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PUBLICITY TSUNAMI

Bill Bennett's Comments Now Denounced By Bush



Our extensive coverage of Air America's scandal has actually been good for the radio network, some liberals assert. After all, any publicity is good publicity, right?

When it involves sleazy transfers of tax dollars to the liberal network from an inner-city community center, the Radio Equalizer does not agree.

And, when the mainstream media refuse to expose dishonest and hypocritical behavior surrounding these allegations, they must be brought to light.

What about Bill Bennett's case, then?

His recent comments, while poorly worded and insensitive, have been grossly taken out of context, in what was really a discussion of a book's thesis. There's an examination here.

Now, even President Bush has felt compelled to criticize Bennett.

From Reuters:


WASHINGTON (Reuters) -

The White House on Friday criticized as "not appropriate" a comment from former Education Secretary William Bennett that aborting black babies would reduce the crime rate.

Bennett, a conservative radio commentator, stirred outrage for saying on his talk show on Wednesday: "But 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 impossibly ridiculous and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down," he said on his call-in program "Morning in America." "The president believes the comments were not appropriate," White House spokesman Scott McClellan said.

Bennett has held various senior roles in administrations of President Ronald Reagan and Bush's father, President George H.W. Bush. He is a former education secretary and head of U.S. drug policy.


Why does Bush now feel the need to weigh in on what talk show hosts and television presenters have to say? On the heels of Pat Robertson's assertion Venezuelan thug Hugo Chavez should be executed, this marks the second recent Bush response.

When taken out of context, Bennett's comments look horrible. While proof Al Franken lied about his knowledge of misused taxpayer funds is ignored, there's no reason for the incident to generate banner headlines, however.

While the left's having a field day with Bennett again (previously over his days as a Las Vegas whale), two things should be noted:


1) Many conservatives have really never trusted Bill Bennett. In the 1990s, Bennett and Jack Kemp came out on the liberal side of issues concerning illegal immigration and racial preferences. During key statewide proposition battles, they were a thorn in the side of Republican reformers in California.

2) Bennett's morning talk show really isn't any more successful that Air America's troubled programming. An infamously bad hiring call that had radio chuckling, he just doesn't belong in a morning talk position. More recently, the show's simply been forgotten, a part of Salem's lineup on smaller stations in some cities.


While Franken and Air America's hosts suffer with each new revelation, this enormous publicity surge gives Bennett's obscure talk show a shot in the arm. There's a difference between a poorly-worded comment and money missing from an inner-city children's charity.

Expect Bennett to milk this controversy for all it's worth. He's no doubt happy to reap the publicity whirlwind, even if it may not ultimately save his long-floundering talk show.



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