“WHITE IRISH CATHOLICS” ROIL MICHELLE

Columnist Lynn Sweet reports that in Jodi Kantor’s new book, The Obamas, Michelle Obama is described as being “distressed” over the dominance of three famous Illinois families. The future First Lady apparently made her comments in the early 1990s when she worked in Chicago Mayor Richard Daley’s City Hall.
 
Kantor says Michelle Obama “particularly resented the way power in Illinois was locked up generation after generation by a small group of families, all white Irish Catholic—the Daleys in Chicago, the Hynes and Madigans statewide.”
 
Catholic League president Bill Donohue responded to the news today:
 
To say that Illinois politics, especially the Chicago brand, has been run by “white Irish Catholics” for a long time is true. It is also true, as I once said, that secular Jews run Hollywood (and unlike an earlier generation of Jews who made reverential movies about Catholicism, films about the Catholic Church over the past few decades have been mostly negative). But the high priests of political correctness only take exception to the latter generalization. No matter, Michelle will not have to answer for her remark, despite the fact that she “resents” the dominance of “white Irish Catholics” in her home city and state.
 
Does this mean Michelle has a problem with the Catholic League? After all, its long-time president and vice president are both “white Irish Catholics.”
 
In all honesty, it’s time for the politically correct gang to take a deep breath and get a life. Generalizations about any racial, ethnic or religious group are not necessarily indicators of some deep-seated bigotry.


Contact our director of communications about Donohue’s remarks:
Jeff Field
Phone: 212-371-3191
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