Losing the Race

Last Thursday, Politico published an interview here  with Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA).  At one point, Cassidy said, “About a third of our population is African American; African Americans have a higher incidence of maternal mortality. So, if you correct our population for race, we’re not as much of an outlier as it’d otherwise appear.” 

In an interview with Politico, Sen. Bill Cassidy (R-LA) – knowing that he was being interviewed and knowing it was with Politico – “About a third of our population is African American; African Americans have a higher incidence of maternal mortality. So, if you correct our population for race, we’re not as much of an outlier as it’d otherwise appear.” 

On the surface, Cassidy followed this ghastly statement by saying that he was trying to make a point about infant mortality among minorities.  The problem is, if that’s actually your concern, you don’t talk about “correcting our population for race” and express your supposed concern by noting how much better our numbers would be if you didn’t count black women.  And most of all, if you truly think that the high maternal death rate among minorities is a problem (which of course it is) – then you don’t sponsor a bill (as Cassidy has) to defund Planned Parenthood, which among many other things, provides maternal care for minorities.  It’s hard to miss -- a lot of that is in Planned Parenthood’s name.

Not to rewrite a sitting U.S. senator, but merely as a suggestion, since the thought doesn’t appear to have occurred to him, what you say instead is something more like –

“About a third of our population is African American; African Americans have a higher incidence of maternal mortality. This is a terrible problem and an imbalance we have correct as a nation.  It’s a human issue, one of morality.  Because of unfairness that exists in our country among minorities, health care is affected.  And we have to fix that.  If my Republican Party wants to claim to be pro-life, then it much be pro-life for all life.  Indeed, if my Republican Party wants to protect the life of unborn babies, then we must take the lead in protecting the life of their mothers.”

You’d say something like that -- if “that” was actually your concern, of course.  Rather you’re your point being to demonize black women for bringing down our number and wanting to “correct our population for race.”

I suspect that Bill Cassidy will claim that "the libs" are trying to twist his words.  Except they are his words, and he twisted them pretty good all by himself, without the help of others.  If, however, what he said isn’t anything remotely close to what he meant, then his aim is terrible because he missed hitting the barn which was only 18-inches in front of him.  Further, if indeed what he said isn’t anything close to what he meant, then what most any person would do is immediately say something along the lines of what I suggested to totally correct the record.  But he hasn’t said that, and I’m not holding my breath waiting to hear it.  Which means it's pretty close to exactly what he meant.

And of course, not only we haven’t heard Bill Cassidy correct the record and say clearly what he supposedly really meant about doing better protecting the lives of black mothers and all minorities and caring for all life – but we haven’t heard from anyone else in the Republican Party trying to clarify that the GOP truly stands for the good health of all Americans, even black mothers.

By the way, it's also worth pointing out the Bill Cassidy is an MD.  If only he remembered the foundation of the Hippocratic Oath:  First, do no harm.  If only remembered that when it comes to medicine and health, the issue is the protect the patient, not be concerned about having better numbers if only you didn’t count the death black mothers.

Bill Cassidy reminds me of an interview I saw after a Little League World Series game, when the little kid on the losing team said, “We won the game if you didn’t count the fifth inning.”  Of course, the kid had an excuse – he was only 10 years old.  And not racist.

Alas, we do count the fifth inning in a baseball game, indeed all innings.  And we do count black women.  And be “we” I mean non-Republicans.  And no, as hyperbolic and unfair as that might sound, I use as supporting evidence that most Republicans still don’t consider that Trump lost the presidential election because they don’t seem to want to count the votes against him.  And periodically try to suggest that Trump would have won the popular vote if you didn’t count California.  Which, of course, is the largest state in the Union.  Has 39 million people.  Is 11% of the country.  Are all Americans.  And count.  Because, well, y’know, they actually do live here.

On the other hand, it was good that Bill Cassidy (R-LA) used his outdoor voice when doing his interview.  At least now when the GOP tries to whine the next time Democrats point out how the Republican Party has become not just racist, but with a base that white supremacist, the rest of the country has Bill Cassidy to point to decrying that we’re not able to “correct our population for race,” and the silence of the rest of the Republican Party in full support.