For white Americans, things aren't what they used to be

[CHIMO]

Pity George Bush. Scanning eight years of calamity for the lowest point in his presidency could not have been easy. Among the top contenders: Abu Ghraib; failing to act on threats of an al-Qaida attack before 9/11 or find WMD in Iraq; helping to collapse the economy; being forced to withdraw a supreme court judge choice; and failing on immigration reform.

But no. According to his recent memoir, the nadir came when Kanye West, a black singer, accused him of racial neglect in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. West said: "America is set up to help the poor, the black people, the less well off as slow as possible … George Bush doesn't care about black people."

Given what was happening at that time, this hardly seemed outrageous. With bodies floating in the street and people stranded on highways, Bush's director of the Federal Emergency management Agency, Michael Brown, said of the mostly black crowd that had gathered at the convention centre: "We're seeing people that we didn't know exist."

But for Bush, West's remarks went beyond the pale. In an interview this month, he said: "It's one thing to say, 'I don't appreciate the way he's handled his business.' It's another thing to say, 'This man's a racist.' I resent it. It's not true."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2010/nov/21/white-americans-race-obama

[thunder rising]

1. He forgot to add, "Some of my best friends ... "

[DCKit]

2. Series!!!1!!2@!~1 Dumbya doesn't care about anyone. nt

[madrchsod]

3. it is not a matter who we are or the color of our skin...

george bush does`t care about anyone but himself. he`s a narcissist and a sociopath and holds everyone in contempt.

[Hawkowl]

4. Well he was doing Condi

So how could he be a racist?

[HoosierStateDem]

6. Condi?

Bush and Condi were having an affair? Is that really true? That's disgusting. She's classy and he's so............ummmmm, yucky.

[tavalon]

9. Classy? I've heard Condi called lots of things but classy ain't one of them

Not a proven fact, but it didn't take much to read the body language but it's okay if the silverspoon sociopath does it. Besides, she rarely wore blue.

[Recursion]

11. There was some gossip about it

My favorite fodder for that was when she said, "My husb.... I mean, the President"

[classysassy]

10. Strom Thurmond

had sex with a black woman and fathered a child by her,yes racist can do black women and be vile racist.

[MaeScott]

5. K and R. nt

[The Green Manalishi]

7. I think it was that President Bush didn't like *poor* people

regardless of their color.
honestly. I do not believe he is racist, I believe he just doesn't consider anyone not a millionaire to be truly human. I bet in his heart of hearts he's totally cool hanging out with a African American or Hispanic if they are of his social class.

[texshelters]

8. Good points, but

If that had been a bunch of poor white trash, his base (excuse the obvious stereotype), I believe Bush would have responded more quickly. His slow response demonstrates his lack of caring for people of color AND the poor.

Peace,
Tex Shelters

[The Green Manalishi]

12. Only if it had been deemed 'necessary' by his handlers

Shit *any* pol will do what it takes to play to the base. I mean that GWB honestly, in his heart of hearts, probably just doesn't care what color somebody is, as long as they have the appropriate behaviors of a member of the social class he's in.
To even get near the big leagues of the Presidency and such, you have to have a heart of stone and not really care who dies or otherwise suffers as long as it's for the greater good, which, of course, just happens to be the advancement of your agenda. If you *really* gave a shit about who the missiles blew up, or who loses their homes or business, or who dies from lack of healthcare, you'd go insane in a week doing the job of President.

To say that President Obama can, when called upon, be heartless and absolutely calculating regarding the life and death of dozens, hundreds or thousands, is no more of an insult than saying that an NFL linebacker is large and strong or that a NBA player is tall. not an insult but merely a requirement of the game.

[burning rain]

13. That was Kanye West's finest moment.

It was very sad to see him back away from it.