GOP chief: Reid's "Negro" remarks reflect a double standard

[peejay 327]

GOP chief: Reid remarks reflect a double standard

By DOUGLASS K. DANIEL Associated Press

Jan. 10, 2010, 10:56AM

WASHINGTON — The Republican Party chairman on Sunday accused Democrats of a double standard by accepting Sen. Harry Reid's apology for racial remarks about Barack Obama instead of demanding Reid's ouster as majority leader.

In a private conversation reported in a new book, Reid described Obama during the 2008 presidential campaign as a “light-skinned” African-American “with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”

Reid, D-Nev., apologized to Obama on Saturday, and the president issued a statement accepting the apology and saying the matter was closed.

GOP Chairman Michael Steele, in appearances on two Sunday news programs, compared Reid's predicament with the circumstances that led Senate Republican leader Trent Lott to step down from that post in 2002. Lott had spoken favorably of the 1948 segregationist presidential campaign of Strom Thurmond, and in spite of apologies for those remarks at Thurmond's 100th birthday, Lott was forced out as leader.

“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. But if it comes from anyone else, it's racism,” said Steele, who is black. “It's either racist or it's not. And it's inappropriate, absolutely.”

Democratic Sens. Dianne Feinstein of California and Jack Reed of Rhode Island joined other Democrats in saying Reid's apology and Obama's statement were enough. They also rejected comparisons to the Lott episode.

“I think that's a totally different context. Harry Reid made a misstatement,” Reed said. “He owned up to it. He apologized. I think he is mortified by the statement he's made. And I don't think he should step down.”

Steele said Reid's remarks reflect an “attitude” by the Nevada senator, and Steele cited the lawmaker's comment last month about those who would want to go more slowly on overhauling health care: “You think you've heard these same excuses before? You're right. In this country there were those who dug in their heels and said, ‘Slow down, it's too early. Let's wait. Things aren't bad enough.' — about slavery.”

To Steele, “Clearly, he is out of touch not only with where America and his district are but where — how African-Americans generally feel about these issues.”

Reid, whose tenure as majority leader has drawn criticism from liberals and conservatives, faces a difficult reelection bid this fall.

Asked to respond to Steele's remarks about Reid, the senator's spokesman Jim Manley said: “Sen. Reid is absolutely running for reelection. Nevadans are facing challenging times and they need the majority leader fighting for them to create jobs and get the economy back on track.”

In their book “Game Change,” Time Magazine's Mark Halperin and New York magazine's John Heilemann report that Reid “was wowed by Obama's oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama — a ‘light-skinned' African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,' as he later put it privately.”

The behind-the-scenes look at the 2008 campaign that elevated Obama to the White House is based on the writers' interviews with more than 200 sources. Most of them were granted anonymity and thus much of the material could not be immediately corroborated.

Democratic Party Chairman Tim Kaine said the remarks were inappropriate, but also contended that they came in the context of saying “positive things about his candidacy and why his candidacy would be strong.”

Steele responded: “All I know is that if (Senate Republican leader) Mitch McConnell had said those very words, that this chairman and this president would be calling for his head, and they would be labeling every Republican in the country as a racist for saying exactly what this chairman has just said.”

On Saturday, after his remarks appeared on the Web site of The Atlantic, Reid issued a statement apologizing for “using such a poor choice of words.” He added, “I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African-Americans for my improper comments.”

Obama quickly followed with a statement calling the remarks “unfortunate” and accepting the apology. “As far as I am concerned,” the president said, “the book is closed.”

Lott apologized for “a poor choice of words” four days after speaking at a birthday celebration for then-Sen. Thurmond, R-S.C. The Mississippi Republican had said the nation would have been better off if Thurmond had won the presidency in 1948. Thurmond was an ardent segregationist and the Democratic governor of South Carolina when he mounted his third-party campaign.

Calls for Lott to step down as Republican leader intensified, and he resigned as Senate leader about a week later. Lott resigned from the Senate in 2007.

Steele and Kaine spoke on “Fox News Sunday” and NBC's “Meet the Press.” Reed spoke on the Fox program, and Feinstein appeared on CBS' “Face the Nation.”

