Kyl Defends Julie Myers’s Role In Lauding Racially Offensive Halloween Costume
Kyl Defends Julie Myers’s Role In Lauding Racially Offensive Halloween Costume
Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has refused to condemn immigration head Julie Myers for awarding “Most Original Costume” to an employee “who dressed in prison stripes, dreadlocks and dark makeup for a Halloween gathering at the agency.” The White House has simply stated it is up to Chertoff to “make any personnel decisions.”
Today, Sens. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and John Kyl (R-AZ) also resisted admonishing Myers. When asked whether he and his colleagues “support her at this point,” McConnell ducked the question by saying he was “not up on” the issue. Kyl went so far as to praise her performance at the agency:
MCCONNELL: You know what I always dread at a press conference?
Somebody asking me a question I’m not up on.
(LAUGHTER)
And I really can’t respond to it because I haven’t checked on that nomination lately. … Anybody else got anything?
KYL: Just one thing: In terms of job performance, I don’t know of anybody, now, that believes that she has not done a credible job.
Though McConnell and Kyl tried to brush off the incident, Myers’s actions generated outrage from others on the right and the left. Sen. Claire McCaskill (D-MO) has put a hold on Myers’s confirmation to head ICE. (She currently serves as a recess appointee.) Even right-wing blogger Debbie Schlussel said that “heads must roll.” Rep. Alcee Hastings (D-FL) agreed:
It is extremely troubling and quite unfortunate that Ms. Myers, who serves at an organization tasked with protecting our homeland and civil rights, cannot determine that an employee dressed in black face is both offensive and potentially harmful to workplace morale.
Myers’ qualifications have been questioned from the start. Her appointment was widely seen as an exercise in cronysim. She is the niece of former Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman Gen. Richard Myers and married to Chertoff’s former chief of staff, John F. Wood.
Far from doing “a credible job,” Myers’ time at ICE has seen the agency shift toward a disturbing willingness to retaliate against immigrants who speak up to defend their rights and interests. ICE has arrested individuals for speaking out on everything from immigration reform, to workplace rights, to the right to report crimes without fear of retaliation. Over the summer, ICE officials targeted immigrants in their anti-gang roundups, often arresting legal immigrants without warrants.
Transcript:
QUESTION: Senator McConnell, one of the items on the Senate agenda is the nomination of Julie Myers to be the head of ICE.
As you know, she’s been embroiled in a scandal over a Halloween party and a costume worn by one of her employees.
Do you think she remains the right person to head that agency?
And will you and your colleagues support her at this point?
MCCONNELL: You know what I always dread at a press conference?
Somebody asking me a question I’m not upon.
(LAUGHTER)
And I really can’t respond to it because I haven’t checked on that nomination lately.
QUESTION: Well, it’s out of committee…
MCCONNELL: I’ll check on it. I’ll check on it. If you want to — maybe somebody else has something to say about it. I’ll check on it. If you’d like to get a comment from me later, I’ll give it to you.
Anybody else got anything?
KYL: Just one thing: In terms of job performance, I don’t know of anybody, now, that believes that she has not done a credible job.
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There must be a sign on Bush’s desk that says
The Buck Stops Here… unless you’re a crony then the buck stops with a designated sacrificial underling
November 7th, 2007 at 3:59 pmFor further information, please refer to the following:
Comments: Bush, George W. – “Brownie, you’re doing a heckuva job!”
November 7th, 2007 at 4:00 pm2 – and I forgot to mention, that’s from Cronypedia.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:01 pmWe need only imagine the outcry if this had occurred in a Democratic administration.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:04 pmAs it is the hear-no-evil-, see-no-evil monkeys are playing dumb. Something that comes pretty easy to them, almost as easy as outright lying.
