack food at one of our opponents to comment on his lack of racial loyalty. He's not our opponent yet, not unless we win next Tuesday, but it would be bad to have the cookies lying around where anyone can seen[sic] them.
Before I leave, however, I need a picture of all of us holding the forbidden cookies with the caption: "Devouring the Competition."
The blogger, who goes by the name of Persuasionatrix, is actually telling us the feeling of staffers within the Cardin campaign. It is true that she was fired, but she was the one caught printing the feelings that abound in the Cardin camp. The mainstream media will undoubtedly quash this because it does not bode well for a Democratic ticket in Maryland that lacks diversity. The people in Maryland running for statewide office on the Democratic ticket are all white males. The Republicans feature a black man, two women, and folks from around the state, as opposed to the liberal enclaves of Baltimore City and Montgomery County.
It is amazing that people still believe that the Democratic party is concerned with diversity and freedom. We had the Clinton folks trying to censor an ABC film that they did not like because it showed the ugly truth about our government's inability to
connect the dots leading to 9/11. The Clinton folks did not want their dirty laundry out in the open. Likewise, the blog of Persuasionatrix has been shut down. Fortunately, Wizbang has a cache of it (smartly realizing that it would soon come down). The
Democrats censored this blogger just as they tried to censor ABC. The reason is simple. They do not like the truth being made publicly available because they know they can not win elections if they run based upon their true beliefs or their record or incompetence.
Article comments
— go to most recent comments1 - Dave Nalle
I'd have fired Gruber based solely on her lack of literary skills, poor spelling and grammatical ignorance.
But your general point is dead on. Why african americans, hispanics or anyone else who the Democrats explot continues to support the party is beyond comprehension.
Dave
2 - JR
No, the general point is completely bogus.
First, just because some Democrats make racist comments, that doesn't mean that the party as a whole, or even those individuals, can't be working in the interests of minorities. Nixon said horrible things about the Jews, but he still sold top-of-the-line fighter jets to Israel.
Second, if Big Dog thinks minorities should be turned off by such comments, does he expect them to take heart in the party of Trent Lott, George Allen and Arnold Schwarzenegger?
3 - Dave Nalle
JR, it doesn't have anything to do with the stupid, overt racism of some idiots in Maryland. The real point is the inherent racism of the policies of the party as a whole.
The Democrats live and die by the minority, inner-city, union and poor vote. Which is ironic, since their leadership and their candidates are mostly over-educated bluebloods. In order to keep that vote coming out, they have to promise to do a lot for them. In order to maintain that voting base they need to keep them in the conditions which make them willing to vote for them - in other words they have to keep them poor and dependent. So it's promise them everything and give them only enough to keep them coming back for more. Control the mechanisms of welfare and city services, control the low paying jobs and the union contracts, and keep the votes locked up, loyal and not going anywhere.
That's the REAL oppression inherent in the party.
Dave
4 - Doc
why do We in our political world, forget the most important: Love the Lord your God with all your heart, all your soul and with all of your mind, and Love your Neighbor as your self.
i am gulty of foregeting it. why do men keep trying to tear each other down?
we are taught: And Jesus looked round about, and saith unto his disciples, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God!
24 And the disciples were astonished at his words. But Jesus answereth again, and saith unto them, Children, how hard is it for them that trust in riches to enter into the kingdom of God!
25 It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
but the rich get richer.
why do w squabble over anything: Jesus: Whoever finds his life will lose it,
and whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.
Jesus: My command is this:
Love each other as I have loved you.
May the Lord Jesus Bless and Keep us all.
5 - Nancy
Dave, do you think the upper echelons of the GOP are not also occupied primarily with overeducated, overprivileged, ultra wealthy bluebloods - like Bush, Cheney, et al? Why do you try to keep up this pretense that the current Dems & GOP are not just all the same group of plutocrats divided into two gangs, squabbling over who can best pick the bones of the working classes? Because that's what it is.
As for this worker, she was an idiot to do anything like this on work time; but what she posted on her personal website, however vile, should be inviolable; she has a right to her personal opinions & free speech, as do you & I. If that's why she lost her job (because of her personal weblog), she should sue.
