Every since the Democrat Party’s sweep in this mid-term election the big media machine continues to remind the viewer that Congresswoman Nancy Pelosi is the first woman Speaker of the House. So what? This isn’t the first time that the media has gone into such hysteria that serves absolutely no purpose.
It was 1992 and Arkansas Governor William Clinton was set to become our nation’s President. The media was gushing with goo over Clinton’s Cabinet, which he himself had declared would be the “most diverse” of any previous administration. Here is the run down on who was who as it related to issues of gender and ethnic origin. Nowhere during this frenzy were qualification and experience ever highlighted.
Position Ethnicity Gender Terms
Warren Christopher Sec. of State Caucasian Male 1993-96
Madeline Albright* Caucasian Female 1996-00
Lloyd Bentsen Sec. of Treasury Caucasian Male 1993-95
Robert Rubin Caucasian Male 1995-99
Lawrence Summers Caucasian Male 1999-00
Les Aspin Sec. of Defense Caucasian Male 1994-97
William Perry Caucasian Male 1994-97
William Perry Caucasian Male 1997-00
Janet Reno* Attorney General Caucasian Female 1993-00
Bruce Babbitt Sec. of Interior Caucasian Male 1993-00
Mike Espy* Sec. of Agriculture Black Male 1993-95
Dan Glickman Caucasian Male 1995-00
Ronald Brown* Sec. of Commerce Black Male 1993-96
Mickey Kantor Caucasian Male 1996-97
William Daley Caucasian Male 1997-00
Norman Mineta* Asian Male 2000
Robert Reich Sec. of Labor Caucasian Male 1993-97
Alexis Herman* Black Female 1997-00
Donna Shalala* Sec. of H&HS Caucasian Female 1993-00
Henry Cisneros* Sec. of HUD Latino Male 1993-97
Andrew Cuomo Caucasian Male 1997-00
Federico Pena* Sec. of Transportation Latino Male 1993-97
Rodney Slater Black Male 1997-00
Hazel O’Leary* Sec. of Energy Black Female 1993-97
Federico Pena Latino Male 1997-98
Bill Richardson Caucasian Male 1998-00
Richard Wiley Sec. of Education Caucasian Male 1993-00
Jesse Brown* Sec. of Veteran Affairs Black Male 1993-98
Togo West, Jr.* Black Male 1998-00
Now since Clinton and the complementary big media made such an issue of being the ‘most diverse’ Cabinet, a scale or point system must be applied. Since the Caucasian male is loathed by the liberals the only true way of scoring President Clinton’s Cabinet is one point for a non-white ethnic background if they are male, two points if they area white female and three points if they are from a non-white background and female. The qualifying members have been starred and in the case of Federico Pena, he was only counted once. The finally tally is 19 points.
Now let us compare that with the term of our current President.
Position Ethnicity Gender Terms
Colin Powell* Sec. of State Black Male 2001-04
Condoleezza Rice* Black Female 2004-current
Paul O’Neil Sec. of Treasury Caucasian Male 2001-02
John Snow Caucasian Male 2002-06
Henry Paulson Caucasian Male 2006-current
Donald Rumsfeld Sec. of Defense Caucasian Male 2001-06
William Gates Caucasian Male Pending
John Ashcroft Attorney General Caucasian Male 2001-05
Alberto Gonzales* Latino Male 2005-current
Gale Norton* Sec. of Interior Caucasian Female 2001-06
Ken Salazar Caucasian Male 2006-current
Ann Veneman* Sec. of Agriculture Caucasian Female 2001-05
Mike Johanns Caucasian Male 2005-current
Donald Evans Sec. of Commerce Caucasian Male 2001-05
Carlos Gutierrez* Latino Male 2005-current
Elaine Chao* Sec. of Labor Asian Female 2001-current
Tommy Thompson Sec. of H&HS Caucasian Male 2001-05
Michael Leavitt Caucasian Male 2005-current
Mel Martinez* Sec. of HUD Latino Male 2001-03
Alphonso Jackson Black Male 2003-current
Norman Mineta* Sec. of Transportation Asian Male 2001-06
Maria Cino (acting)* Caucasian Female 2006
Mary Peters* Caucasian Female 2006-current
Spencer Abraham Sec. of Energy Caucasian Male 2001-05
Samuel Bodman Caucasian Male 2005-current
Roderick Paige* Sec. of Education Black Male 2001-05
Margaret Spellings* Caucasian Female 2005-current
Andrew Principi Sec. of Veteran Affairs Caucasian Male 2001-04
James Nicholson Caucasian Male 2004-current
When it is tallied President Bush’s Cabinet wins with twenty-two points. The reader may raise some controversy over ‘acting’ Secretary of Transportation Maria Cino but even with the removal of her two points this Cabinet remains more diverse than during the Clinton years. An interesting side note, which your author clued in on, was how the media machine went bonkers nearly a year ago when several Bush Cabinet members were resigning. Oddly enough this same concern wasn’t expressed with what the reader can clearly see is the high turnover in the previous Administration.
The media proclaimed loudly when Madeline Albright became the first woman to hold the seat as Secretary of State. The same excitement was awarded to Colin Powell for the same position because he was Black. When Condoleezza Rice took over there was no remark insofar as her being the first Black woman to be confirmed nor Elaine Chao, the first Asian American female to become Secretary of Labor and poor Gale Norton, not a single mention, as she was the first woman ever to be confirmed for the Secretary of Interior.
The point in this comparison is not to state the obvious, which is the diversity factor is far greater in President Bush’s Administration. No the reason for this entry is to show the reader that the diversity argument is pointless when it focuses on race and gender. When qualification is considered, which is what is best when it comes to the governing of our country, suddenly the diversity philosophy provides no substance.
Take the case of President Clinton’s Secretary of Energy Hazel O’Leary, the first and only woman to serve in such capacity. She is also the first person of a non-white race to oversee this department. While in office she came under scrutiny for her travel and lavish accommodation expenses. She would apologize for such actions during a Congressional investigation. She never offered to reimburse the American taxpayer. In the liberal world an apology, which are just words, is appropriate punishment. Afterwards you can wipe your brow and say “phew” as you smugly walk out. Her resignation avoided a nasty showdown between then Attorney General Janet Reno and FBI Director Louis Freeh when the issue of Johnny Chong, a California businessman, was brought up. Chong had allegedly donated $25,000 to O’Leary’s favorite charity Africare. O’Leary then met with several Chinese oil executives. The meeting was said to have been brokered by Chong. Reno refused to investigate the matter. Also as Secretary of Energy, O’Leary was in charge of overseeing US nuclear laboratories and during such time Chinese operatives would steal numerous advanced weapon plans. Once again O’Leary got off scot-free. The big mainstream media rarely mentioned any of these bits while they praised the legacy of Clinton’s diverse Cabinet.
Only the liberals and Democrat Party blow-hearts care about diversity as a necessity in leadership roles. While conservatives appreciate such elements as different races and genders, capability is always the key. So let the Democrat Party and their courted media express such adulation for Speaker Pelosi’s gender because at the end of the day it means nothing. Just ask the folks of Michigan, they recently voted to pass Proposition 2, which will amend their state’s constitution to discontinue affirmative action.
