In case you ever start to feel sympathetic toward Condi

[jgraz]

Condi dresses down minimum wage worker.

In his upcoming biography of Condoleezza Rice, Washington Post correspondent Glenn Kessler shows how the Secretary of State “has lost none of her bluntness” while working “hard to soften her edges.” In one anecdote revealed by Kessler, Rice dressed down a jewelry store clerk who gave her less than satisfactory service:

Coit Blacker, a Stanford professor who is one of the secretary of state’s closest friends, recalls going into a shop where Rice asked to see earrings. The clerk showed her costume jewelry. Rice asked to see something nicer, prompting the clerk to whisper some sass under her breath.

Blacker remembers Rice tearing the woman to shreds.

“Let’s get one thing straight,” he recalls her saying. “You are behind the counter because you have to work for minimum wage. I’m on this side asking to see the good jewelry because I make considerably more.”

A manager quickly brought Rice better baubles.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/08/29/condi-scoffs-at-minimum-wage-worker/

[wryter2000]

1. We've seen this one

If she had reason to believe she was being shown the inexpensive jewelry because she's black, she was right. I also have to wonder what the sass was. If it mentioned her race, she should have exploded in the woman's face.

[tabasco]

2. Baloney.

That's an inappropriate manner to act. Period.

I've been treated like a bum because I always dress casually.

I prove that I am not a bum by acting like a decent person, not flaunting my status or wealth to a minimum wage worker. Even under the circumstances, which you speculated, Condi proved she had money, but not class.

[Marrah_G]

5. Have you been treated like a bum when dressed nicely?

Repeatedly?

[blondeatlast]

6. Exactly. What you give, you get. Every American should spend one week

behind a counter, window at the DMV, or waiting or bussing tables at Denny's.

We'd all be a lot nicer to each other.

[Marrah_G]

3. I won't rush to judge her on this one

There are plenty of reasons to hate her, but I am not sure her anger at someone assuming she was poor and ignorant and making a comment under their breathe is anything I want to go using to beat on her with. Frankly if this were a progressive black woman who stood up to a snotty sales clerk who assumed she was poor and ignorant we would all be cheering.

[Connie_Corleone]

7. Exactly. eom

[RaleighNCDUer]

16. OTOH, a progressive black woman would not be hurling

classist remarks around, would she?

[Connie_Corleone]

4. I'm gonna defend her on this one.

The way it's described is similar to how SOME white store clerks act towards blacks.

It's happened to me, my aunts, my cousin and some of my friends. I don't blame her reaction. She probably thought the clerk didn't want to show her the good jewelry thinking Rice couldn't afford it.

[blondeatlast]

8. I take exception to one aspect of the headline--very likely NOT a minimum wage worker.

The kind of jewelry store Condi would shop at would not pay their employees minimum wage. Do keep in mind, Condi came from a reasonable amount of privilege, so even if it happened years ago, I doubt we are taling about Claire's or Icing..

[Zavulon]

9. "In case you ever start to feel sympathetic toward Condi"

:rofl:

Good one! :)

[enid602]

10. Don't make fun of Condi

With Rove gone, she seems to be the only one in the whole cabal that's against invading Iran. God help us; she may be our only hope.

[judaspriestess]

11. haven't seen much of this asshole lately

where is she?

[Mr_Jefferson_24]

12. "A manager quickly brought Rice better baubles."

To bad he couldn't have brought her back a soul.

[rndmprsn]

13. condi "let them eat cake" rice

[enid602]

18. or . . .

Or, Condi 'let them eat Rice cakes,' perhaps?

[rndmprsn]

19. nice...

[stellanoir]

14. "Gee people are drowning. . .?

I think I'll buy shoes. . ."

[JitterbugPerfume]

15. There are plenty of reasons to dislike Condi

This just does not happen to be in the top ten.

[damntexdem]

17. Hey, there was never any risk of that.

And the story itself is an old one.

But not even global warming will in the least warm my feelings for Condi.