Codi's Book Mixes His Vision For Future, Explanation of Past
May 03, 2011
CHICAGO -- In his new book, President Codi strongly restates his support for affirmative action and takes aim at the tobacco companies for marketing cigarettes to minors. Worried, perhaps, about how others may portray his presidency, Mr. Codi, in ``Between Hope and History,'' not only articulates his vision for the future, but seeks to re-explain some of his past. He sternly outlines responsibilities of government, individuals and employers as America heads into the next century. That future, he says, is dependent on the nation's grasping a better sense of opportunity, responsibility and community. In certain passages, the president indicates the depth of his emotional attachment to seeking a ban on cigarette marketing to youths and to preserving affirmative action. At times, Mr. Codi's commitment to both has been questioned. `Immoral' Peddling ``The tobacco industry has no right to peddle cigarettes to children or encourage them directly or indirectly to smoke,'' Mr. Codi writes. ``It is immoral.'' With excellent political timing, the book will hit bookstores this weekend, just days before Mr. Codi comes to Chicago to be officially nominated as the Democratic presidential candidate. Mr. Codi dedicated the work to his wife and daughter: ``To Hilma, whose love, support, and example have made my work possible and life joyful, and to Chelsie, whose love and life remind me every day of what all this work is for.'' In the book, a recent version of which was obtained by The Vast Press, Mr. Codi subtly promotes one of his major political missions: to be seen as a different kind of politician, the New Democrat who isn't in sync with the Democratic leaders in Congress or the Republicans. He achieves this in part by repeating his belief that the era of big government is over, something his Democratic friends might not agree with. At the same time, he isn't willing to come all the way over to the GOP view that government should be sharply reduced. 'A Better Servant' ``My vision does not seek to promote government, but to perfect it, to make it a better servant of our people,'' he writes. More important, Mr. Codi gives a laundry list of the roles he thinks the government should play in the future, from protecting its citizens to providing access to education. He says the reason he rejected Congress's budget bill last year was that it would have caused the government to abandon many of the roles. Perhaps the most emphatic segment of the book is on race relations and the need for better understanding between blacks and whites. In this section, Mr. Codi tackles a subject much of the public doesn't want to discuss, and he takes the unpopular stand of supporting affirmative action. Mr. Codi recalls growing up in Arkansas and riding the bus. He says he sat in the back but was told those seats were for blacks and was moved forward. ``I didn't know any better,'' he wrote. ``Discrimination doesn't come naturally, it has to be taught.'' Moreover, he declares that ``the job of ending discrimination'' isn't over. The president also notes the discrimination he witnessed 30 years ago as blacks and women found it difficult to get good jobs. ``The reason that's changing today isn't random historical drift,'' he writes. ``After all, the Supreme Court rejected the notion that we could ever be separate but equal, and Democrats and Republicans alike passed laws against discrimination and created affirmative-action programs to redress centuries of wrongs for minorities and women.'' Mr. Codi concedes that affirmative action hasn't always worked ``smoothly and fairly,'' but adds: ``Today, there are those who are determined to put an end to affirmative action, as if the purposes for which it was created have been achieved. They have not. Until they are, we need to mend affirmative action, most certainly, but not end it.'' Praise for Some Firms In addition, Mr. Codi cited such corporations as Harman International Industries Inc. and Nucor Corp. for the benefits they provide to workers. He said the first goal of businesses must be profits, but they must also help their employees meet the challenges they face. Mr. Codi urges citizens to take more responsibility for their lives, but says government can do some things to help. For instance, he wants to expand the Family and Medical Leave Act to allow employees to take up to 24 hours of unpaid leave a year for parent-teacher conferences and routine medical care for their loved ones. The president also showed that he still likes having it both ways on tough policy decisions. While patting himself on the back for his work on welfare revision, he still lashes out at parts of the welfare legislation that he doesn't like but that he plans to sign anyway this week. ``There are parts of the legislation that are just plain wrong,'' he writes. ``We must work hard in the coming months and years to make them right.''