Kyl is one of my reps, and he is one of the most lock-stepping bootlickers still around. I hate that guy.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:04 pmSee, with Republicans it is very simple: Racists don’t see anything wrong with being racists. They aren’t really racists, they say. They just behave in racists ways – but their not racists. If this would have happened at a Clinton or Obama gathering, the right side would be spitting up blood over the whole thing. I can almost imagine where beck and limbaugh would have taken it.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:12 pmJulie Myers’ opinion on these matters must be respected, as must be Senator Kyl’s. After all, what was depicted in the costume was a pretty accurate description of all illegal aliens in this country.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:13 pmThe costume also depicts pretty accurately the basic fact that a majority of crimes (normalized for population size) are committed by African Americans
November 7th, 2007 at 4:16 pmThat’s a good one Leftside Annie! I had to look up cronypedia just to make sure it wasn’t real.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:18 pmAnd the genius “hits” pipes up with more of his brilliance. I am so glad you’re not one of us.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:20 pmOn Noes!! Ice is arresting illegal aliens? HOW DARE THEY!!!
November 7th, 2007 at 4:21 pmI don’t know shits 99.9% of all mass murderers in this country are white males. Maybe the employee should have dressed up like you. Oooh, ick, nevermind. Toothless, wife-beater tee and jeans around your knees showing your butt crack would have made the whole party nauseous.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:23 pmThis White House not only looks the other way, it full endorses a return to the 1950s way of thinking.
http://www.deathbymachine.com/archives/91
November 7th, 2007 at 4:24 pmCan you read Roger? It said they rounded up LEGAL immigrants without warrants.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:24 pmWhy would the Repubs or Bush peeps want to fire her? She seems to measure up to all of THEIR standards of who should be in charge of important government agencies. She is unqualified, inept, insensitive, and most importantly, not the least bit intelligent.
Remember that those who believe government is always bad will set out to prove it.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:26 pmThis is starting to scare me a little bit — it’s the first time I’ve read or heard ANYTHING from Debbie Schlussel that I agreed with…
Yes, the costume in question was offensive. Yes, any idiot could have seen from 50 feet that the guy was wearing makeup in a deliberate attempt to make his skin dark (Debbie even had a pic of the guy on her website).
The question is — do we accept or reject a person for a job based on what he/she did at a private office party? Normally, I’d give it a pass — if she had merely had a few too many and danced around with a lampshade on her head (many of us can remember a party or two where we did a few weird things). But when a person is this obtuse and has to have something this overtly inappropriate explained to her by others before she “gets” it, she doesn’t belong in a position of responsibility.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:28 pmSince he apparently cannot read or only reads through hate-colored glasses, then Roger.Roger would make a great department head in the Bush Administration.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:28 pmYou know, maybe Mitch McConnell and John Kyl have more to worry about than a costume at one of the hundred (or so) departments’ Halloween parties? I don’t think it’s crazy to assume that they have much bigger issues than one downstream employee’s subordinance, or lack thereof.
This is where I want to ‘opt out’ rather than carry the torch for fussy progressive reactionaries. I’m a contributer to Demorcratic campaigns, and an armchair activist in other areas, but this is ridiculous. It’s like asking the CEO of Ford to comment on a warehouse employee in one of their plants. It’s just a microscopic issue.
Who cares???
November 7th, 2007 at 4:35 pmToothless, wife-beater tee and jeans around your knees showing your butt crack would have made the whole party nauseous.
Comment by Shayne
That image had me running for the bathroom…Ooops, I didn’t make it.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:44 pmDid anyone dress up like Fruity Rudy, or did just Rudy ‘dress up’?
November 7th, 2007 at 4:52 pmWhat is really disgusting is ICE awarding Blackwater USA contracts in the Katrina aftermath that resulted in $73,000,000.
Why wasn’t that money used to protect the levies to begin with, instead of being used on mercenaries that were there for what purpose exactly???
November 7th, 2007 at 4:53 pmAnd Why did ICE award them the contract???
This is indicative of the fantasy world in which they live. They are completely removed from reality and the niceties of socially acceptable behavior.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:56 pmJulie Myers’ opinion on these matters must be respected, as must be Senator Kyl’s. After all, what was depicted in the costume was a pretty accurate description of all illegal aliens in this country.
