Kristin Collins/News & Observer misleads about NCLR (Andrea Bazan)

Kristin Collins of the Raleigh, North Carolina News & Observer offers "La Raza drawn into debate/Sotomayor is a former member" (link), about Sonia Sotomayor's membership in the NCLR. If you trust Collins' reporting, please compare her report to my extensive summary of that group on the National Council of La Raza page. You'll discover a large number of things Collins didn't tell you; whether that's because she's completely gullible or because she's in on the game isn't known, but in either case her journalistic skills are questionable.

The article might be an indication that the NCLR (or even the Obama administration) is concerned that Sotomayor's six-year membership in that group might become an issue. In any case, their board chairwoman Andrea Bazan attempts to spin their name (see this for a response) and what they do:

"People that have worked with NCLR know it as a leading group that works across races and across communities."

I'm sure they abide by all relevant discrimination laws, but at the same time their entire focus is sharply concentrated on Hispanics, including foreign citizens who are here illegally. For an example of that focus, see this. This is the second time recently I've seen them say something like that, and obviously being portrayed as discriminatory is a concern to them.

They're also spinning Sotomayor's involvement with that group:

NCLR officials say Sotomayor paid the group's $35 yearly dues and received its newsletters from 1998 to 2003 and has not been involved since.

Whether that's accurate or not isn't known; when a member of the PRLDEF board she was quite involved and it doesn't seem likely that she treated her membership in the NCLR just as she would a magazine subscription.

Thu, 06/18/2009 - 13:59 · · Importance: 4