I'd like to respond to the Time article that attacks Bush for criticizing Affirmative Action (which, of course, I read through Rachel's site).

I agree that Bush was not admitted to Yale on his own academic laurels. However, if you naive Democrats think that Bush is the only politican whose family name helped him into a prestigious university, then you need a reality check. Those of you who might lambast Bush (i.e. the same group who praised Gore, even though he didn't know the difference between affirmative access and affirmative action) might put aside your own qualms about his admittance to Yale to take a more objective look at affirmative action. Being admitted to a university because you're from a wealthy family is hardly affirmative action. Affirmative action acknowledges a discommodity due to race. The policy unilaterally gives minority students a higher admittance score. Neither academic merit nor family name have anything to do with A.A.

I won't say that Bush's admittance into Yale was fair. But life's unfair. It was unfair when Bill Clinton lied under oath to millions of Americans and wasn't impeached. But drawing completely unrelated conclusions just to call a president a hypocrite is rather ludicrous. Bush, like millions of us, has every reason to dislike affirmative action. And I can't help but laugh when his opposers pull "proof" out of their asses, much like the "damning" evidence that he did something bad in 1975. Who gives a shit? No president is ever going to be a perfect person. Granted, he (or she) could be more articulate and intelligent than Bush, but a president is a essentially the puppet to his advisers. I'm getting way off topic now. But the point is...who cares about Bush's admission into Yale? No one with any weight in the issue of A.A. is ever going to say "Oh, well Bush was admitted to Yale because of his dad. Let's uphold affirmative action." His Yale admittance, like most things about which politically passionate people quarrel, is a moot point.

(P.S. - I love you, Rachel, and I'm glad we can agree to disagree)