Willful confusion

Every Thursday I look forward to seeing how George Will has willfully confused the issues. Dec. 21 was no surprise.

Will writes how Tom Daschle wants George W. Bush to “surrender.” More likely Daschle is expressing the obvious disagreement of the Democratic Party on his plans. Will neglected to define bipartisanship in this column. Bipartisanship is about the campaign finance reform plan, supported by leftists and rightists, which could pass if Bush sends a clear message of his approval and rallies support.

A Medicare prescription drug benefit and a raising of the minimum worth bar on the estate tax from $500,000 to $1 million could both be passed through bipartisanship. Pushing Bush’s tax plan until it is passed will not get it passed but will lead to a legislative siege resulting in few accomplishments. What Will wants is for Daschle to surrender to Bush and let the tax cut be passed because Bush will be the president, and unlike Clinton, he’ll be a Republican.

The affirmative action appointments by Bush are ironic. This is the reason Colin Powell will not do Bush any good in the eyes of African-Americans. If Bush ap-pointed someone who shared the views of the majority of African-Americans, it would have an effect. Bush has been disapproved by the NAACP, was nominated by mostly white male delegates and refused a stay for an African-American convicted on the testimony of one “eyewitness.”

The Republican-controlled Senate has repeatedly acted to prevent African-Americans appointed by Bill Clinton from being federal judges for southern states, among other things. The Republican wheels don’t care about poor people, of whom African-Americans are a large portion. Oprah Winfrey did not save Bush’s campaign, rightists like Will blurring the lines did.

Nathaniel Freedman

Caribou