6 - Dave Nalle
Dave, do you think the upper echelons of the GOP are not also occupied primarily with overeducated, overprivileged, ultra wealthy bluebloods - like Bush, Cheney, et al?
Well sure they are. Never tried to argue otherwise. The key difference is that as a party they don't try to pretend otherwise. They're at least honest about it.
Why do you try to keep up this pretense that the current Dems & GOP are not just all the same group of plutocrats divided into two gangs, squabbling over who can best pick the bones of the working classes? Because that's what it is.
Except for the part about picking the bones of the working class you make sense. The GOP's basic philosophy is to ignore the working class and to try to benefit from advancing people in the middle class into greater wealth to win their loyalty. I find that a much more honest and appealing approach to buying votes.
As for this worker, she was an idiot to do anything like this on work time;
Indeed, and what's most clear from her writing is precisely that she's an idiot.
but what she posted on her personal website, however vile, should be inviolable; she has a right to her personal opinions & free speech, as do you & I. If that's why she lost her job (because of her personal weblog), she should sue.
I think she was a volunteer, so there's nothing to sue over or for.
Dave
7 - Big Dog
I don't think anyone had the authority to take her blog down but there is no law that stops anyone from being fired for what they write or say on their own time.
There was no denial of her free speech right because such a thing does not exist in a workplace. In any event, no one told her that she could not say it (unless they made her take the blog down or took it down against her will). If you walk in to your boss and call him every name in the book he may fire you regardless of any perceived right.
The fact that she was writing things that were embarassing to her employer gave the employer grounds for dismissal. There have been a number of bloggers fired for what they wrote about their companies, co-workers, or bosses just as people have been fired for what they said in public about the same groups of people.
The First Amendment says that the government may not restrict your speech. There is no provision for free speech in the everyday society. You have no free speech guarantee at work.
Once again, if they forced her to take that blog down or if they did it against her will then there might be an issue (unless they somehow proved she violated the TOS of the provider).
As it was pointed out though, she was a volunteer so it is a moot point.
8 - Nancy
Well, now I'm confused. Are you saying that what you say on your own time, at home, is liable to get you fired, even if you don't say it at work? I don't think so. I don't think employers have that long a reach, or the government. Do they? If they do, they shouldn't. What is said at home - if it's kept at home - should be inviolate regardless. Otherwise, your employer, if, say, a rabid Catholic, might fire you for criticizing the pope on your blog at home. That sounds illegal to me.
9 - Ruvy in Jerusalem
Jews tend to vote for the anti-Semites who make up a lot of the Democratic party. When I realized the depth of the anti-Jewish feeling in a lot of the DFL, this in even politically correct Minnesota, I washed my hands of them. But a lot of American Jews don't care if they are Jews or not. It's the anti-Semite who yells "kike!" and the Jew who runs away both from the name - and from himself.
Wouldn't you have contempt for such a person? I know I would. I know that I do. But when I talk about Jews being willing to pick up a club and beat the shit out of Jew-haters, I get all kinds of comments about how good Jews don't fight. When I talk about Jews coming home to live in Israel, I get all sorts of lectures about how Jews have all these rights in America and about how all these American Jews are so proud of being Americans and how much money they send to Hadassah and all that crap.
I expect Republicans to be Jew-haters. The rich establishment in America uses Jews as dolls to be crapped on. That is what Larry Franklin scamming AIPAC was all about; that is what Jonathan Pollard rotting in jail is all about.
Sorry for ranting, but I'm calling bullshit. There is a reason I live here that goes beyond wanting Jewish grandchildren. In spite of Israel being the reincarnation of the Jewish shit-bucket from Poland, it's MY fuckin'shit-bucket.
I'm calling a spade a spade. It is time for Jews to get their butts out of America before they lose all sense of who they are - because their enemies still want to kill them and finish off what Hitler couldn't. And they are working on it - bet your bottom dollar on that, folks.
And now I'll get off the soap-box and shut up.
10 - Nancy
I think if anyone attacks a Jew, that Jew certainly has the right to kick the crap out of his attacker, and I've always wondered why they never did in the past (before Israel), why they always seemed to put up with the insults & the ghettos & the persecutions.
11 - Clavos
What is said at home - if it's kept at home - should be inviolate regardless.
True, Nancy, but if it's posted on the Web, it's not being "kept at home," it's public.
