The Competition Winner

A lady who won a contest on a on-line radio station to ask a question is now up. "I believe that most black Americans who will vote in teh year 2008 are not able to name even one Republican president in teh 142 years since Lincoln's death who have left a positive and significant legacy for African-Americans." Question is, what "positive and significant legacy will they make for black Americans?

Huckabee tells her that Eisenhower was the one who supported the integration of Little Rock high school. Says he wants to treat cocaine and crack the same, in terms of punishment--but does he want to lower sentences for crack, or raise them for cocaine?

Paul: "If we had a freer society, it would take care of blacks and whites equally." Emphasizes that we're all individuals. Says that we should repeal the drug laws, and that's the way to address the mistreatment of blacks in the legal system. Talks about property rights, the military industrial complex, individuals, and fair distribution of goods and services in a free economy. Huge applause again!

Brownback: Wants to focus on "rebuilding the family." Do *you* want Senator Brownback to "rebuild" your family? Maybe kind of like "rebuilding" Iraq? Says we need an official apology from the U.S. government for segregation and slavery.

Tancredo: Says a number of Republicans have done great things for black Americans, mentions that Ronald Reagan did something for all Americans by increasing liberty. Says it's destructive to focus on race. To increase economic opportunities for every American, he says he will reduce the flow of immigration into the country. Pretty big applause for that.

Hunter: "What a wonderful question," he says. Also praises Eisenhower. Says the '64 Civil Rights Act was passed with a greater proportion of GOP votes than Democratic votes. Says that African-Americans, and all Americans, need to be shielded from pornography. Now he quotes Jack Kemp. He says nothing about the drug war or the Iraq War.

Keyes: "I don't believe there is this deep divide" between blacks and whites. "The core of that community is not race ... it's the more consensus that we are all created equal..." he's going Jaffa-ite again, and says we have to honor the creator God, and that we must "empower every parent in this country" to send children to schools that reflect their faith and values. Lots of appaluse, but he's way over time, and Smiley isn't taking any of it.

Next set of questions come from Cynthia Tucker, Ray Suarez, and Juan Williams. Starting with Tucker and Huckabee.

Tucker asks about race and unemployment. 33 percent higher unemployment rate for black high school graduates than for white high school dropouts. Huckabee says that the opportunities aren't the same and there's still racism. "That's something government can't change" but leadership can do something about, he says. More platitudes. Something about "the heel of someone's boot" on people's heads. Totally substance-free remark.

Paul: Walter Williams, a very astute free market economist, has studied this extensively, says Paul, and he cites Williams's conclusion: the minimum wage is to blame, because it eliminates opportunities. Says the economy is sound only when there's sound money, minimum taxes, wise foreign policy, etc. Says he has a bill in that will help everyone who is trying to get a start: no payroll taxes on waiters and waitresses. HUGE applause!

Brownback: "We still don't have a color blind society." Refers to a federal racism museum, or something, that he's building. Good grief. An "optional flat tax"--what an idiot, since flat taxes are regressive and would hurt blacks more than whites.

Tancredo: Says he can't agree with the race-baiting comments about why we have these problems. Blacks were moving up the ladder, he says, and families were in better shape in black America than in white American before the rise of the welfare state, which pays people to not be in the home. Lots of applause. Also cites importation of millions of low-wage workers who depress wages, "and it's got nothing to do with race."

Hunter: Republicans initiated legislation three times to reform welfare under Clinton, he says, and finally passed it. The number of jobs for single moms increased after that, jobs increased in places where welfare decreased. "We did very, very well by breaking the cycle of welfare." Says if we help the small businessman, "we'll do it."

Keyes: The disproportionate impact on black morals that government programs have had is to blame. "When you allow the family to break down" you create the conditions that lead to poverty. Now he's orating about promiscuity. He's overtime again, and Smiley is cutting him off.

Suarez for Paul: There are 12 million illegals in the U.S. Is it desireable or practical to try to send them all home? Will he sign a path to citizenship?

Paul: Says he didn't hear the last part of the question, the path to citizenship part. Paul says he would not sign the bill Suarez describes, it would be amnesty. Also says it's impractical to round up 12 or 20 million people. We have to stick to our guns on obeying the law and not reward illegal immigration. Illegal immigration is a consequence of a welfare state--immigrants get free hospital care, education, etc. You don't round 'em up, you don't reward them, you don't give them amnesty, you take down the welfare state. Pretty big applause.

Brownback: The American people are for immigration, he says, but not illegal immigration. Says he will not support new paths to citizenship (which doesn't seem to rule out amnesty, exactly.)

Tancredo: Laughs at Brownback's claim that we'll secure the border, since Brownback had never supported that before. (And I doubt he does now.) This is Tancredo's issue, so his answer here is a bit more polished than his others: says by enforcing the law, you will diminish illegal immigration without a roundup.

Hunter: Talks about how drywall contractors are undercut by illegal immigrants. "That's not fair," he says. "You have to build a border fence, you have to have a real border." Says he wrote the law that extends the border fence 854 miles. "They've got to knock on the front door, because the back door is going to be closed."

Keyes: talks about border control. Says we have to remember why we lost control, and he blames big business, and says blacks are most hurt by this. He cites Katrina, says blacks are always hurt the most. Keyes is shouting quite a bit.

Huckabee: More smooth lies. Says we live in a country people are trying to break into rather than break out of, and we should thank God for that. Suitcase, dirty bomb, etc. Talks about cracking down on employers. "Another version of slave labor" he says--wow. No applause for that. He really wants to go after employers--well, he is a socialist.