I'll be honest - I'm pretty sure I posted something about Teresa Heinz (she has legally gone back to just "Heinz", not "Heinz Kerry", at least at the last printing) not being born in the USA. And I would have a problem in having a First Lady who wasn't a native-born American.

But problems are meant to be dealt with. If TH(K) had been less flaky, she wouldn't have been a liability. Saying that she was "African American" was frankly insulting to many who consider themselves African American, among other things. I've often wondered if she just became unhinged after Sen. John Heinz's tragic death, or would John Heinz have had a chance at the White House with her?

My few cents:

* "Jeb" is a nickname. His real name is John Ellis Bush (or something like that).

* George P. might be cute, but let's not forget his siblings. The younger son has been arrested a few times (not for anything major - I seem to recall he & a girl were caught undressed in a car parked @ a mall). And then of course, there's the daughter who has been in & out of rehab. Mom is no angel either. She "forgot" to claim thousands of dollars of merchandise one time returning from abroad. Oops.

(Hmm... since their mother is Mexican, do you think these Bush kids check that "hispanic" box on all the forms? Weird to think that Bush's kids would be filling a quota...or be eligible for some minority scholarships..)

* As for Teresa Heinz, I know a university professor who was born & raised in South Africa. He is now a naturalized American. He says why shouldn't he call himself an African American, when that's what he really is?? (but this is for another thread..!)

That makes sense to me... If you're born in African and move to America, then of course you're an African-American (white or black). If you're born in America, I consider you an American, regardless of your skin color.

i doubt too many americans share your optimism.

A lot of people had problems with THK calling herself African because she benefitted from the colonialism (she grew up Portuguese in Mozambique) that took place. I personally really liked her, but felt she had a pretty bad case of F-I-M disease.

Did the leaders in the African American community have that big a problem with her saying she was African American? I thought it was mostly the mainstream press that had fits over that.

There is a difference between "African American" and "African-American".

-Rudey

i do


:p

^^^ one of like 14.

LOL

I thought Heinz grew up in Rhodesia (now zimbabwe)

Why? If the President is native-born, that satisfies the Constitutional requirements. What difference does it make where the person he happens to be married to is from? It's not like the First Lady has any real political "power". She might have some "popular opinion" or general "media" power, but how is that any different from Nicole Kidman (native Australian), for example??