As Big Dog said, only the government is prohibited from infringing on your right to free speech--an employer has the right to infringe on your speech to whatever degree they want to, if that speech is public or in the workplace.
12 - zingzing
Someone: "Dave, do you think the upper echelons of the GOP are not also occupied primarily with overeducated, overprivileged, ultra wealthy bluebloods - like Bush, Cheney, et al?"
Dave: "Well sure they are. Never tried to argue otherwise. The key difference is that as a party they don't try to pretend otherwise. They're at least honest about it."
and this, making the assumption that it is true, is supposed to be better, or even different, or really any more honest... how? truly, it's amazing that minorities even bother to vote. or that regular joes even bother to vote... what's the fucking point?
that's actually a serious question. isn't it funny?
13 - Arch Conservative
Nalle hit the nail on the head in comment #3. The Dems play victimization politics and opress minorities while promising them everything.
Dems and liberals show thier true colors when they do things like this campaign staffer did. It's not just her either....many dems/liberals have publicly made derogatory statements about successful black people who just happen to be republican. Colin powell, michael steel, condaleeza rice and others have all been called hateful names such as uncle tom, house nigger and oreo cookie by so called "progressive" liberals. That is the epitome of racism........expecting someone to have a certain set of sociopolitical beliefs based soley on their race and then attacking that person with racial slurs when they don't fit into your preconcieved notion of how they ought to think and act. That's the Dem party in a nutshell.
14 - SHARK
"The Dems play victimization politics..."
Um, ArchCon, have you met Big Dog?
BigDog: "..Michael Steele, a black man who has committed the crime of being conservative."
Crime?
Oh goody.
Another whiney, 'marginalized' Conservative who uses extreme hyperbole to go after that vast, powerful American majority and owner of all branches of Government -- those pesky Liberal Democrats.
Feh.
Big Dog sounds more like "Big Baby."
15 - Big Dog
Shark, though I could care less about what you say, I will remind you of the comment policy:
Personal attacks are not allowed. Please read our comment policy
Now, like I said, I have been called worse by better people and after 24 years in the Army I can handle a liberal with his panties in a knot. Why point it out? Because like all libs, you think the rules do not apply to you. Try to do better next time.
You use a weak position to make your argument. Steele has had Oreos thrown at him, has been called an Uncle Tom, and has been shown by a liberal blogger in black face as Simple Sambo. All this because he is a conservative. There is no hyperbole, just fact. If you want to debate, attack the argument, not the person making it.
And just in case you missed it, the piece is about Maryland where the pesky liberals do have the super majority and have had for decades. Ehrlich is the first Republican Governor in around 30 years. He brought us from the red to the black and has a great record. He might just lose to a Mayor who has the worst record in the state. Why, 2:1 Democrat. marylanders have had the Democrats side stepping rules and making their own rules for years. In the last year alone the courts have overturned what they have done on seven occasions because they violated the law or the State Constitution.
The piece was about Maryland politics and, yes, Shark, the moonbats are in very strong control here.
16 - Nancy
Yeah but you forget, BD, that he's also the one who tried to sell public parkland under the table to a developer buddy for peanuts, that schoolkids had collected money for & gifted to the state; he had one of his flunkies (nicknamed 'the Prince of Darkness') go around axing career bureaucrats (who are NOT subject to political retention/ firing) just because they were registered Democrats (didn't even bother to find out if they'd voted for Erlich or not); and plenty of other little underhanded, slightly illegal, immoral, or unethical moves he's made, including trying to slur O'Malley with the grossest of lies about his personal life - which Erlich got caught at & then tried to lie his way out of a la Karl Rove, his mentor with whom he is in close contact. Furthermore, Erlich is a devotee of our beloved Fearless Leader, Junior Bush, and spends most of his time with his nose in Bush's butt, brownnosing - or did until Junior's rating tanked. Since then he & Steele have been doing their best to do the backstroke away from the WH, hoping no one will remember or notice their previous allegiances & lockstep behavior.
Plenty of reasons why, IMO, Erlich should get the boot come November, and hopefully will.
