Justice Dept Finally Cares About Civil Rights Laws...For Whites

With a week to go in the Bush Administration, the Justice Department has finally decided to act on defending civil rights. Ironically though, it isn't to help combat the racial prejudice against minorities but to sue the city of Gary, Indiana for not hiring white EMTs. Perhaps this is one last hurrah and tip of the cap to the social conservatives still out there that would love to go back to the pre-civil rights reform era.

From RawStory:

The suit alleges that the city told applicants that offers of employment would be based on the order they were ranked. But the city seems to have ignored their own ordering and instead hired several African American applicants who placed lower than the white applicants.

Each of the six who were hired ranked lower than the highest-ranking white applicant, the Justice Department wrote.

OMG! This must be a case of affirmative action to the nth degree and a concerned citizen brigade's worst nightmare come true. It is but one example of the systematic persecution of whites in this country and it must be stopped here in Gary. Oh wait a sec, what, you want to know what Gary officials are saying?

Gary's corporate counsel, Hamilton Carmouche, told a local paper the list was prepared by the city's previous mayor, and gave preference to applicants who lived in Gary.

"We hire not on the basis of any race, but on the basis of residency," Carmouche said.

Shocking! Gary wants to hire people from within the community. Terrible isn't it?

Seriously though, for the last eight years the Justice Department has all but forgotten about standing up for civil rights in this country. Unless it was to protect a corporation in need or help a loyal Republican operative, the DoJ has been MIA. Spare us this phony discrimation crap and slowly exit the building before the grownups from the Obama camp arrive.

A Tie In Indiana And A Blowout In North Carolina

The votes are almost all in and the picture of two states is mostly complete. The only thing we are waiting for is the count from Lake County, popularly known as the metro area of Gary, Indiana. The demographics are heavily in Barack Obama's favor, though it is somewhat of a longshot for him to win the state on the county by itself. Regardless, the blowout in North Carolina and the virtual tie in Indiana mean one thing and one thing only.

Hillary, it is time to drop out.

As Keith Olbermann said tonight, the goalposts have been moved too far and too many times. There are more Democrats and voters out there that aren't fifty-something conservative-minded Applachians. Unlike her criteria, Democrats will not be happy with superdelegates overturning the will of the voters.

That would be necessary for a win, but of course she is rapidly losing her lead in that department as well. Early on she had more than a 100 superdelegate lead. Now that is under fifteen. Maybe some of those party faithful who own the coveted superdelegate spots prefer not to have their votes bought. That can be a huge turnoff to someone deciding whether to go Obama or Clinton. Senator Clinton's campaign may try to play that way, but in this political climate, Democrats are looking for a change from the old ways, not more of the same.

As we can see, that isn't only the way the supers feel, it can be seen in the will of the voters as well.

So I Heard There Was Some Sort Of Election Today

Yeah I've really known about it for months and now it is upon us. Super Tuesday times five is here and the candidates, the press and the pundits are all going crazy over two lil ol' states. Of course every state matters and no can discount their votes (unless you are Hillary Clinton and you lose the state) but after today we'll probably see Obama's delegate lead not change by much, maintaining a 130 count lead. So is Indiana and North Carolina important in the scheme of things?

Oh yes it is.

Once these two states cast their lot, we will be that many delegates closer to the end. That doesn't mean Clinton will drop out tonight but it will certainly continue to weaken her case to stay in this race. Slowly but surely, her campaign is withering away like desert grass being exposed to the heat of the approaching summer. It starts off green and then it dries out to fade back into the landscape. Being 130 delegates behind is only acceptable until Barack Obama hits 2,024.5 and that number is fast approaching.

If only Senator Clinton would see that inevitability and end this race as soon as possible, how great that would be for our party.

Baghdad Is Just Like....Indiana???

Lost amidst McCain gigantic folly while opening his mouth (and endangering the citizens of Baghdad) Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN) also had a few brilliant remarks while traveling to Iraq. He mentioned that the al-Shorja market was just like something you could find in Indiana. How an Indiana farmers market could be anything like that found in Baghdad is beyond me. Well I'll leave it to a good citizen from Indiana to make a total fool of Mike Pence.

From The LA Times:

MY WIFE came into the living room wearing a Kevlar vest, helmet and night-vision goggles.

"What are you doing?" I asked.

"Have you completely forgotten, silly head? We're going to the market."

I placed my hand at my head. I'd been so caught up in stitching a minor wound I'd received earlier in the day after going to an outdoor fruit stand that I had completely forgotten.

"I'm a dope, aren't I?" I said, chuckling, slowly shaking my head back and forth. She chuckled too, also shaking her head. We both chuckled. Then I winced from where a stitch popped.

Carol helped the boys get ready, putting on their sneakers and body armor. I phoned the Indiana National Guard so that they could radio the 434th Special Air Wing at Grissom Air Force Base, which in turn scrambled two F-14 Tomcats. Then we hopped in the wagon.

(snip)

The F-14s flew by low. Each of us activated our earpieces and hand-held mini walkie-talkies, agreed on a frequency, and I slowed the car to 15 mph as Carol and the boys opened the doors and rolled out, taking cover under shrubbery near the Bibb lettuce stand (the boys love salad!).

So far, so good.

I hit the gas and spun the car and parked in a ditch that had once been a Tasty Donut before a tactical nuclear weapon had decimated it. Great parking space, though.

I saw my neighbor, Larry, under his car, from the looks of it a spanking-new Bradley fighting vehicle. "Snipers today," Larry said with a smile.

"Nice ride, Larry," I said as I dove under the car, a sniper's bullet exploding inches away from my foot. "Looks solid."

"The hull is constructed of welded aluminum and spaced laminate armor," he said, burying his head in the dirt as another round came in. "The Israelis use them. I had an Explorer, but it was blown to bits last time I went out for garbage bags."