Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) lashes out, blames injection of racial politics in SC primary on

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

Clyburn blames Huckabee for racial tensions between Clinton, Obama
By Bob Cusack
Posted: 01/25/08 08:49 AM


House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn (D-S.C.) is blaming a Republican presidential candidate for the racial divide that has emerged between Sens. Barack Obama (D-Ill.) and Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-N.Y.). During an interview Friday on MSNBC’s “Morning Joe” with Joe Scarborough, Clyburn pointed the finger at former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee (R) for injecting race into the South Carolina Democratic presidential primary.

“I don’t want to sound disingenuous here but we were doing well with this whole issue coming out of New Hampshire,” Clyburn said, noting that Obama had the support of Reps. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) and Carol Shea-Porter (D-N.H.), who are both white.

“It was not until Huckabee sort of brought the Confederate battle flag into this thing,” Clyburn said. “Nobody’s been talking about that. And I guarantee you people recoiled when he did. You remember not only did he talk about the flag in a disparaging way but he talked about what the people of Arkansas would do with the pole of the flag...That’s the kind of stuff that brought this back into campaign and it was not here until he did that.”

Before the GOP presidential primary in South Carolina earlier this month, Huckabee said, “You don’t like people from outside the state coming and telling you how you ought to raise your kids. You don’t like people coming from outside the state coming down and telling you what you want to do with your flag. In fact, if someone came to the state of Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we’d tell them where to put the pole – that’s what we’d do.”

Pressed how a Republican would affect the tone in the Democratic presidential race, Clyburn said Huckabee “opened Pandora’s box"” but added the former governor’s comment should not be used as an excuse for how race has been handled by the Democratic campaigns. . . .

http://thehill.com/campaign-2008/clyburn-blames-huckabee-for-racial-tensions-in-dem-race-2008-01-25.html

[ellacott]

1. That seems like a stretch

I imagine Clyburn has gotten tired of being in the middle but I don't think this explanation is very believable.

[BenDavid]

2. clyburn has changed his tune when Rep John Lewis spoke out

against obama and his campaign using the race card and knowing full well that neither clinton are racist.

Rep. Lewis forcefully condemned both Obama and his campaign for sending out the 5 pointed attacks on the Clintons and their supporters which implied they were "racists" or using "racist code" Rep. Lewis also spoke about how obama himself was being wholly misleading as regards to Hillary and her comment about LBJ and MLK .

"It is unfortunate that people have tried to distort what Mrs. Clinton had to say about Dr. King," "I think there has been a deliberate and systematic attempt by some people in the Obama campaign to really fan the flames about race and to really distort what Senator Clinton said. I understood and I think most right thinking people understood what she said.

"President and Senator Clinton have a record, a history, a very long history of bringing people together. No right thinking American would ever think that Senator or President Clinton would ever do anything that would use the race card"

When Mr lewis made these comments, clyburn was not available for comments....

[rodeodance]

5. thanks. For being "neutral' clyburn is fanning this a lot.

[ellacott]

6. When did Lewis make these comment?

I heard some things that Lewis said but it was not what you just posted?

You all can shout it from the rooftops but it won't make it true. People were not calling the Clintons racists. I honestly wonder is you all even understand the definition of that word.

[rodeodance]

7. I think Lewis was on Lehrer news hr--for this comments.

Not really sure---its been a few weeks.

[ellacott]

10. If it's been a few weeks then his remarks had not impact on Clyburn

Clyburn has been making comments this week. He said that Bill needs to chill this week. Also, I don't think that the highest ranking black legislator would change his tune just because of what John Lewis said(according to BenDavid).

[rodeodance]

13. I do not know---my crystall ball is broke and I can not read minds.

[ellacott]

14. You can't seem to read message boards very well either

You all love the snark. That's probably why there is such a failure to communicate.

[rodeodance]

15. so so so many 'failures'-yet life goes on.

[ellacott]

16. yep, yep, yep

[rodeodance]

8. If people not calling Clintons racist--then Why did Obams, BELATEDLY, come out

with a statement saying Sen. Clinton's comments were NOT racial??


People were not calling the Clintons racists. I honestly wonder is you all even understand the definition of that word.

[ellacott]

9. racial and racist are two different words

with 2 different meanings.

[rodeodance]

11. Do Tell!!----that said, the functional effect has been the same.

[ellacott]

12. They used race for their benefit

They painted him as the black candidate. When people started bring up the pattern it was was Clintons who were "hurt" that anyone called them racists. No one called them racists. They don't have a hatred of blacks or feel they(blacks) are lower class citizens, that's a racist. The Clintons are hardball politicians but not racists.

[jasmine621]

19. Here's the link. Read it for yourself. Lewis did say this.

http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/politics/jan-june08/race_01-14.html

[BootinUp]

3. I like the way Clyburn thinks. nt

[Kurt_and_Hunter]

17. He said he'll go to the grave never telling who he voted for tomorrow

[BeyondGeography]

4. Oh yeah, the Huckabee Confederate flag thing that EVERYONE'S been talking about

:freak:

[Cha]

18. Jeeze, ya think maybe Clyburn

is being just a little bit disingenous? :think: Trying to take the heat off hilary and put it right on huckabee..I'd like to see what huckster has to say about that!