Alphonso Jackson, in his own words

By Lee Russ

Friday, May 12, 2006 at 05:12 PM

Alphonso Jackson is the HUD Secretary who told that delightful "anecdote about rescinding a HUD contract because the successful bidder said he didn't like Bush.

Big Alphonse has said other things, of course--you don't get to be a big enough Bush crony without saying a Bush load of absurd things.

Here's Alphonso Jackson From a 9/12/04 editorial in USA Today (emphasis added):

...

Diverse and qualified

The Bush administration is the most diverse in history because the president fills jobs on the basis of a person's capabilities and qualifications, not on the color of his or her skin.

Yet critics on the left find it incomprehensible that any black American could succeed on his or her own through hard work and determination. They say that Education Secretary Rod Paige, Secretary of State Colin Powell, national security adviser Condoleezza Rice and myself were merely appointed to garner black votes. Such rhetoric does nothing to support the progress of black Americans, or recognize how far we have come.

The Republican Party is committed to the basic principle that everyone deserves a chance to achieve the American Dream. The dream doesn't lie in victimization or blame; it lies in hard work, determination and a good education.

Bush received only 9% of the black vote in 2000, but his policies have done more for the black community than those of any other modern-era president.

His plan for an "ownership society," for example, has translated into record home ownership in America -- and the highest level in history for blacks, too. For the first time, more than 50% of black Americans own a home.

Progress for black Americans depends on good schools because education is the last great equalizer. This administration guided No Child Left Behind into law, reversing the "soft bigotry of low expectations" that was pervasive before Bush came into office. Now, test scores are on the rise.

Republican policies are good for black Americans. With an honest look at our party, perhaps the facts can drown out the boos.

Yessirreeee!!  Another fine appointment by the president who is known for the finity of his appointments.  Just an aside, but Alphonso apparently also killed a HUD rule that would have saved homebuyers significant money on closing costs because some in the real estate financing and insurance industry didn't like it.  But that was probably good for black homeowners, too.