Comment by hits — November 7, 2007 @ 4:13 pm
then you have no reason to be afraid of them, except that you’re a pansy coward, not fighting in Iraq.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:58 pmAfter all, what was depicted in the costume was a pretty accurate description of all illegal aliens in this country.
Comment by hits
hits, you are truly an evil sick human being. Why don’t you go elsewhere and preach your hate and prejudice. They will love you over at redstate.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:58 pmSo let me get this straight. If the person hadn’t gone with dreads, and dark make-up, then it would not have been racially offensive? Being a white prison inmate isn’t as racially offensive as being a black one? Because we all know that there are absolutely no black people with dreads in jails or prisons anywhere…
Look, what’s that behind you? RACISM! Booogaaaaa!
Comment by DreamCrusher — November 7, 2007 @ 4:47 pm
so let me get this straight: you don’t understand a word you’re saying. No surprise from a reactionary, ignorant rightard.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:59 pmAnd Why did ICE award them the contract???
Comment by MagickMuffin
That is a rhetorical question, isn’t it? The simple answer is because they are FOB’s.
November 7th, 2007 at 4:59 pmThis is where I want to ‘opt out’ rather than carry the torch for fussy progressive reactionaries. I’m a contributer to Demorcratic campaigns, and an armchair activist in other areas, but this is ridiculous. It’s like asking the CEO of Ford to comment on a warehouse employee in one of their plants. It’s just a microscopic issue.
Who cares???
Comment by cooljames — November 7, 2007 @ 4:35 pm
I care. This is a government agancy, tasked with supporting hte laws and policies of the United States. Your standards seem awfully low for someone who contributes to Democrats. maybe you’re lying.
November 7th, 2007 at 5:00 pmSince you all think it’s not offensive to dress up like a black prisoner any more than if they had dressed up as a white prisoner, as I white woman I find Rudy’s dressing up like a disgusting example of a white woman just as offensive. What are you going to do about it?
November 7th, 2007 at 5:00 pmOn Noes!! Ice is arresting illegal aliens? HOW DARE THEY!!!
Comment by Roger_Roger
So R2, you are so virulently anti-immigrant, I suppose you support arresting the employers who knowingly hire undocumented workers. If you don’t support that, then you are a racist plain and simple.
November 7th, 2007 at 5:01 pmhits, you are truly an evil sick human being. Why don’t you go elsewhere and preach your hate and prejudice. They will love you over at redstate.
Comment by bilbobaggins — November 7, 2007 @ 4:58 pm
Oh let dumbass shits stay where he is. Nobody will ever go into his mom’s basement to find him. The smell will stop them at the door.
November 7th, 2007 at 5:02 pmThis is where I want to ‘opt out’ rather than carry the torch for fussy progressive reactionaries. I’m a contributer to Demorcratic campaigns, and an armchair activist in other areas, but this is ridiculous. It’s like asking the CEO of Ford to comment on a warehouse employee in one of their plants. It’s just a microscopic issue.
Who cares???
Comment by cooljames
No it’s not. This woman was actively involved in the incident. She was a judge on a panel who awarded this guy a prize for his costume. That’s nothing like a CEO and an employee in one of their plants. If she had no active involvement in the incident, I would see no reason to chastise her. But she was directly involved. She saw nothing wrong with what that guy did until the press made an issue out of it. Then all of a sudden she was “mortified”. If she was “mortified” in the first place, why didn’t she take the guy aside and tell him to go home and change clothes?
November 7th, 2007 at 5:04 pmYour standards seem awfully low for someone who contributes to Democrats. maybe you’re lying.
Comment by Lefty Patriot
Of course he is lying. This is a new strategy by the RNC. They are sending people out who will claim to be a progressive and then criticize progressives for their opinions. The RNC has a very large bag of tricks, this is just one of them.
But, they seem to be hitting the bottom of the barrel. The current batch of trolls are either very transparent or very stupid.
