Whitman's World

I imagine our world would appear differently, when viewed by richer, more privileged eyes than I can muster.

It certainly seems that way, given the unfolding saga of Meg Whitman's undocumented 'alien' housekeeper. Ms Whitman seems not to understand exactly why this revelation is a problem to her.

Whitman is running for governor of California, and has lived (if not voted) in the state, so she should be well aware of the true nature of undocumented workers - and most especially those who care for our homes and children. In the Golden State there's an unofficial, and largely unspoken policy on the subject: 'Don't Ask, Don't Tell', i.e., don't ask whether your domestic service provider is illegal, and they won't tell you.

To most Californians, whether Meg Whitman paid an illegal to take care of her house is immaterial. It's no big deal. Hypocrisy is. And so is the apparent abandonment of someone who was 'like family' when their illegal status became a hurdle to the governorship.

In Ms Whitman's World, it seems people are expendable to expediency. In the end, the effect on Whitman's campaign will depend on how much this incident defines her ethics and morality to the voters, not whether she used an undocumented worker in a state where that is the norm rather than the exception.