Oh - and he can't even claim credit for any MD economy, even tho like most pols, he tries to steal other's credit where he can; that goes to Schaeffer & Erlich's gubernatorial predecessor, as well as the pretty much recession proof nature of the DC-area MD suburbs (Montgomery, Pr. Georges, etc.) who actually financially carry the state because of heavy government & tech involvement & location.
17 - Big Dog
Nancy,
You are wrong on so many fronts it is funny. If you want to talk grossest of lies look at an O'Malley commerical. Ehrlich raised college tutiton 40%? The governor does not raise tutiton, the boards of regents do, O'Malley has a terrible record on education yet wants to bring that to the state? Give me a break.
We do not have a damage proof economy. Glendenning had us running a huge deficit and Ehrlich made that up. The legislature in Maryland is full of obstructive Democrats who required Thornton but did not FUND it. Now O'Malley blames this on Ehrlich. O'Malley also blames the energy fiasco on Ehrlich when it was the 1998 Democratic legislature under Glendenning that passed the bill that would "deregulate" BG&E. The PSC at that time worked it all out, and oh by the way, O'Malley's brother in law was on that commission.
As for the firings, you are so wrong. 3 Years of investigations have shown that Ehrlich did nothing wrong and people were not fired because of their political afficlaition. The only exceptions are Governor apointees who work at the will of the Governor. Maryland has about 8 times as many of these as most other states thanks to cronyism in the Democratic party. you see, they figured they would not ever lose so they made life jobs for friends and then, oops, a Republican won and cleaned out the dead weight.
You can say what you want but this state is better off now than it was under the last two administrations (state) and Ehrlich is a stand up guy. Care to explain to everyone how it is that everyone including the WaPo was out in front of the MD 4 Bush thing with Steffin and then bingo, the email traced back to an O'Malley worker? You guys on the left keep saying that Ehrlich spread rumors about Marty but NOT ONE SHRED of evidence.
Don't you all ever get tired of being wrong?
If O'Malley wins he will fire a lot of governor apointees, will you complain about that or is it OK when an annointed Donk does it? The state will go in the dumper with high taxes and interest.
I will be here to say I told you so.....
18 - zingzing
oh big dog. "after 24 years in the Army I can handle a liberal with his panties in a knot."
sure ya can. and after 24 years of being in the south, i can change a conservative's diaper.
shark was wrong to make a personal statement. not like it was all that bad. you shouldn't get upset about such things. it's unbecoming. just take it like a man.
but then you go and make a stupid statement about libs believing the rules don't apply to them.
dude, fuckin look at the white house and think about what you say.
19 - Nancy
Oh, I agree with you about the tuition & the gas hikes: Erlich had nothing to do with them. I was also in error, I find, about the firings, TO THE EXTENT that the investigative committee decided not to dig any further than they went, for whatever reasons, and dropped the inquiry, altho with the caveat noted that they did indeed find grounds but didn't want to pursue. He DID try to illegally sell state lands to his buddy - also one of his biggest campaign contributors. Your argument that 'everybody does it' doesn't wash: corruption is corruption, and that was 'way too baldfaced for my taste, and apparently for a lot of other folks, too. Nor is he innocent of lockstep following BushCo's sick policies & slick lies.
I'm only partially wrong, BD; but at least I recognize & admit it, unlike you are remain in total ignorance & denial.
BTW - I like your rhymes for Hallmark; that was pretty funny. Not this thread, but I can't find the one it WAS on.
20 - Big Dog
Nancy, I never said that if anyone else does something it is OK. I only asked if you would feel the same way when O'Malley fires governor apointees. You should (in order to be consistent) but it is moot because they are at will and the governor does not need a reason to fire them. How many were there? Fewer than 1000 out of about 7000 or so. Fact is, all governors release some of the at will employees. Since Glendenning made so many of those kinds of jobs, there were more to release. The debate is about Maryland so I will not address the attacks on Bush here. Perhaps I will write a post and you can rip me in that instead.
As for the land, I am unaware of the particulars so I can not comment.
Zing, I believe I started with I don't care what he said. I pointed out the rules and then made an observation, but this is not about me. I spent time in the south. Go there quite often for business. Other than having to speak slower, things are pretty much the same (as in the southern drawl, not slow as in intelligence). That was cute about the diaper, when I find a conservative who wears one I will see if we can get you a job. But, if you go to Al-Qaida you can find a lot of guys with diapers on their heads...
