[el penguino]

Quote

Republicans cite Lott in calling for Reid to quit

By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL

WASHINGTON – A double standard? Republicans seeking Sen. Harry Reid's resignation as majority leader over racial remarks he made about Barack Obama say yes — that Reid should be held to the same standard as former GOP Sen. Trent Lott, whose own racial gaffes cost him the Senate leadership in 2002.

Democrats say no, that Reid's comments — while unfortunate — were nothing like Lott's.

Reid apologized to Obama and a handful of black political leaders after a new book reported that he was favorably impressed by Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign and, in a private conversation, described the Illinois senator as a "light-skinned" African-American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

Obama, who tries to steer clear of the political thicket of race and politics, accepted the apology and said he wanted to close the book on the episode. Republicans were eager to keep it open Sunday, comparing Reid's remarks to those that cost Trent Lott the Senate leadership in 2002 and questioning why there was different reaction now.

Lott had cheered the 1948 presidential campaign of Strom Thurmond — a segregationist Democrat opposing President Harry Truman — during a 100th birthday tribute to Thurmond, by then a longtime Republican senator.

Lott, R-Miss., eventually apologized but resigned nearly two weeks later after a growing number of Republicans questioned his effectiveness, especially after he told Black Entertainment Television he supported affirmative action, no longer opposed the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday, and would back programs aimed at minorities. He resigned from the Senate in 2007.

In Reid's case, at least so far, Democrats have been content to chide the Nevada Democrat and cast his remarks as inappropriate and, as Obama said, "unfortunate."

"There is this standard where the Democrats feel that they can say these things and they can apologize when it comes from the mouths of their own," Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele, who is black, said Sunday. "But if it comes from anyone else, it's racism."

Sen. John Cornyn, R-Texas, the chairman of the National Republican Senatorial Committee, said in a statement that Reid should step down, calling his comments "embarrassing and racially insensitive."

"It's difficult to see this situation as anything other than a clear double standard on the part of Senate Democrats and others," Cornyn said.

Former Rep. Harold Ford, an African-American who is chairman of the Democratic Leadership Council, called Reid's remarks "an unusual set of words."

But in an interview Monday on NBC's "Today" show, Ford said "I don't believe in any way Harry Reid had any racial animus. I think there's an important distinction between he and Trent Lott."

Ford, who is considering challenging Sen. Kirsten Gillibrand, D-N.Y., in his party's primary this year, also said he thinks no Democrats have called for Reid's ouster because "I think he has a (civil rights) record you can point to."

c/o Associated Press

Personally I think the Republicans are overreacting.

What interests me the most is that both Jesse Jackson and Al Sharpton should be on every major news show on every network and calling for Reid's resignation. I haven't seen a word from either of them. This pretty much indicates that racism is only an issue for them when the offender disagrees with their political views.

[Hotcorner]

el penguino, on January 11, 2010 - 10:07 AM, said:

This pretty much indicates that racism is only an issue for them when the offender disagrees with their political views.

shocked, yes shocked I am at this revelation.


But yeah much ado about nothing. Obama isn't light-skinned?

NO ONE MAY UTTER ANY RACE-RELATED WORDS OR ELSE YOU LOVE DAVID DUKE.

[PhxPhin]

probably the worse part is the "negro dialect" line .... but I agree, there is overreaction similar to the overreaction you get from guys like sharpton - who as noted is silent on this issue

[Rabbethan]

He was basically right though. Anyone here think that he would have won if he was extremely dark and speaking in Ebonics during the entire campaign?

[PhxPhin]

people who sound ignorant usually don't get to high level positions - you don't see many CEOs speaking in slang in front of the shareholders

it also goes back to that whole "he speaks well" thing - which is almost implicit in that it mentions something that you wouldn't mention about a candidate with a different background

Basically saying that "Negros" have a "dialect" that is something other than formal english or educated. This guy is exemplary because although he is black, he doesn't sound like a typical negro.

It's a little insulting.

Even with that though I think it's pretty clear he was speaking in more of a clinical sense as far as analyzing perceptions, possibilities, etc

[bobbob1313]

It's definitely a back handed compliment.

Chris Rock used to have a bit about how people used to be surprised that Colin Powel speaks so well.

[industrialescampeon]

And yet Bush spoke like a mule and we elected him twice*

*2000, ay

[el penguino]

The Jacobins used the guillotine. The NKVD used Siberian gulags. The Republicans and Democrats use political correctness.

For the past year, the Democratic Party has been attempting to brand those who oppose Obama's policies as being racist. What was originally the game played by the likes of Sharpton and Jackson quickly spread to the likes of Nancy Pelosi and left-leaning pundits. The term "racism" has lost its meaning because it has been the victim of political exploitation.

