Howard Dean Opposes (Some) Discrimination

From today’s New York Times

“I don’t think it’s their prerogative not to treat Americans equally,” Dr. Dean said of the states…. “This is not a country that was built on discriminating against other people.”

… and he also believes the Civil Rights Act of 1964 bars state officials from treating people differently because of their race:

“As President, I will direct my Attorney General to use regulatory authority under existing anti-discrimination laws–the 1964 Civil Rights Act–to define racial profiling as discrimination, and to withhold federal funds from departments that violate those regulations.”

Presumably, then, he would withhold federal funds from colleges and universities whose admissions policies employ racial profiling. But wait a minute. The good doctor seems not to have connected those dots, since WeWantDean.Com quotes him to the contrary:

I am delighted that the Supreme Court has upheld the principle of affirmative action in education….

When President Bush used the inflammatory word “quota” to describe the Michigan program, I criticized him for distorting the facts. Now, the Supreme Court has rejected that misleading label. It is time for the President to stop using code words that divide Americans by race, gender, income and sexual orientation.

I think I’ve got it now. In this Dean’s world (with apologies to the real Dean’s World), the word “quota'” is inflammatory because it divides Americans by race, etc., but actually dividing people by race (preferences to so many from this group, so many to that group, none to this or that group) is hunky dory.

Say What?