Ted Cruz Defends Jeff Sessions: 'The Democrats Are the Party of the Ku Klux Klan'

[DonViejo]

Source: Mediaite

Texas Senator Ted Cruz defended his fellow Republican senator and Donald Trump‘s pick for attorney general Jeff Sessions on Fox News Wednesday, noting it was the Democratic Party that had a history of racism.

Cruz defended the vote to temporarily block Elizabeth Warren from debating on the Senate floor after she read a letter from Coretta Scott King that accused Sessions of trying to keep blacks from voting, calling it a false smear. “It’s one of the crutches– when the left doesn’t have any other arguments, they go and just accuse everyone of being a racist,” Cruz said.

“The Democrats are the party of the Ku Klux Klan,” Cruz continued. “You look at the most racist– you look at the Dixiecrats, they were Democrats who imposed segregation, imposed Jim Crow laws, who founded the Klan. The Klan was founded by a great many Democrats.”

“Now, the Democrats accuse anyone they disagree with of being a racist. That was a false smear of Jeff Sessions and I think he will make an extraordinary attorney general,” he concluded.

###

Read more: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/ted-cruz-defends-jeff-sessions-the-democrats-are-the-party-of-the-ku-klux-klan/

---

video @ link, above

[shrike]

1. How lame.

[tenorly]

26. Especially seeing as the GOP was taken over by members of the CCC in the 1990s.

And the CCC, as anyone who's lived in the Deep South can tell you, is very much the KKK.

[japple]

51. What is the CCC?

[tenorly]

52. The Council of Conservative Citizens

This was formed in the 1960s by the more "respectable" (i.e. moneyed) members of the KKK as a successor to the badly-tarnished klan.

Their quiet rebranding had as much to do with PR as it did it with Robert Kennedy's war on the KKK as Attorney General; those involved in atrocities against blacks or "civil rightsers" could at first avoid or least delay prosecution by being able to deny being klan members - which would be technically true thanks to the CCC.

By the time the Justice Department caught on, Robert Kennedy and the Kennedy/Johnson administrations were long gone.

The CCC lay pretty dormant during the 1970s and '80s, holding sway mostly in Louisiana and Mississippi (and mostly just for sweetheart deals, patronage, and the like). But that all changed under Mr. Southern Strategy: Lee Atwater.

Atwater, a CCC man himself, cultivated his relationships in the group and groomed its members for state and federal office. His first big catch was Trent Lott, elected to the Senate in 1988; by 2002, nearly all GOP congressmen and senators from the Deep South belonged to the CCC - and they were having a ball, until:

To paraphrase Rick Perry: oops!

[japple]

57. I had forgotten (repressed) all about that nasty bunch. I even googled it and

only got references to the Civilian Conservation Corps, which my dearly departed daddy and his brothers were members of in the 1930s.

Thanks for (I think) refreshing my memory.

[tenorly]

58. A tip of the hat to your father and uncles. They had a hand in our recovery from Mellon's depression

I call it that because he (as Treasury Secretary) engineered it, and did so very deliberately.

"Liquidate labor, liquidate stocks, liquidate the farmers, liquidate real estate. Purge the rottenness out of the system so we may pick up the wrecks from less competent people."

Some sick people there - which brings me back to the southern CCC.

I found this very good article written by a Mississippian shortly after the Charleston massacre. It turns out Dylann Roof had ties to the CCC, and would have no doubt joined them had he been able to control his murderous urge.

The article itself (in the link) has been thoroughly purged from the internet, interestingly. Luckily someone posted an excerpt from it here on DU:

http://www.democraticunderground.com/1060116

All the Best, Japple.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

2. If he's still on the phone, ask him where I can get a replacement ribbon for my typewriter. NT

[NRaleighLiberal]

3. Oh my. This is really the race to the bottom!

[EricMaundry]

4. Snake face is crazy

The Klan overwhelmingly votes Republican.

[djg21]

42. Not always.

The Dixiecrats, such as Storm Thurman, George Wallace, and other southern politicians who either were aligned with or in the Klan, started as Dems and were welcomed into the Republican Party en masse in response to the Southern Strategy advanced by Goldwater and Nixon.

[SunSeeker]

56. We're talking about TODAY, djg21.

Lincoln's Republicans were the liberals of their day. The Dixiecrats became Republicans after the Civil Rights Act was passed, completing the ideological switch by the two parties. To suggest today's Dems represent the Klan is utterly false.

