Thanks for sharing.

I've been meaning to blogroll QandO for a bit, now, so I'll introduce him with this post about Representative Corrine Brown. I'll be honest: I couldn't believe at first that any Congressperson could be enough of a fool to say "You all look alike to me" in public, but apparently she did. Brown has since apologized - sorta kinda not-really* - but it's always nice to see a member of the Distinguished Opposition rear up and say what she really thinks, no?

Calpundit and Yglesias have their own (disapproving) takes on this; as usual, be careful if you should stray into the comments sections. Chum and sharks, I'm telling ya.

(via Balloon Juice)

Moe

*One thing I've noticed about public apologies in this country is that the makers of them typically display all the charm and remorse of a particularly obnoxious twelve-year-old. I understand that the urge to explain and excuse away one's failings is a deep and powerful one - but that's an excuse, and a tired one. Just get up there, say that you're sorry, don't pass the buck and don't try to wriggle out of it. Hard to do, sure. Do it anyway.

Comments

[fabius]

I've never heard an apology where there wasn't wholesale comment about how it (the apology) wasn't enough. I have no doubt that Corrine Brown believes herself, in a way very difficult to discribe and justify, aggreived by a group of people loosely, but probably not absolutely accurately, referred to as white men. When your world view has incorporated a sense of oppression its very difficult to give an apology that will convince even yourself. She needs to check herself, as do we all, and apologize for spouting off - surely she can convince herself and others of her sincereity of that! There rest of her attitude is only hurtful to herself and she can only change it by quiet reflection and determined will to change. Course, I don't like white men either.

[Thorley Winston]

Moe Lane wrote:

One thing I've noticed about public apologies in this country is that the makers of them typically display all the charm and remorse of a particularly obnoxious twelve-year-old. I understand that the urge to explain and excuse away one's failings is a deep and powerful one - but that's an excuse, and a tired one. Just get up there, say that you're sorry, don't pass the buck and don't try to wriggle out of it. Hard to do, sure. Do it anyway.

Well in Representative Brown’s case there is an exigent circumstance that makes a sincere apology or any other type of civilized behavior on her part prohibitive. She is a practitioner of a particularly vile brand of identity politics in which everything is about claiming a “victim hood” status for yourself and your supporters while labeling anyone who disagrees with you as an “oppressor” or “racist.”

If she were to have to offer a sincere apology for her blatantly racist remarks, it would be undermine her ability and effectiveness at using these tactics in the future and she is understandably reluctant to have to surrender this weapon in her arsenal as it forces her to have to advance her views and causes based on merit and reason – something she is obviously ill-equipped to do.

[carpeicthus]

Not everyone can have a comments section as good as your, Moe, no need to flaunt it. ;-)

I think her comments were absolutely ridiculous. I wouldn't vote for her in a primary or general election because of this alone. Here's a question. It's obvious that this apology isn't up to snuff, but what sort of apology would be? It seems what she said was representative of a heartfelt belief. What could she say that would convince people that she didn't actually believe that? For me, probably nothing except an admission to being heavily medicated at the time. I'd need to see her subsequent actions for some time afterward to even think she might have re-evaluated this, or at least get to the point where her private beliefs don't matter because she's using her office in the same manner a perfectly decent person would. And this applies for all situations of this type. So, faced with impossibility, instead we get limp non-apologies.

[carpeicthus]

Also, I give points to anyone outside Florida who'd heard of this woman before.

[Bird Dog]

I find myself reading more and more of QandO and have linked a few of my posts to their site. Corrine Brown too easily and too reflexively tossed out the race card. Bleh.