Unbalanced? Maybe, but it was a refreshing change from the GOP-fest on Charlie Rose, MSNBC and, of course, Fox News.
I mean, it's not too quaint to suggest that somebody has to give an opposing viewpoint somewhere on cable, is it?
Anyway, an interesting exchange took place during the call-in session, when a woman complained to Reid about how minorities all flock to the Democrats:
CALLER: I'm a registered Democrat but and Jacque your -- your audience is predominantly black and I don't understand what they -- what your audience does not understand. President Bush, who is Condoleezza Rice? Who is Colin Powell and the head of education for the United States is black. How can they say that President Bush is not inclusive of the black race? How can they say he -- he does not try and help the black race?
KING: Before she...
CALLER: And did he not nominate -- this is for Jorge and Jacque, did he not nominate minority judges and who filibustered against them? Who stopped their nomination, the Democrats and I never hear anyone saying anything about it.
KING: All right. We'll start with Jacque and then Jorge -- Jacque.
REID: Well, to answer the question I think that a number of African Americans, the majority, look at the issues. They don't look at things like who is serving in the president's cabinet according to the polls that we've done and other polls that are out there will support this.
A number of African Americans, you know, the Census Bureau just put out poverty numbers, under insured, jobless rate for African Americans is twice that of the rest of the country. When you look at so many social ills that are out there, that resonates with African Americans.
They don't see the Republican Party doing enough and not just with those issues but issues that touch the hearts of African Americans like disenfranchisement when it comes to voting, like affirmative action, like the criminal justice system and the...
KING: So, they don't see -- they see Condoleezza Rice and Colin Powell and the secretary of education as just what?
REID: Well, they think it's wonderful, I think. We looked at the most popular African American figures and Colin Powell was number two. They -- but...
KING: Who was number one?
REID: Jesse Jackson. Jesse Jackson was number one.
KING: Jorge, what about there were many, were there not, Latino judges nominated, held up?
RAMOS: Well, what we can say for sure is the following. Mel Martinez (ph) was the housing secretary with President Bush. Rosario Marin was the treasurer. Hector Barreto works with the Small Business Administration. So, definitely President Bush has been working with Latinos.
But more than blaming President Bush because he has really made an effort to reach the Hispanic voters, I think the problem that many Hispanic voters have is with the Republican Party. This is a party that many Latinos link with Proposition 187 in California, of course, against undocumented immigrants.
This is a party that many Hispanics relate with Pete Wilson, who also has taken many positions against undocumented immigrants. This is a party that has among their members Tom Tancredo, the Congressman of Colorado that constantly criticizes both undocumented and legal immigration.
So, it is very difficult to talk about an inclusive party when still the perception that this is a party that does not accept immigrants and among the many Hispanics is widely seem among many Latinos.
Very nicely done by both Reid and Ramos. The GOP can run its handful of minorities in front of the camera as much as it likes; it's not fooling anybody.
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