[djg21]

61. We're agreeing.

Cruz is intentionally conflating the modern-day Democratic Party with the post-bellum, early 1900s Democratic Party, that included the anti-civil rights Dixiecrats. As you point out, the Republican Party then was the progressive party, and only started to become more conservative around the the turn of the century.

[CakeGrrl]

63. Cruz is just using the standard 'winger retort on message boards.

Any topic that involves racism and the GOP is immediately met with pictures of Robert Byrd giving Hillary a kiss and/or the claim that Cruz made, or the statement that Lincoln the Republican freed the slaves.

All they're doing is ignoring the effect of LBJ signing the Civil Rights Act.

They pretend that didn't happen, along with the accompanying major shift of Dixiecrats to the GOP, where they have remained to nurture the Southern Strategy.

Any time the RW tries to tag TODAY'S Democrats with harboring racists, they need to be slapped down with a history reminder...and a reminder that David Duke and his ilk are very, very happy with the Trump regime in power.

[Cryptoad]

5. History never was his strong point!

[Wounded Bear]

8. Actually, what he said was true 80 years ago...

Now, not so much.

[ehrnst]

14. He didn't say "was" he said "is." (nt)

[Wounded Bear]

18. Oh, I know...

and that will work with his minions.

We know better.

[Cryptoad]

29. Shazammmm,,,,,,

http://www.politifact.com/virginia/statements/2013/jun/10/stephen-martin/state-sen-stephen-martin-says-democratic-party-cre/

[tenorly]

33. Of course. They all migrated to the GOP, at their invitation.

They just think that no one might remember that.

[jayschool2013]

6. Whigs

I'm still pissed off at the Whigs and that damned Millard Fillmore.

[arithia]

7. that would be news to the KKK, Ted.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/post-politics/wp/2016/11/01/the-kkks-official-newspaper-has-endorsed-donald-trump-for-president/?utm_term=.0ead6dded758

[The Wielding Truth]

9. The Democratic Party dropped that banner in the 1960's when the Republican party picked it up.

Then the Tea Bag Party lifted it up and wrapped it around their bible and brought us here.

[hibbing]

20. Saint Reagan and his "welfare queens"

Near Philadelphia Mississippi of all places. Pretty clear there.

Peace

[The Wielding Truth]

31. Reagan sad to say was mentally impaired. It probably allowed him to buy the Republican Party line.

[Valhallakey]

34. They all moved to the Republican Party when the Democrats passes the Civil Rights Act (nt)

[The Wielding Truth]

35. They are still there. Anyone who voted for Trump had to look past or accept that he is racist.

If anyone can accept that their leader is racist then I would say that they are accepting of racism. We cannot accept that kind of leader in America.

[ehrnst]

10. Right. That's why they elected a black president with a muslim name to two terms.... (nt)

[dalton99a]

11. Zzzzzz. The guy who said we needed 100 more like Jesse Helms in the U.S. Senate.

[hamsterjill]

12. Cruz is such an asshole.

I cannot wait until a legitimate Democratic candidate runs against him in my beloved Texas. I will work my fingers to the bone to get that Democrat elected and get rid of the asshole that is Cruz.

[Initech]

23. I would gladly assist on that campaign!

After doing my Stupidest State contest, I should do a "craziest senator" one but I think it would come down to Cruz vs. McConnell, and I think McConnell would win that one no contest.

[turbo_satan]

13. Ah, that old canard again

Yes, the Democrats (specifically, the Dixiecrats) used to be the racists. Then everything flipped after LBJ. The perfect response to Cruz's stupid assertion is "and if this were pre 1964, Sessions would be a Democrat."

[hibbing]

22. + 1

[keithbvadu2]

15. Cruz is absolutely correct! Southerners started the KKK.

Cruz is absolutely correct! Southerners started the KKK.

Thank God the republicans won the Civil War.

[sagesnow]

16. The KKK emigrated to the Republican Party long ago..

As I recall, many Southern Dixie Democrats, who were KKK supporters, left the Democratic party in the 60's after Sen. George Wallace lost several attempts at the Presidential nomination. This is probably a simplistic explanation of the political situation at the time, but it's the way I remember it.
I welcome any political historians to inform and correct this.

[mobeau69]

39. Governor George Wallace.

That was bad enough.

