Political Cortex: Brain Food for the Body Politic

Now, let me clear as to what I'm investigating. The Times claims Steele was "pelted" with Oreo cookies. That is not an ambiguous phrasing. "Pelting" means to "strike or assail repeatedly with or as if with blows or missiles." It implies violence, and that the victim was actually struck with something. Calling Michael Steele an "oreo" or joking about Oreo cookies IS racist - but it's very different than violently throwing food at him.

Anyway, here's the story. On September 30, 2002, Steele showed up at the only gubernatorial debate between his running mate, Bob Ehrlich, and Democratic candidate Kathleen Kennedy Townsend. The debate was held at historically black Morgan State University in Baltimore.

I used Lexis to check this, so I'll post the dates and titles of stories.

- In a 10/01/02 Baltimore Sun story about the debate, "Crowd's antics quite debatable," an Ehrlich spokesman claimed Oreos were "distributed" to the audience.

Ehrlich spokesman Paul Schurick said Democrats in the audience went over the top.

They booed Ehrlich's wife and parents, he said, and distributed Oreo cookies in the audience -- a racial insult apparently aimed at GOP lieutenant governor nominee Michael S. Steele, who is black. Schurick also said he thinks they vandalized the cars of several Ehrlich supporters, scratching paint with keys.

- In a Washington Post story of 10/31/02, "With Steele, Unexpected Is the Norm; Candidate Picks His Own Path," Gov. Ehrlich claimed cookies were "brought" at the debate.

Democrats have called him a "token" -- last year, Senate Majority Leader Thomas V. Mike Miller Jr. called him "an Uncle Tom" -- and supporters of the Democratic candidate for governor, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, mocked him by bringing Oreo cookies to a debate last month, Ehrlich said.

In a Capital News Service story about Steele of 11/22/02, "Steele Makes History as First Black Lt. Governor," Steele claimed he merely saw an Oreo roll next to him and thought it had been tossed.

At the candidates' only televised debate in late September, there were reports that Townsend supporters passed out Oreo cookies to represent Steele, joking he was black on the outside but white in the middle.

Paulson denied the incident happened and said the only documented accusation came from Ehrlich spokesman Paul Schurick.

Steele, however, said an Oreo cookie rolled to his feet during the debate.

"Maybe it was just someone having their snack, but it was there," Steele said. "If it happened, shame on them if they are that immature and that threatened by me."

- In an AP article of 02/08/03, "Maryland governor speaks at Delaware GOP gathering," Gov. Ehlrich told Delaware Republicans that cookies were "passed out" at the debate.

"The panel was stacked and the crowd was stacked," he said, noting that his opponents were even passing out Oreo cookies, a jibe at Ehrlich's black running mate, Michael Steele. "Our expectations ratio was pretty bad that evening."

- According to a Baltimore Sun story of 08/31/04, Steele and Gov. Bob Ehrlich claimed that cookies were "tossed" at Steele during the debate.

Steele and Ehrlich still talk about how supporters of former Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend tossed Oreo cookies at Steele during the lone gubernatorial debate in 2002, a symbolic slur that suggested because he was a Republican, he was white on the inside and black on the outside.

- According to a Baltimore Sun story of 10/28/05, "Image on blog portrays Steele in minstrel makeup," Steele had claimed cookies were "tossed" at him.

Steele has endured similar criticism before that his positions are not in line with those of many other African-Americans. He said that during a 2002 campaign debate, Democratic supporters tossed Oreo cookies at him - an object that is black on the outside and white inside.

- According to a Times editorial of 10/31/05, "Slurs against Michael Steele," the cookies were actually thrown at Steele.

The political rabble has shown its ire in ugly racial terms, too. In 2002, during a campaign debate with then-Lt. Gov. Kathleen Kennedy Townsend, Steele-bashers threw Oreo cookies at him.

Note the Times's shaky grasp of facts - Steele didn't debate Townsend. Ehrlich did.

The evidence is pretty clear. A Republican spokesman claimed Oreos were passed out at an event in 2002, and as the years have passed, the story has been given newer and cruder details.

Think about it: if a black candidate for Lt. Gov was pelted with food, in state where so many Washington, DC media people live, and in a race against a member of the Kennedy family - would the media possibly have ignored that story? Of course not.

Then why, three years after the fact, are we supposed to believe this happened?

If you think it'll do any good, here's the Times' contact info.

Washington Times

3600 New York Ave NE

Washington, DC 20002-1947

(202) 636-3000