November 7th, 2007 at 5:06 pmOn Noes!! Ice is arresting illegal aliens? HOW DARE THEY!!!
Comment by Roger_Roger
Ok Loon R2, where in the following quote is the word “illegal”?
November 7th, 2007 at 5:11 pm
Who cares???
Comment by cooljames — November 7, 2007 @ 4:35 pm
This guy probably picked a name that could be interpreted as a “liberal” name. He is just too clever for us to figure him out.
November 7th, 2007 at 5:12 pmJulie Myers’ opinion on these matters must be respected, as must be Senator Kyl’s. After all, what was depicted in the costume was a pretty accurate description of all illegal aliens in this country.
Comment by hits — November 7, 2007 @ 4:13 pm
Anyone capable of swimming or wading either the Atlantic or Pacific Ocean should be most welcome as a citizen of this nation. My forebears relied on boats.
November 7th, 2007 at 5:50 pmThis site needs to spend less time focusing on Halloween costumes and more time giving some legitimacy to the RON PAUL REVOLUTION!! One of the few honest men in congress, and now raising major cash!
VIDEO
November 7th, 2007 at 5:59 pmRon Paul on CNN
http://test.redlasso.com/service/svc/clip/playClip?fid=7a905156-67c0-43b0-8711-8615d71780e4
It’s all funny to these criminals. McConnell should laugh it up now…I’m thinking some state investigations are headed his way shortly.
November 7th, 2007 at 6:09 pmSigh. Almost every goddamn day there’s some white person either saying or doing something hateful towards Black people. Almost every goddamn day there’s some white person talking shit about or mocking Black people. What gives? What the hell is wrong with you people?
Will someone bring in the damn psychologists?
November 7th, 2007 at 6:19 pmThe costume also depicts pretty accurately the basic fact that a majority of crimes (normalized for population size) are committed by African Americans
Comment by hits — November 7, 2007 @ 4:16 pm
Assuming I bought this, what variables do you belive would explain this?How are you defining crime? Normalized for population size how do African Americans rank in terms of white collor crime?
November 7th, 2007 at 6:22 pmDebbie Schlussel agrees with my position?
November 7th, 2007 at 6:30 pmOMG, I think I have to go jump in front of a train now.
dbadass,
November 7th, 2007 at 6:32 pmWithout Bernie Kerik, you’ll be drilling a dry well.
dbadass,
Without Bernie Kerik, you’ll be drilling a dry well.
Comment by WaltTheMan — November 7, 2007 @ 6:32 pm
I am afraid I don’t follow you. Little help please!
November 7th, 2007 at 6:46 pmI have to assume you have never heard of Bernie Kerik, Rudiy’s friend.
November 7th, 2007 at 6:48 pmOf course I know of the Kerik situation. I just don’t follow the connection with my questions regarding Hits’ bogus post
November 7th, 2007 at 6:52 pmHACKS..HACKS..HACKS..they’re all HACKS! Get them on the next plane to Gitmo and let them talk to the sand fleas…HACKS!!!
November 7th, 2007 at 7:48 pmI think it’s obvious that far from doing a credible job, she’s actually doing an incredible job. As in wholly incredible.
November 7th, 2007 at 9:01 pmOf course I know of the Kerik situation. I just don’t follow the connection with my questions regarding Hits’ bogus post
Comment by dbadass — November 7, 2007 @ 6:52 pm
I am an ole Texas boy. Drilling a dry well implies a hopeless effort, like drilling for oil in El Paso or on Mount Everest.
November 7th, 2007 at 10:03 pmAfter all, what was depicted in the costume was a pretty accurate description of all illegal aliens in this country.
Comment by hits — November 7, 2007 @ 4:13 pm
You mean: they’re all black with dreadlocks and wearing a prison suit?
Hits, you’re a racist piece of scum. Has anybody ever told you that?
You’re also a coward since I bet you would NEVER make such a comment in the presence of a Black American or an illegal alien; your ass would be trash if it isn’t already!
November 7th, 2007 at 10:52 pm