The British have an expression, 'one doesn't know where to look.'  Meaning that the statement just made is so embarrassing — in this case so historically fatuous — that you don't want to catch anyone's eye.  It came to mind when I heard Hillary's vituperation that the House is a plantation 'and you know what I mean.'

I'm afraid that I don't know what she means.  It is a statement that is meant to be inflammatory, but in fact conjures up no image at all.  I am very much afraid that Hillary cut her history classes at college.  To the extent it was a political issue, every plantation in this country was run by a Democrat.  The Democrats were the slave party, and then the peace party in the Civil War, meaning they wanted to let the Confederacy establish itself. 

In the 20th century, the Democrats were the party of Jim Crow.  The reason that the Supreme Court had to decide Brown v. Board of Education was that the Southern Democrats in the Senate filibustered all civil rights legislation after World War II until the Eisenhower Administration got the Civil Rights act of 1957 passed, which was a small step, but still a step. 

The only plantations we have ever had in this country are Democratic plantations.  And a lot of people think that welfare is the modern plantation, that it has had an enervating effect on a significant segment of the minority community in this country, but that the Democrats promulgate it because it is their ricebowl.  The Democrats keep the voters needing them rather than encouraging them to get ahead on their own, which this country has shown can be done by people of all colors and backgrounds.  In fact, the economic progress of minorities in this country is at record levels, as measured by private wealth and home ownership, which is very likely what has frightened the Democrats into stooping to such vituperation against Republicans.

The House a plantation?  How could it be?  The Democrats are not in charge!

Greg Richards   1 19 06