Men, Women, AND Minorities

My father pointed out this rather oddly phrased comment by Senator Trent Lott regarding the Miers nomination:

There are a lot more people -- men, women and minorities -- that are more qualified, in my opinion, by their experience than she is.

I'm sorry... men, women, and minorities? It's been a long time since that was an acceptable way to categorize people. I'm one to give people the benefit of the doubt, and even with the Thurmond comments that cost him his leadership role, I think Lott just has some articulation problems and an occasionally severe case of foot-in-mouth disease, rather than conscious racial biases. But still, comments like this do make you wonder.