In an editorial this morning the Washington Times nicely captures Sen. Ted Kennedy throwing stones while in a glass house:
Just six months after quitting the all-male social club to which he belonged for 50 years, Sen. Edward M. Kennedy is questioning one of President Bush’s nominees to the federal bench about his membership in an all-male dining club.
“What is your reason for failing to resign from the club any earlier than February 2, 2006?” Mr. Kennedy demanded in writing of Oklahoma lawyer Jerome A. Holmes, nominated to the 10th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
For those of you who may have forgotten, the edit points out that
[i]n January, Mr. Kennedy quit the Owl Club after The Washington Times revealed his continued membership in the fraternitylike organization for Harvard University’s select male students and alumni.
This was a nice zinger, but it turns out that Kennedy’s glass house rock throwing was not the most interesting thing about the list of questions he submitted to Mr. Holmes.
The senator also inquired about the racial sensitivities of Mr. Holmes, who is black.
“Is racism a negative influence in the [judicial] system?” Mr. Kennedy asked.
“Racism is evil,” replied Mr. Holmes. “Insofar as it exists in any societal system, it would be a negative influence.”
Mr. Kennedy also asked about Mr. Holmes’ chairmanship of his law firm’s diversity committee and whether that contradicted his publicly stated opposition to racial quotas.
Does Kennedy demonstrate his own “racial sensitivities,” or something else, by questioning the “racial sensitivities” of a black nominee?
In any event he has conveniently confirmed something that advocates of racial preferences usually strive to disguise — that they believe support for “diversity” is really support for quotas.
