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How long will Michigan's reprieve for affirmative action last? Who invited Ward Connerly to Wisconsin? Has apartheid returned? What are bloggers saying about this week's top affirmative-action news? Like most things, it depends on whom you ask.

Affirmative-Action-Ban Takes 'Timeout'

What happened? A federal court OK'd Michigan universities' request to delay the voter-approved affirmative-action ban, which was scheduled to take effect Saturday. Universities have until July 1 to revise their admissions policies to reflect the amendment. Attorney General Michael Cox, who supports the ban, brokered the deal. Civil-rights groups, including the NAACP Legal Defense and Educational Fund, NAACP-Detroit Chapter and American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan, sued to make the reprieve permanent.

What's in the blogs? Some are saying this could open the door for a permanent reprieve, as a coalition of civil-rights groups already have sued to that effect. Coalition leaders say the amendment violates the 2003 Supreme Court decision that allowed the University of Michigan (UM) to consider race as one factor in admissions decisions. Read more. "Ultimately, this could get to the U.S. Supreme Court." Read more.

Will UM look to UCLA for advice? UCLA has renewed its commitment to "holistic review" in light of black students' meager representation after California's 1996 decision to outlaw affirmative action in public education, employment and contracting. Cynics argue holistic review means admissions officers don't have to explain why they choose a certain candidate, which means their decisions may be biased to promote diversity. Read more.

Who Invited Ward Connerly?

What happened? Ward Connerly stopped in Wisconsin Tuesday—the first of nine states in which he plans to explore anti-affirmative-action ballot proposals. He spoke before the Legislative Council Special Committee on Affirmative Action Policies, which is considering enacting a statewide ban similar to the one passed in Michigan. Republican Chair Sen. Glenn Grothman, an ardent opponent of affirmative action, invited him.

What's in the blogs? State Rep. Tamara Grigsby, a Democrat, accuses Grothman of "rigging the system" by inviting Connerly to speak at what was intended to be an "unbiased" evaluation of the state's affirmative-action policies. Read more.

Students liken Connerly's appearance to the "image of Jim Crow returning to Wisconsin." Two student bloggers ask their peers to join the bipartisan student organizations opposing consideration of an affirmative-action ban. Read more. Another student explains why holistic admissions are not a viable solution to lacking diversity in higher education. Read more.

"Everyone of color ain't my kind," writes one blogger. Why did the nation's most vociferous affirmative-action opponent freely accept minority contracts for his own business? Read more.

'Apartheid Returns'

What happened? Bloggers still are debating the ramifications of two school-integration cases argued before the Supreme Court earlier this month. (See also: 'A Reversal of Historic Proportions': Brown V. Board of Ed May Be Overturned)

What's in the blogs? Former Supreme Court Justice William Coleman Jr., who weighed in on the Brown decision, is "shocked" that opponents of affirmative action are using Brown to defend their argument. Why is he so upset with Chief Justice John Roberts? Why was Justice Clarence Thomas silent throughout the two-hour hearing? Who is Justice Scalia egging on? Read more.

Has apartheid returned to American schools? A Pittsburgh Tribune-Review op-ed says the school-integration cases undermine the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s dream for equality, and the Bush administration is leading the charge. Read more.

Cato Institute Director Andrew Coulson challenges the contention that integration fosters cross-cultural interaction. "These policies have been about as effective as producing meaningful integration and educational excellence as arranged marriages are at manufacturing true love." Read more.

A Supreme farce? In a Washington Times op-ed piece, Thomas Sowell calls the hearing a "hilarious comedy" and says the judges are talking about "nonsense." What are the benefits of diversity? "They are as invisible as the proverbial emperor's new clothes." Read more.

Is Affirmative Action a 'Republican Thing?'

What happened? Republicans are looking to regain ground lost in the mid-term elections. Many bloggers think affirmative action may be their ticket to the majority.

What's in the blogs? Affirmative action is a product of "liberal groupthink," says one blogger, who urges Republicans to align forces on the matter. He says most data provides little evidence of affirmative action's benefits, but "educrats cling to it as though it were a religious relic." Read more.

Thomas Krannawitter, a senior fellow at the Claremont Institute, writes that the reason gubernatorial candidate Republican Dick DeVos lost in Michigan was because he didn't campaign on ending racial preferences. Krannawitter says Republicans can score major electoral points by campaigning on equal opportunity and fairness. Read more.

What do Latinos have to do with it? Bloggers say Republicans have been hesitant to embrace the ban because they're afraid they'll alienate Latino voters, which caused a big problem in the mid-term elections. Read more. Another blogger touts Connerly's new targets, saying Arizona, Colorado, Nevada and Oregon are western states that have been leaning to the left. This is an ideal time to get "die-hard Republicans out to the polls." Read more.

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