Say What

Protestors Hurl Racial Epithets at CBC Members. Self-proclaimed tea party demonstrators, infuriated by President Barack Obama’ health care legislation, shouted “nigger” at Georgia Congressman John Lewis as he walked into the U.S. Capitol building on March 20. Lewis is a civil rights icon who was severely beaten during an Alabama march in the 1960s.

According to a report from McClatchy Newspapers, lawmakers said protestors also shouted obscenities at other members of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC). "They were shouting, sort of harassing," Lewis said in an interview. "But, it's OK, I've faced this before. It reminded me of the ‘60s. It was a lot of downright hate and anger and people being downright mean."

Lewis said protestors were also yelling, "Kill the bill, kill the bill,” and he responded, 'I'm for the bill, I support the bill, I'm voting for the bill.” Protestors were later heard chanting, “Kill the bill, then kill the nigger.”

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., told McClatchy Newspapers he was a few yards behind Lewis and clearly heard the word "nigger." "It was a chorus," Cleaver said. "In a way, I feel sorry for those people who are doing this nasty stuff. They're being whipped up. I decided I wouldn't be angry with any of them."

---- Hmmm. Does anyone have any video proving this? With all the video and cell phones in the crowd surely someone caught one 'n' word on tape. I can't find one video capturing the slurs.

In this Olbermann interview, James Clyburn (he was there) says he did not hear the slurs. Although with Olbermann he's bolstering the notion that racism is widespread and that he hasn't seen this sort of hate since the 1960s. What? He says he has since received racist faxes with drawings of nooses. Would like to see those published or traced to the originator.

McClatchy Newspapers apparently broke this "story" and as I've blogged for years McClatchy is, like most newspapers today, untrustworthy, unreliable, full of bull (once gave them a Turdal Award).

A few years ago I didn't like conservative liars trying to paint all anti-war folks as loons, but I dislike even less the progressive liars painting all anti-big government folks as racist. Labeling a group as loony is an insult. Labeling a group as racist is trying to instigate. Who's whipping who here? But, when your platform is built on the backs of colored folks, what else can you stand on?