I believe Reid's statement was accurate. In today's political climate it is probably grounds for dismissal. However, in a well tempered society, it is nothing to lose one's job over.

Clearly the Republicans are trying to enact payback. Unfortunately for them, they are choosing a weak target. Reid has been showing low approval ratings and it is likely that his very own constituency would have outed him before the Republicans started running with this.

[Dodge]

I don't think that opposition to Obama is racist but certainly that a substantial amount is. But I guess it depends on the environment you're in.... for me, it kind of makes me feel that way because I've got some back asswards people in my extended family saying things like "it's your fault we elected a n***** president."

[el penguino]

Dodge, on January 11, 2010 - 08:18 PM, said:

I don't think that opposition to Obama is racist but certainly that a substantial amount is. But I guess it depends on the environment you're in.... for me, it kind of makes me feel that way because I've got some back asswards people in my extended family saying things like "it's your fault we elected a n***** president."

That's not what I'm saying.

There might be a certain demographic of people who dislike Obama the man for racially driven reasons. The bigoted remarks and insults you describe are usually not directed toward any substantial policy decision and are symptomatic of what you describe.

I am referring to the fact that the likes of Jimmy Carter and Nancy Pelosi have insinuated that those opposed to the health care legislation (and want it to be stalled or scrapped entirely) are doing so because they are in fact racists. They don't even seem to be considering the fact that the health care proposal might be completely disastrous on its own merits. In other words, many people have spoken out against this health care bill and want it to disappear but according to Carter and Pelosi, many of us are driven by race.

They are injecting race into a situation only to serve a political end (that being, to try to guilt people into supporting a bad bill). That is different than someone deliberately making a racially charged remark (say, calling Obama a n*****).

Hopefully this clears up what I am trying to say.

[legacyofCangelosi]

How was Lott's remark worse?

[Fish Dynasty]

el penguino, on January 11, 2010 - 08:33 PM, said:

Dodge, on January 11, 2010 - 08:18 PM, said:

I don't think that opposition to Obama is racist but certainly that a substantial amount is. But I guess it depends on the environment you're in.... for me, it kind of makes me feel that way because I've got some back asswards people in my extended family saying things like "it's your fault we elected a n***** president."

That's not what I'm saying.

There might be a certain demographic of people who dislike Obama the man for racially driven reasons. The bigoted remarks and insults you describe are usually not directed toward any substantial policy decision and are symptomatic of what you describe.

I am referring to the fact that the likes of Jimmy Carter and Nancy Pelosi have insinuated that those opposed to the health care legislation (and want it to be stalled or scrapped entirely) are doing so because they are in fact racists. They don't even seem to be considering the fact that the health care proposal might be completely disastrous on its own merits. In other words, many people have spoken out against this health care bill and want it to disappear but according to Carter and Pelosi, many of us are driven by race.

They are injecting race into a situation only to serve a political end (that being, to try to guilt people into supporting a bad bill). That is different than someone deliberately making a racially charged remark (say, calling Obama a n*****).

Hopefully this clears up what I am trying to say.

The fact that many Democrats have taken the stance thet anyone who dislikes Obama must be a racist is also another factor that is creating racism among the right-wing, in my opinion.

[Orlando Rays]

legacyofCangelosi, on January 11, 2010 - 09:14 PM, said:

How was Lott's remark worse?

What's good for the goose should be good for the gander. They forced Trent Lott out for his remarks. Harry Reid should go too. Of course it's pretty plain right now he's out the door anyway.

[Spike]

Now if we can get people to stop using the term "African American", which is one of the most laughably stupid phrases ever coined.

I will probably get flack for saying this, but think about the term and you will realize how absurd it is. Why cant people just be American? The vast majority of "African Americans" are not only not from Africa, but have never been there. And if they had been, they would be a Kenyan American or Libyan American or Senegali Americans, etc. And to top it off, not everyone from Africa is black. From the mid Sahara up, you run into a large Arab population.

It is time for this term to just go away because it makes absolutely zero sense and is a case political correctness gone overboard.

/soapbox

[Rabbethan]

legacyofCangelosi, on January 11, 2010 - 09:14 PM, said:

How was Lott's remark worse?

Because what Reid said was basically true (the wording could have been better) and what Lott said was that if we would have been better off electing a president in 1948 that was running an election based heavily on racial segregation.

[Rabbethan]

Spike, on January 12, 2010 - 03:10 PM, said:

Now if we can get people to stop using the term "African American", which is one of the most laughably stupid phrases ever coined.