[IronLionZion]

17. Is that why the segregation states vote Republican now?

The states who had the most klan activity are solidly Republican now

[manicraven]

19. Its one of the crutches when the right doesnt have any other arguments, they go and just lie"

Ask David Duke who he supports, or just pay attention. It's not like he's kept it a secret. Ask Breitbart who reads their "news" and is their go-to source for right-wing fake info...

[Initech]

21. Wrong!! Trump is the product of racists, sexists, and misogynists. All of which are 100% republican!

Fuck you Ted!

[Bernardo de La Paz]

24. Just as wrong to say it's the party of KKK as to say Republicans are the party of Lincoln.

They like to trot that one out from time to time, but both events are buried so far in the past that the modern parties bear no resemblance to those old parties.

[mobeau69]

25. LMAO. Leave it to Cruz to use this childish "argument".

Never mind the concept of political re-alignments. And the white masses of deplorables buy this bull shit.

[yallerdawg]

27. If the southerners who vote Republican knew the founder was Abraham Lincoln...

we'd all be freakin' confused!

Thank God they teach factual American history in public schools!

I don't have any idea what Education Secretary Devos wants to have taught. But facts may now be history.

[1965Comet]

28. I thought this guy was supposed to be a master debater

instead, he uses a stupid argument that is historically accurate while at the same time being incredibly irrelevant in regards to the modern era.

[mobeau69]

37. historically accurate in a technical sense only n/t

[1965Comet]

50. Oh I'm with you

There is really no connection between the two parties of yesteryear and those of today, they have completely switched roles.

It's so obvious that I cannot understand why "wonder-boy debater" Cruz tries to argue otherwise.

[MrPurple]

30. This is a common far right talking point

They post it on message boards all the time. I think it's a Breitbart staple.

[Guilded Lilly]

32. And you will make a superb Ex-Senator, ted.

[czarjak]

36. Bullshit believers...

Gonna believe.

[DallasNE]

38. Republicans Purged The Dixiecrats By

Nixon's Southern Strategy whereby the Dixiecrats became the Dixiecans and Sessions was one of the founders of the Dixiecans. The KKK today is dominated by Republicans - they even endorsed Trump in the 2016 election. But I guess none of that really matters to Sen. Cruz.

[lark]

40. Jeff Sessions is an authoritarian suck up and racist.

Ted Cruz is a crazy liar.

[texasfiddler]

41. Dixiecrats became Republicans after a Democrat signed the civil rights act you dumb ass

Republicans are the party of the EPA and now they want to get rid of it.... Your logic is flawed Lyin' Ted

[Javaman]

43. I see cruz is at the crack again. nt

[The Blue Flower]

44. KKK to Cruz: You say that like it's a bad thing

[Gothmog]

45. Carnival Cruz is a nut case

[The Wizard]

46. As I recall

The Dixiecrats became Republicans and the Klan never endorsed a candidate before they endorsed Trumputin.
Ted Cruz is very primitive. Then again, so are people who vote Republican.

[nikibatts]

47. Those Democrats left the party for the GOP in the 60s. Dixicrats are the current GOP.

That hound won't hunt. We know the history.

[DinahMoeHum]

48. Once upon a time, the Republicans were the party of Lincoln. . .

. . .and really haven't done shit since Teddy Roosevelt.

[djg21]

55. Maybe . . .

Lincoln should have finished the war by freeing the slaves, then letting Sherman raze the Confederacy to the ground and never letting it rejoin the Union?

[Penn Voter]

49. and conservative Southern Democrats

found a home in the Republican Party

[George II]

53. Impugning the 46 Senators' political affiliation. Shut him up, shut him up, shut him up.

[0rganism]

54. how hard is it for MSM to explain the 1968 realignment?

Nixon's southern strategy? anyone?
there was a 20th century in between the 19th and the 21st no matter how much some would like to ignore it. things happened then.

[YOHABLO]

59. That's like claiming Abraham Lincoln as one of their own .. yeah right.

[Bob Loblaw]

60. Not every republican I know is a racist

bur every racist I know is a republican.

[mahatmakanejeeves]

62. That's right, and the Republicans are the party of Ted Bundy.

How long he has been dead?

How long has it been that someone was a member of both the Democratic Party and the Ku Klux Klan (and its variants)?

Is it more or less likely that someone is both a member of the Klan (or its variants) and a Trump supporter than not?

[Marthe48]

64. Communist sympathizer and traitor

How does that square with your 'pure' ideology, you toady?