for shame

To recap the President's cabinet:

Secretary Paul O'Neill was fired, more or less for disagreeing with the President about tax cuts. He felt such cuts would be fiscally irresponsible, and could lead to record deficits. Which we now have.

Meanwhile, Secretary of Education Rod Paige today called the National Education Association (the teacher's union) a "terrorist organization". The President ignored Paige and instead said:

"I fully understand it's going to be the year of the sharp elbow and the quick tongue. But surely we can shuffle that aside sometimes and focus on our people."

Whatever that means.

In his "apology" Secretary Paige says:

"As one who grew up on the receiving end of insensitive remarks, I should have chosen my words better."

To translate: "Since I'm black, I know all about being insulted, and therefore am immune from criticism despite having made remarks for which I should be fired. If you suggest I should be fired, you're probably racist. Or a terrorist. Or (gasp) a racist terrorist."

There is almost nothing about this that does not anger me.