I will probably get flack for saying this, but think about the term and you will realize how absurd it is. Why cant people just be American? The vast majority of "African Americans" are not only not from Africa, but have never been there. And if they had been, they would be a Kenyan American or Libyan American or Senegali Americans, etc. And to top it off, not everyone from Africa is black. From the mid Sahara up, you run into a large Arab population.

It is time for this term to just go away because it makes absolutely zero sense and is a case political correctness gone overboard.

/soapbox

Don't forget white South Africans.

I basically agree with you on this.

[Hotcorner]

Spike, on January 12, 2010 - 03:10 PM, said:

Now if we can get people to stop using the term "African American", which is one of the most laughably stupid phrases ever coined.

I will probably get flack for saying this, but think about the term and you will realize how absurd it is. Why cant people just be American? The vast majority of "African Americans" are not only not from Africa, but have never been there. And if they had been, they would be a Kenyan American or Libyan American or Senegali Americans, etc. And to top it off, not everyone from Africa is black. From the mid Sahara up, you run into a large Arab population.

It is time for this term to just go away because it makes absolutely zero sense and is a case political correctness gone overboard.

/soapbox

yeah it's been argued ad nauseum. And though I tend to agree, I kinda doubt you refer to anyone as African-American though if you don't like the term, so probably isn't really a big deal. I mean who really cares.

and I assume you feel the same way about "Asian-American" then? etc, etc?

[Spike]

I feel the same about it all, but African American is the only one that carries any negative connotation if it isnt used.

[Jimmy42Jack0]

boy i guess im crazy or just drastically misinformed but i havent seen jimmy carter or nancy pelosi use any sort of a racial card in discussing health care

and i read boston.com everyday and let me tell you, the nut jobs of the north have come out in full force on that website and i still havent seen where either carter or pelosi made racists overtures

but i take pride in knowing that healthcare is well on its way, palin will be a huge failure at faux news and the GOP doesnt have a single, solitary chance at winning the presidency, despite the predictable low approval ratings on obama

[legacyofCangelosi]

Rabbethan, on January 12, 2010 - 03:15 PM, said:

legacyofCangelosi, on January 11, 2010 - 09:14 PM, said:

How was Lott's remark worse?

Because what Reid said was basically true (the wording could have been better) and what Lott said was that if we would have been better off electing a president in 1948 that was running an election based heavily on racial segregation.

Actually, and for the sake of argument, we have no idea what would have happened if Thurmond had won. So it isn't about one statement being more true than the other.

The real reason Lott waas 'forced' top resign was not really what he said, but that after the statement was made he began to change his stance of certain issues to appease the critics.

Making that statement Lott made in someone's 100th birthday is not bad at all. He wasn't given a polygraph to see if he really meant it. If you have a friend that has a negative quality do you bring it up at his birthday party or instead do you just sing someone's praises.

Reid's statement is the example of this elitist mentality that is prevalent in this country against minorities, which is just as bad as the virulent racism of the segregation era. A belief in a person of a minority group as this 'other' that needs to be coddled and treated differently because they are unable to make it on their own.

[Spike]

Jimmy42Jack0, on January 12, 2010 - 06:57 PM, said:

boy i guess im crazy or just drastically misinformed but i havent seen jimmy carter or nancy pelosi use any sort of a racial card in discussing health care

and i read boston.com everyday and let me tell you, the nut jobs of the north have come out in full force on that website and i still havent seen where either carter or pelosi made racists overtures

but i take pride in knowing that healthcare is well on its way, palin will be a huge failure at faux news and the GOP doesnt have a single, solitary chance at winning the presidency, despite the predictable low approval ratings on obama

Even if Pelosi hasnt used a racial remark, she has still proven herself to be one of the most incompetent, abrasive, ridiculously close minded, and ignorant politicians the United States has produced. She is a microcosm of what is wrong with American politics. Along with people like you, who think their party is right and the other is wrong no matter what despite the numerous failures of your own party(the financial collapse and Islamic extremism against the United States were heavily fostered under Carter and Clinton).

I cant believe you want government run healthcare considering how poor the care is in every country that has implemented it(exorbitant taxes to pay for it, little if any medical advances, long wait lines for apathetic salary controlled doctors...I bet you were heavily for Cap and Trade as well). Palin should be a decent reporter, considering that is her college degree. The Republicans also have a decent chance to take back not only the Presidency if they pick the right candidates, but a great chance at taking many seats in Congress, as the Democrat controlled Congress has been an abject failure so far and has among the lowest approval ratings in history.

