\doc\web\97\08\waters.txt Date sent: Thu, 2 Oct 1997 23:14:28 -0400 (EDT) From: "Michael M. Bates" To: Subject: C-NEWS: The Honorable Ms. Waters Send reply to: "Michael M. Bates" This appeared in the September 18, 1997 Oak Lawn (IL) Reporter. Congresswoman shows her fabulous sense of humor by Michael M. Bates http://members.aol.com/ Last week the Congressional Black Caucus held its annual gala. Guests included the president, the vice president, and scores of Democratic officials. The chair of the Congressional Black Caucus is Representative Maxine Waters (D-CA). Her duties included introducing the president, and this is where she showcased her wicked sense of humor. She began by saying that Bill Clinton is the greatest president in American history. Yes, you read that right. The greatest president ever. Forget Washington and Jefferson and Lincoln, none of whom were important enough to have his own legal defense fund. Mr. Distinguishing Characteristic is the best. Modestly, Ms. Waters didn't mention one of Mr. Clinton's superlative accomplishments, his appointment of the Honorable Sidney Williams as U.S. Ambassador to the Bahamas. The congresswoman had enthusiastically endorsed Sidney for the job and played a key role in getting it for him. At first glance, Mr. Williams' credentials as a former professional football player and used car salesman wouldn't suggest a special ability for a major diplomatic post. So Ms. Waters stepped in to explain why he was fully qualified. In a letter to a senior Clinton adviser, Representative Waters wrote: "This letter is to alert you of my support of Sidney Williams for the position of Ambassador to the Commonwealth of the Bahamas. Sidney's public relations and diplomatic skills have been well honed over the years." A few paragraphs later Ms. Waters noted that Sidney also happens to be her husband. Does this sound like a game the whole family can play or what? In her introduction of the president, Representative Waters noted that a question she hears often is, do you agree with everything Mr. Clinton does. Her reply is that she doesn't agree with everything her mother does, but almost everything. The crowd applauded its approval of this down home comparison. She then launched into what a pleasure it is dealing with this administration. It's so much better, said Ms. Waters than dealing with Ronald Reagan and Newt Gingrich and other "right wing conservatives." Which started me wondering. Are there left wing conservatives? Maybe someone like William Weld, who gave up Spanish lessons after getting a lesson in reality from Jesse Helms, a conservative of the right wing variety. Or is this simply another example of Maxine's drop dead humor? Sometimes it's not easy to tell when she's kidding. The congresswoman was one of those who quickly embraced allegations that the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was responsible for the selling of crack cocaine in the nation's inner cities. Surprisingly, this wacky theme became a favorite of the same people who believe the CIA introduced AIDS into the nation's inner cities. It started last year with a series in the San Jose Mercury News. From there it hit the Internet. CIA Director John Deutch made a rare public appearance, in Maxine Waters' congressional district, to try to refute the charge. The Nation of Islam's journal covered: "The CIA Drug Pipeline: How the U.S. Government spread cocaine in the Black ghetto." Ms. Waters was joined by California Democrat Senator Barbara Boxer, the NAACP's Kweisi Mfume and assorted other Leftists in calling for immediate investigations. The Washington Post, the New York Times, and other mainstream media looked at the charges and decided they were groundless. Finally the executive editor of the San Jose Mercury News - the paper that started it all - admitted the series had been irresponsibly written and edited. This didn't fool the Honorable Waters. She said the newspaper's admission shed "nothing new" on the credibility of the allegations. There's no fooling this woman; she really knows how to connect the dots. It's probably yet another one of those conspiracies orchestrated by right wing conservatives. Where are those left wing conservatives when we need them the most? ------- To subscribe to c-news, send the message SUBSCRIBE C-NEWS, or the message UNSUBSCRIBE C-NEWS to unsubscribe, to majordomo@world.std.com. Contact owner-c-news@world.std.com if you have questions.