JIM LEHRER: And finally tonight, the analysis of Shields and Brooks:
Syndicated columnist Mark Shields and David Brooks of the Weekly Standard.
Mark, the president's brief in the Michigan affirmative action case before
the Supreme Court. How do you interpret the president's position?
MARK SHIELDS: Ah....
JIM LEHRER: Based on the brief that was filed.
MARK SHIELDS: Well, the brief, to put it in context, it followed a very
strong rhetorical statement. The president came out against quotas --
against any discrimination, reverse or otherwise. And that was it for about
36 hours of news.
And gee, boy, he really, quite frankly, mollified, pleased his most
conservative supporters who are most opposed to affirmative action/quotas
as they see it.
Then the brief came in, and it was a lot more limited. It just involved the
University of Michigan case. It did not involve repeal of the Bakki case;
it did not constitute a frontal attack upon race as a factor at any time in
admissions policies. So the president kind of played it both ways
politically. I mean he-
JIM LEHRER: Did he get away with it?
MARK SHIELDS: He is not getting away with it because we are exposing it
right here.
JIM LEHRER: Right. I'm sorry. I forgot that.
MORE ON...
http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/political_wrap/jan-june03/sb_1-17.html
