10-01-05, 9:07 am

The archconservative opinion rag National Review welcomed hypocritical gambling addict and anti-public education ideologue William Bennett back into the public spotlight this past week. Not because Bennett is leading some sort of new campaign on a far right issue that the wing nut journal has endorsed, but because of his racist suggestion that to reduce crime policymakers ought to abort African American babies.

To Bennett's credit he posed genocide only as a hypothetical, but insisted that its underlying premise is true.

While the White House officially treated Bennett's call for genocide in the same fashion as they treated right-wing televangelist Pat Robertson's call to illegally assassinate President Hugo Chávez of Venezuela, most right-wing loudmouth's courageously remained silent about Bennett's hot potato. (In a muted press release, the White House described Bennett's comment as 'inappropriate.') But not the National Review. In an article this past week, that publication welcomed Bennett's remarks, insisted that they were taken out of context – if that is possible. It chastized Republican leaders for not directly defending Bennett. The magazine not only credited Bennett for being honest about his feelings, but also, it insisted, for speaking the truth. To sum up its sociologically erroneous and journalistically inept argument couched in euphemisms and racial code, National Review believes that Black people are racially pre-disposed to committing crimes.

Do we have some insight into why Bush moved so slowly on providing real assistance to the people of New Orleans, costing thousands of lives?

The right wing just won't give up racial stereotypes aimed at Black people, no matter how often the Republican Party officially starts a new chapter on race every four years or so with appeals to African American voters about a new party.

Here's a more accurate generalization: Republicans are crooks. I mean look at them: Bill O’Reilly (sexual harassment), Rush Limbaugh (illegal prescriptions), Oliver North (illegal arms sales), Newt Gingrich (influence peddling), Bill Frist (insider trading), Tom DeLay (criminal conspiracy), everyone at DeLay’s TRMPAC, Rep. Bob Ney (R-OH, influence peddling), Jack Abramoff (don't get me started), Ken Lay (insider trading and fraud), David Safavian (obstruction of justice), Bernie Ebbers (fraud and conspiracy), Elliot Abrams (obstruction), John Poindexter (obstruction), Bob Taft (campaign law violations), Neil Bush (savings and loan scam), Arnold Schwarzenegger (sexual harassment), Dick Armey (sexual harassment), Philip Giordano (fraud and child molestation), Robert Bauman (solicitation of a minor), Steve Samuelian (solicitation), Tom Noe (just about everything), etc. For an endless and stomach-turning list check out this blog.

How long of a list do you need to be convinced that there is something inherent about being a Republican that causes a person to turn to a life of crime?

National Review went on to castigate the 'PR police' for criticizing Bennett's call to genocide. Apparently, in its view, if you criticize racism and genocide you are the PR police?

Welcome back Bill. It's like you never went away.



--Reach Leo Walsh at pa-letters@politicalaffairs.net.