RappCity

"Bill Bennett Won't You Please Go Home"

"Clowns to the Left of me, Jokers to the Right..."

Well, another "Right Fielder" took a tumble this week.  And I'm not talking baseball...

I'm not even talking about Tom DeLay (Republican House Leader) who was indicted this week on campaign fraud.  Not even not Bill Frist (Republican Senate Majority Leader), who may also face indictment on a "Martha Stewart Type" insider stock tip sale (Will he get the same treatment as Our Lady of the Kitchen?).

No, I mean Washington "Insider," radio host and self proclaimed, "MORALIST" for America, Bill (William J.) Bennett. 

This "Moral Moron" made the mistake of speaking his real thoughts out loud on his daily radio show a few days ago when he said,    "...You could abort every Black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down."  Yikes!  (Full quote at bottom of page.)

As the Press, along with numerous Black and other social  leaders swooped down on him, Bennett compounded the issue further by appearing on the Hannity and Colmes show (where else) offering explanations so lame,  I thought I saw a "cringe" cross Hannity's face.

I tuned in the show myself, wanting to actually give the guy a chance to explain.  Maybe his words were taken out of context.  I do agree that many people get pounced upon for a simple slip of the tongue (Cindy Sheehan accidentally said, "America is not worth dying for," when she really meant to say, "Iraq is not worth dying for"), and look at the mess that created.

A hungry Press can  tear into flesh just to keep their ratings up.   So, bearing that in mind, I wanted to hear Bennett explain his words himself.

So I watched. 

Obviously distressed, Bennett  just went on and on... Occasionally (it seemed to me), looking at Hannity for reassurance (kind of like, "You won't let me down will ya buddy?")
But after explaining what he, "Really meant to say," for the fourth or fifth time, he started attacking ...instead of  defending. He was turning red as he spoke angrily of the critics of his "racist" statement.  And many prominent people had taken great offense at the statement and said so publicly.

But then, in what could only be termed a desperate move, he took direct, personal aim, at Sen. Ted Kennedy, saying, "Kennedy has no right to judge me when he killed a girl."  

Oh my...   Folks, that had to be the most tasteless and offensive comment I have ever heard on Prime Time television (And I've been watching TV since Murrow lit his first cigarette on camera).

What an awful thing to say ... even if your arse is on the line!

Bennett then rambled on for another minute or so before  Hannity mercifully wrapped the segment (BTW and coincidentally,  Bennett's web site has a link to Hannity's book, eerily  titled:  DELIVER US FROM EVIL).  You know, I generally find Sean Hannity a dangerous,  muck-raking, lunatic, right wing extremist, but I will give him a point for loyalty. 

Anyway, the real KICKER is that Bennett, whom Ronald Reagan appointed as Chairman of the National Endowment Fund (no wonder Art class has been dropped in school) and Secretary of Education (no wonder kids can't read), has often called Liberals, "Inherently less moral than Conservatives." 

Hmm..."Inherently less moral"... an interesting  concept.  It now has me  wondering if Conservatives are born that way, or actually just choose it.  Well, let them marry if they want.  It's none of my business.

But, wait, this gets even better...

President Bush (once off the sauce himself) liked Bennett's, "Get Tough Approach" to drugs," so much, he made him the first "Drug Czar."  He liked Bennett's argument that, "Individuals have a moral responsibility to own up to their addictions." 

Then it was revealed that Bennett had a severe gambling problem!

Ironically, after finally leaving public office, Bennett wrote a book called THE BOOK OF VIRTUES, and remarked the morning after the 2004 elections:  "Having restored decency to the White House, President Bush now has a mandate to affect policy that will promote a more decent society, through both politics and law." 

With his contant barrage against the immorality of "Drinking, "Homosexual Unions" "Wife Swapping" and even, "The RIKKI LAKE Show " (Say what?) ....Bennett always seemed to avoid any words about his own vice: High stakes casino gambling!

This may not seem important now, but this man worked with two Presidents, the Congress and the Cabinet helping to form Public Policy! 

When he arrived in Washington, casinos were only allowed in TWO states.  By the time he left Washington, casino gambling had expanded to twenty-eight states!   Currently, the Governor of Maryland (Bennett's current home) is trying to introduce slot machines to the state. The Washington Monthly and Newsweek Magazine reported that over the last decade Bennett has been a "Preferred Customer" in both Atlantic City and Las Vegas, where they put his total losses at more than Eight Million Dollars!

Why am I taking this time on Bill Bennett?  Corruption, greed, breaking laws and racism is very common in the Political and Corporate arena. It's certainly not new.  But what is so appalling about Bill Bennett, in particular, is that while this man continually preached to us about Morality and Virtue (and urged prominent friends to join his stances against social issues like Gay rights, Open Marriages ... and even Drinking for goodness sake ...he considered himself above it all.  HE had the right to HIS vices!

Not only that, he let his guard down and showed us that a man we trusted and believed to be an intelligent leader of people is just a low down, run of the mill Racist if you scratch the skin. Add "Hypocrite" as well, to the egomaniac who finally got, "Outed" by his own stupidity and big mouth.

From Jim Jones and his brainwashed suicidal flock,  to Jimmy Swaggart and his hookers, to  Pedophile Priests and the Rabbi that put a "Hit" out on his wife, we have once more been assaulted by a sheep in wolves clothing.   A prominent person of some authority  thinks he has the obligation and even the  right to plan everyone elses lives, while living his own according to his own rules.

It will be interesting to see how the radio network he currently works for deals with the outcome of this racism issue.  I think they will be singing along with most of us, "Bill Bennett Won't you Please Go Home."

*Incidentally.... as of this writing, President Bush himself has now condemned the statement made by Bill Bennett.

On a different political note, but of extreme local importance:        

Ex Governor Bill Weld (who is considering a run for Governor of New York), told the NY Post yesterday that he will be rooting for the Yankees this weekend for a win against the Red Sox.

Weld, who admitted changing his loyalty just "a couple of days ago" (???) then said, "With the Red Sox having won last year, I don't have to root for them anymore."   Grrrrrr.....
And to think I once liked him...   Interesting Fact:  Bill Weld is a native New Yorker, born on Long Island.  

As Promised...Bill Bennett's full quote:   

"I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could, if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country and your crime rate would go down. That would be an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down.So, these far out, these far reaching extensive extrapolations are, I think, tricky."