Bush camp solicits race of Star staffer
By C.J. Karamargin
ARIZONA DAILY STAR
President Bush's re-election campaign insisted on knowing the race of an Arizona Daily Star journalist assigned to photograph Vice President Dick Cheney.
The Star refused to provide the information.
Cheney is scheduled to appear at a rally this afternoon at the Pima County Fairgrounds.
A rally organizer for the Bush-Cheney re-election campaign asked Teri Hayt, the Star's managing editor, to disclose the journalist's race on Friday. After Hayt refused, the organizer called back and said the journalist probably would be allowed to photograph the vice president.
"It was such an outrageous request, I was personally insulted," Hayt said later.
Danny Diaz, a spokesman for the president's re-election campaign, said the information was needed for security purposes.
"All the information requested of staff, volunteers and participants for the event has been done so to ensure the safety of all those involved, including the vice president of the United States," he said.
Diaz repeated that answer when asked if it is the practice of the White House to ask for racial information or if the photographer, Mamta Popat, was singled out because of her name. He referred those questions to the U.S. Secret Service, which did not respond to a call from the Star Friday afternoon.
Hayt declined to speculate on whether Popat was racially profiled, but said she is deeply concerned.
"One has to wonder what they were going to do with that information," Hayt said. "Because she has Indian ancestry, were they going to deny her access? I don't know."
Journalists covering the president or vice president must undergo a background check and are required to provide their name, date of birth and Social Security number. The Star provided that information Thursday for Popat and this reporter.
"That's all anybody has been asked to provide," said Hayt, adding that this is the first time in her 26-year career that a journalist's race was made an issue.
Posted by P6 at July 31, 2004 08:13 PM
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Trackback President Bush's re-election campaign insisted on knowing the race of an Arizona Daily Star journalist assigned to photograph Vice President Dick Cheney. From P6. Things that make you go Hmmmmmm. Change my URL in your Blogroll Prometheus! Dayum takes m...
Posted by In Search of Utopia at Aug 1, 2004 12:41 AM
Reading the linked artickle, in the paragraph immediately after where you stopped quoting, a campaign organizer states this was for identification purposes.
If you're black and you're trying to tell somebody how to identify you when you meet in the future, do you say "dark hair and brown eyes," or do you say you're black? Chances are you begin with the more descriptive characteristic. With that in mind, the question seems very rational.
Posted by McGroarty at August 1, 2004 05:00 AMReading the linked artickle, in the paragraph immediately after where you stopped quoting
Sixth paragraph. I quote the campaign organizer saying it was for security purposes. That obviously includes identification. I try to avoid redundancy because I type a lot.
If you're black and you're trying to tell somebody how to identify you when you meet in the future, do you say "dark hair and brown eyes," or do you say you're black? Chances are you begin with the more descriptive characteristic. With that in mind, the question seems very rational.
How is "Black" more descriptive when it applies to Halle Berry and Moms Mabley? Wesley Snipes and Colin Powell?
And why wasn't the question necessary for 26 years?
I know, I know nineelevenchangedeverything.