[Jimmy42Jack0]

[/quote]
Even if Pelosi hasnt used a racial remark, she has still proven herself to be one of the most incompetent, abrasive, ridiculously close minded, and ignorant politicians the United States has produced. She is a microcosm of what is wrong with American politics. Along with people like you, who think their party is right and the other is wrong no matter what despite the numerous failures of your own party(the financial collapse and Islamic extremism against the United States were heavily fostered under Carter and Clinton).

I cant believe you want government run healthcare considering how poor the care is in every country that has implemented it(exorbitant taxes to pay for it, little if any medical advances, long wait lines for apathetic salary controlled doctors...I bet you were heavily for Cap and Trade as well). Palin should be a decent reporter, considering that is her college degree. The Republicans also have a decent chance to take back not only the Presidency if they pick the right candidates, but a great chance at taking many seats in Congress, as the Democrat controlled Congress has been an abject failure so far and has among the lowest approval ratings in history.
[/quote]
give me a break...pelosi is a peach when compared to mccarthy®, both bushes ®, cheney®, rove®, huckabee®, and many, many other wonderful hate mongers and war hawks...i dont think the dems are always right and the repubs are always wrong, not in theory anyways...just the crass way repubs have about doing their business...war on terror? so lets invade TWO countries and help bankrupt the country...war on drugs and throw billions down the shitter on something that can NEVER be won...oh...and its perfectly fine to let wall street do whatever the f*** they want right? i mean why have any regulation on our banks when we are so f***ing far in debt my great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, great, grand kids will still be paying off your dumbass war in iraq

oh...and islamic extremism against the United States comes from 2 things and 2 things alone...our support of israel and our boots(and guns, tanks, bazookas and drones) on their sand...these people have nothing we want except OIL...and lets see...how did those damn bushes make their money? OIL...wonder why we are there? OIL...are you still with me spike?

and no...your ignorance on healthcare is plain as sight...france and germany have wonderful healthcare, as does canada...so someone gets lost in the crowd and dies while waiting for a new heart or kidney? should we scrap that system? hell no...how many people die everyday in this country because they fell through the cracks of our own system? way tooo many...and medical advances come from pharmaceutical companies and the like, not doctors working in their basement so i have no idea what your point is there

palin has quit everything she done in her life, she willingly paraded her family in front of the media and f***ed them up beyond belief and she doesnt know that and why there are 2 koreas...should i say more? or has she gone rouge enough for anyone else?

oh and who is going to take the presidency away from obama? jindel? palin? mccain? abe lincoln? thomas jefferson? you guys dont stand a chance...i just hope you arent too dispointed in 3 years pal

[el penguino]

It was Pelosi who tried to equate the anti-gay rhetoric of San Francisco in the 1970s with the health care protests. Jimmy Carter was more direct and explicit:

Quote

Carter's comments came a day after he said racial politics played a role in South Carolina Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst during Obama's speech to Congress last week and in some of the opposition the president has faced since taking office.

"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African-American," Carter told "NBC Nightly News."

c/o CNN.com

Paul Krugman also made the same accusations:

Quote

For the most part, the protesters appear to be genuinely angry. The question is, what are they angry about?
...
[T]hey're probably reacting less to what Mr. Obama is doing, or even to what they've heard about what he's doing, than to who he is.
...
It's a strategy that has played a central role in American politics ever since Richard Nixon realized that he could advance Republican fortunes by appealing to the racial fears of working-class whites.

c/o New York Times

[Mets_bs]

Rabbethan, on January 11, 2010 - 11:03 AM, said:

He was basically right though. Anyone here think that he would have won if he was extremely dark and speaking in Ebonics during the entire campaign?

Just because something is true doesn't mean it's not racist. I think we all understand to some degree what he meant with his comments, but in those comments he states quite clearly that because Obama possess qualities that more closely resemble a white person he's more likely to be elected President than a person who acts "more negro". Whether true or not, it insinuates that he feels that people who talk and act like a "negro" are inferior.

That said, it's a waste of time and a tad hypocritical to call for the resignation of of Harry Reid over something stupid he said. The guy is cold meat at this point. Put all your resources behind Scott Brown, block the healthcare bill and hit Reid where it hurts. Then laugh as he gets smoked in his bid for re-election. At this point, it's worth taking the high road instead of getting involved in some petty bulls***. That doesn't mean that I don't think there isn't a double standard clearly evident here or that Reid isn't a worthless sack of sh*t, just that he isn't worth the time and effort.

[Dodge]

I really doubt that Pelosi and Carter are implying that all opposition is racist. As I said earlier, I truly believe that a great amount of Obama's critics are racist because I have seen racism rear its ugly head throughout my life and it's not gone, folks.