CNN anchor Rick Sanchez rips ‘bigot’ Ohio Tea Party leader

[Amerigo Vespucci]

CNN anchor rips ‘bigot’ Ohio Tea Party leader

http://rawstory.com/rs/2010/0414/cnn-anchor-rips-bigot-ohio-tea-party-leader/



By David Edwards and Muriel Kane
Wednesday, April 14th, 2010 -- 11:32 am

CNN host Rick Sanchez described the leader of an Ohio Tea Party group as "a bigot and a liar" on Tuesday, after he had first referred to Hispanic immigrants as "spicks" and then attempted to defend himself by claiming he had merely been quoting a 1960's Bee Gee's song.

Several weeks ago, during a march supporting immigration reform, Tea Party leader Sonny Thomas had tweeted, "Illegals everywhere today! So many spicks makes me feel like a speck. Grr. Where's my gun?" That original tweet appears to have been scrubbed from Thomas's Twitter feed, although a few retweets calling it "disgusting" can still be found.

"So he's referring to Hispanics with the most offensive word that you can use," Sanchez remarked, "and then he implies that he wishes he could shoot them? Nice."

Thomas's "racially insensitive" remarks have already caused an Ohio state senator to drop out of an event organized by his Springboro Tea Party group. Thomas appears to be known for his racist attitudes, and CNN found a photo on his MySpace page of him wearing a "white pride" t-shirt, although that also now appears to have been removed.

According to Sanchez, when CNN contacted Thomas to ask for an explanation, he claimed, "As I am a lifetime music lover of all genres, I always have some sort of song that can fit almost any occasion or situation. ... Coincidentally, the song 'Spicks and Specks' had been on my player. ... I made the reference to the song, not stopping to think of the era that it was produced from and taken out of context could be so offensive to some people."

[virgogal]

1. Off topic,but I can't stand Rick Sanchez and I don't know why.

Maybe I knew him in a past life.

[NNN0LHI]

2. That makes two of us

Not the previous life stuff. The I can't stand Rick Sanchez thingy.

He tries too hard to portray himself as "everyones man", and usually ends up standing for nothing in the process. Makes him appear phony.

Though he is right about this teabagger.

Don

[calimary]

12. I find that I actually like him, and I can't explain that either.

:shrug:

Maybe it's his conversationality I like. I do NOT know.

[KonaKane]

3. You're kidding me. Teabaggers, racists?

I have never heard such a preposterous thing.

(and no I will not post that infantile "sarcasm" emoticon)

[WorseBeforeBetter]

4. "Not stopping to think" sums up the Teabaggers pretty well.

Not thinking in general, that is.

All of the after-the-fact scrubbing is highly amusing. Did these dumbasses learn nothing from Ted Stevens' lecture on the series of tubes?

[Canuckistanian]

5. +1

I was just going to say that.

[onenote]

6. Lyrics to Spicks and Specks

http://www.metrolyrics.com/spicks-and-specks-lyrics-bee-gees.html

And we're supposed to believe that he was using the term "spicks" the same way its used in this song? He is a moron. And a liar.

[monmouth]

7. Just read this guy has an Hispanic wife and son..Link below

http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/04/local.

[wryter2000]

8. A guy I worked with

Got into serious trouble for posting "Stinko de Mayo" on a company website, and he has a Latina wife. I guess that makes his kinds Latino, too. I will never understand these people.

[Atman]

9. That is one tortured explanation. But then, they like torture.

So it will probably fly with the Tea Baggers (note to other posters: please STOP legitimizing their claim to the "Tea Party" name. It is not earned, it is not deserved. Let them live by the name they originally chose...TEA BAGGERS.

No sweat for Sonny Thomas. His listeners/followers are fellow racists, and they'll accept any lame apology/excuse he can come up with. But everyone else knows who he is, and why the Tea Baggers follow his message.

.

[Orsino]

10. If only Sanchez would put a tenth as much energy...

...into pursuing stories that don't pierce his personal bubble?

[Puzzler]

11. Soooo... he's saying that he needs to shot Bee Gees lyrics? ...

... because there's too many of "them" (Bee Gees lyrics) around?

Now that he explains it, it makes so much sense!

(sarcasm)

[UTUSN]

13. Rick is ALL we got?! Nope!1 n/t