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/nation/6808132.html

[Gary and Alla 3,696]

No double standard. Ried is a Democrat. So is Robert Byrd, former KKK grand poobah. The Democrats have always supported slavery, fought against the civil rights movement (Wallace and Bull Conner were Democrats, MLK Jr. was a Republican) and still work to enslave millions in government ghetto, dependeant on governmentr programs. It is perfectly logical he would make such comments. Sounds just like the good ol boy Democrats.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

The real question: "Will it help Harry sell his book?"

[peejay 327]

Does anyone remember these jewels of wisdom from liberal Democrat Howard Dean?

"I still want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks."

"You know, the Republicans are not very friendly to different kinds of people. They're a pretty monolithic party. Pretty much, they all behave the same, and they all look the same. ... It's pretty much a white Christian party.''

You pretty much have to wonder the reaction if a white conservative said the first quote or if a white conservative had made disparaging comments about the racial / religious makeup of the Democratic party.

[SuperDuper! 230]

With all this recent media use of the word, Negro, and all its offensiveness, you would think that the United Negro College Fund would get with the times and think about changing their name. You don't hear about protesters showing up at the home office there.

http://www.uncf.org/

Edited January 10, 2010 by Hopp

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Reid needs to stay as Senate Leader until the Health Care Bill has passed its final hurdle and the President signs it, then he should gracefully step down.

[scandal 951]

GOP Chairman Michael Steele, in appearances on two Sunday news programs, compared Reid's predicament with the circumstances that led Senate Republican leader Trent Lott to step down from that post in 2002. Lott had spoken favorably of the 1948 segregationist presidential campaign of Strom Thurmond, and in spite of apologies for those remarks at Thurmond's 100th birthday, Lott was forced out as leader.

I agree with Steele on this one. I don't think Lott should have been forced out at the time. He did apologize. That apology should have been accepted and we should just have moved on. It should not have been a firing offense.

[SuperDuper! 230]

Does anyone remember these jewels of wisdom from liberal Democrat Howard Dean?

You pretty much have to wonder the reaction if a white conservative said the first quote or if a white conservative had made disparaging comments about the racial / religious makeup of the Democratic party.

Nope. All I remember about Howard Dean is his "I have a scream" moment.

KDwODbl3muE

[one...two...tree 2,762]

I agree with Steele on this one. I don't think Lott should have been forced out at the time. He did apologize. That apology should have been accepted and we should just have moved on. It should not have been a firing offense.

I agree as well. However, Reid should step down on his own accord over this one, as a gesture of good faith.

[Pooky 3,876]

I agree as well. However, Reid should step down on his own accord over this one, as a gesture of good faith.

He won't, though, for the simple fact that this comment was made in 2008 and he only felt the need to apologise once it was made public, not as soon as his foot appeared in his mouth. In his mind, the wrongdoing is not the comment itself, it is that he got caught.

[scandal 951]

He won't, though, for the simple fact that this comment was made in 2008 and he only felt the need to apologise once it was made public, not as soon as his foot appeared in his mouth. In his mind, the wrongdoing is not the comment itself, it is that he got caught.

Which makes him no better and no worse than any of the other 99 Senators and 435 members of the House we've got in Washington.

Edited January 10, 2010 by scandal

[Gary and Alla 3,696]

Does anyone remember these jewels of wisdom from liberal Democrat Howard Dean?

You pretty much have to wonder the reaction if a white conservative said the first quote or if a white conservative had made disparaging comments about the racial / religious makeup of the Democratic party.

You gotta love our former governor! Our state is 96.4% white European descent, 0.9% black.

Reid needs to stay as Senate Leader until the Health Care Bill has passed its final hurdle and the President signs it, then he should gracefully step down.

he will be out in a year anyway. The voters will see to that. Good riddance

[Pooky 3,876]

He won't, though, for the simple fact that this comment was made in 2008 and he only felt the need to apologise once it was made public, not as soon as his foot appeared in his mouth. In his mind, the wrongdoing is not the comment itself, it is that he got caught.

Which makes him no better and no worse than any of the other 99 Senators and 435 members of the House we've got in Washington.

You'll get no disagreement from me on that one.

He needs to go and go now, not when it is politically expedient.