21 - zingzing
the "rules" are very loose. if you can't take an insult, you shouldn't be here. everyone knows the rule, it's in red about two inches above the cursor, but that doesn't stop people.
nice save on the drawl vs. intelligence thing.
lovely culture-hatin racist little remark there at the end. fuck al-qaida, but, damn, man, don't blame the entire people. do you blame all white men for nascar? or the fucking nuclear bomb? or christian extremism?
and i was saying that conservatives are children. they want to stick to the old ways. poop in a plastic bag. cry for mommy and the good old days.
22 - Nancy
Actually, yes I would resent anyone being fired for their political affiliations, regardless of party, and especially when they are NOT of the class that IS subject to change for political reasons. As mentioned, these were all career employees, not political appointees. I guarantee I will be as savage if O'Malley tries the same. These folks shouldn't be at risk for political BS of any sort.
23 - Big Dog
I am sorry Nancy but the people involved were not career employees, they were at will Governor apointees. Glendenning made those jobs that way to put his buds in and figured Dems would always be in the state house. The investigation disclosed that the list of apointees did not show political affiliation. Blair Lee has commented on this a number of times and he concludes that nothing wrong was done. These jobs are appointed the same way the Secretary of Defense. When Bush leaves office, if a Dem wins, should that person be required to keep Rumsfeld on? Of course not because he was appointed by the administration.
Same principle..
Zing, I accuse the whole group of the deeds. None have come out and spoken against it. It was not racist, Islam is not a race it is an ideology.
I blame you southern rednecks for Nascar (Non Athletic Sport Consisting of Aged Rednecks) LOL
I can take a ton of insults, I am a Republican in Maryland for goodness sake. I pointed out the infraction to draw attention to the childishness of such insults. People say what they want about me and I never delete a comment at my blog (though I might censor vulgarity). I consider it childish (though I have been known to do the same on occasion).
I find that people insult when they can not produce a valid argument.
Where are you in the south??
Any person from that group can call my radio show on Friday night 9-11 Eastern. 1-888-407-1776. Run with the Big Dog at Wide Awakes Radio and I will be happy to discuss their silence.
24 - zingzing
just type in "muslims condemning terrorism" on google or yahoo or something. there you go.
islam is not a race, that is true. but stop being silly and making useless points. saying someone wears diapers on their head (in the way you said it) is quite obviously... culturally-insensitive. and childish.
okay, southerners can be blamed for nascar. now how about the bomb? do you blame them for that too?
i'm not in the south anymore. i left. i miss it. i was in north carolina.
25 - pleasexcusetheinterruption12
Ok so one volunteer from a D campaign in Maryland made some incensitive comments and Hillary Clinton lacks social skills. But in light of the charming Senator Burns-R from Montana, these comments are incredibly mild. Burns has been known to tell "MS nigger" jokes and to joke about how hard it is to work in D.C. "with all the niggers." If we're judging entire parties on the actions of single individuals here, then one would expect the Republican party to be some kind of front for an underground slave trade.
"The Montana Human Rights Network has a great brief on Conrad Burns:
Burns' most recent comment adds to a list of verbal gaffes on race issues. In 1991 Burns was criticized by the Washington Post for making a comment about going to a slave auction following a floor vote on civil rights legislation in the Senate. In 1994 Burns found himself in the center of a controversy over an anecdote he relayed to the editorial board of the Bozeman Chronicle about how difficult it is to live in Washington, D.C., "with all those niggers." Shortly thereafter two attorneys from Butte came forward to reveal that Burns had told them "Mississippi Nigger" jokes on a flight back to Washington, D.C.
Burns defense against racism has been to cover it up:
Burns also ran into trouble during his 1994 campaign when the Billings Gazette reported that a racist activist had been working on his campaign staff using a false identity. Burns' staff pleaded ignorance but the employee, Roger Roots, maintained that Burns' staff was aware of his alias. In a sworn affidavit Roots claimed that he and campaign coordinator Jack Light struck a deal to put him on the payroll under an alias.
And this racism has real world results. Pakistan cancelled a "huge U.S. wheat shipment" after Burns referred to Arabs as "ragheads".
This article is from From The Roots