NYT: Senator Seeks Details on Nominee's '87 Speech

[Pirate Smile]

WASHINGTON, June 17 - Senator Barack Obama says he may try to block the confirmation of a high-level nominee to the State Department out of concerns over racially insensitive comments attributed to her in the past.

Mr. Obama, Democrat of Illinois and the only African-American member of the Senate, said he was pressing to gain access to a background report by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and other records regarding the nominee, Henrietta Holsman Fore, the director of the United States Mint, who is President Bush's candidate to be under secretary of state for management. The position is the State Department's top human resources job.

While a trustee of Wellesley College in 1987, Ms. Fore, who ran a manufacturing business in California, gave a lecture at the school in which she described her difficulties keeping black assembly-line workers on the job; she was quoted as saying in a subsequent letter to the college newspaper that blacks would rather go "back to the street to earn more money" selling drugs. She later said the remarks were misconstrued and were meant to illustrate the problems of bringing diversity to the workplace. But she resigned as a trustee and apologized.

When questioned by Mr. Obama at her confirmation hearing on Thursday, she said she had resigned to protect the school's image during the student recruitment season.

more...
http://www.nytimes.com/2005/06/18/politics/18obama.html

[leftofcool]

1. Oh please..........

I'd agree with this if it was Maxine or Shirley blocking it but this nitwit hasn't done one thing to help the party since the election. When Obama starts talking like a Dem, I will support him again.

Left of Cool

[bluestateguy]

2. Now people are turning on Obama

:eyes:

[Straight Shooter]

7. We're not turning on Obama. More like he's turned us off.

Voting to confirm Condi when his vote could have stood for something. Ugh.

[bluestateguy]

9. It doesn't look like he needs your support

He's the most popular senator in the nation right now.

http://www.surveyusa.com/100USSenatorApprovalRatings061305.htm

And if he had voted against Buckteeth Rice? Well, that would have been what, 18 votes against her? Please. The Bolton fight, on the other hand, is a winnable one.

[GeorgeGist]

11. So you only stand on principle

when you know you can win. How principled. Popularity contests not withstanding.

[WatchWhatISay]

3. Well, thats what this is - it's a start in the right direction

Though I agree that he has said some disappointing things so far.

But give him credit where credit is due.

Everything is not black/white, good/evil.

[Pirate Smile]

5. They can't block it because they aren't in the Senate. Luckily he can.

[TahitiNut]

6. Neither Maxine or Shirley are in the Senate. Review the Constitution.

It's about advise and consent. Dig it? :eyes:

[nankerphelge]

4. After attacking Dean...

he has a lot to overcome before I'll have any respect for him again.

[alcibiades_mystery]

8. Naysayers be damned

Condi was gonna go through anyway, so a nay vote there did very little for Obama or anyone else. Suck it up.

Buuuuuuuut...because of his yea vote on Condi, his attempt to block THIS nominee - whose racism will effect black Americans very much, if she's the top HR person at State - Senator Obama gets to say "Hey, listen, I'm a reasonable dude, and I voted to confirm Condi Rice, even, (despite the hostility that would ensue in the Democratic base)...but this person is just too damn much!" And who's gonna be able to say Obama is a radical obstructionist in such circumstances? (OK, they'll say it, but it will make them look foolish to say it).

[countmyvote4real]

10. To go on record voting for Condi makes him what?

Good for Exxon campaign contributions?

Good for supporting minorities (blacks/women) that don’t share his ideology? (Of course, I could have misunderstood or he might have misrepresented his ideology. Support for the Bankruptcy bill is troubling.)

Good for usury? (I guess the first lesson for a new Senator is to pick the battles that will impact your constituents or your campaign fund. There must be no debt to speak of in his state.)

I had high hopes, but his voting record troubles me. He is turning himself into faux bologna (phony baloney).