Posted by: ST on September 3, 2009 at 11:18 am
As predictable as the sun rising and setting (via JWF):
Rep. Charles Rangel said Tuesday that “bias” and “prejudice” toward Obama are fueling opposition to health-care reform.
Those incendiary comments came on the heels of [Gov. David] Paterson’s controversial comments about race that also mentioned the nation’s first black president.
“Some Americans have not gotten over the fact that Obama is president of the United States. They go to sleep wondering, ‘How did this happen?’ ” Rangel (D-Manhattan) said Tuesday.
Speaking at a health-care forum in Washington Heights, Rangel said that when critics complain that Obama is “trying to interfere” with their lives by pushing for health-care reform, “then you know there’s just a misunderstanding, a bias, a prejudice, an emotional feeling.”
“We’re going to have to move forward notwithstanding that,” said Rangel, the powerful chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee and a chief health-care negotiator.
Rangel then likened the battle over health-care expansion for the uninsured to the fight for civil rights.
“Why do we have to wait for the right to vote? Why can’t we get what God has given us? That is the right to live as human beings and not negotiate with white southerners and not count the votes. Just do the right thing,” he said.
After the town hall, he had the nerve to lie about what he had said earlier:
After the forum, Rangel insisted he was not smearing opponents as racists.
“What I’m saying is, if you watch the town-hall meetings, people were angry and did not care what the answer was to some of their questions. They were angry with their member of Congress, period,” he said.
Must be that “latent racism” that lurks inside all of us “neanderthal“-type conservatives. Whatever it takes to deflect from your legal/ethical troubles, eh, Mr. Rangel?
Charlie Rangel: Once a race-baiter, always a race-baiter.
Maybe people would listen a little closer or better if they knew that what was coming out of the mouths of their elected officials was going to be something that might vaguely resemble the truth.
That ain’t gonna happen.
Carlos – you are so very right – the anger is because no one trusts these elected officials in the least anymore especially since they are making laws that they do not follow and are not affected by. They become civil “servants” in order to get rich, make connections, and increase their own power. It has nothing to do with representing or serving the people.
How does not wanting your government–the same government that has been spending money we don’t have like crazy–to manage your healthcare fall into some racism category? This guy is too stupid to be in Congress!
“This guy is too stupid to be in Congress!”
One reason he is. The other is that his district, overwhelmingly black, keeps sending him back because he can help keep them on their lazy butts and not have to work like the productive people who pay his salary (and apparently some of his vigorish).
The only difference I can see in his moral stature in the final analysis between him and Cunningham is that Cunningham was a Republican. And that has nothing to do with race, unless blacks have a corner on being the victims of racism. Talk to a holocaust survivor about that.
The race card is alive and well in Obama’s “post racial America”.
I would say that we are getting close to a time when the majority of black citizens start to become a little embarassed by these 60′s minded politicians that are still in office, ripping off the system, stealing from their constituents, and the “poor me” attitude is insulting. Where is their pride?
Way to stick it to The Man, Charlie! Keep standing up for the little guy!
This year I think I’ll skip paying taxes. I’ll refer all IRS inquiries to Geithner and Rangel.
You guys will send me cookies in prison, won’t you?
I wonder how Charlie feels about the the poll numbers that say the congress is at it’s lowest popularity numbers in 24 years….is that all racism, too?
He should be given time to ponder this and other “racist” problems with other fine political prisoners like our former PA state senator Fumo who is now in a federal prison for the same type of tax evasion and conflict of interest charges…..yes, Nancy you have to have the most ethical congress ever!
Time for a good house cleaning….vote the lousy bums out!
Fortunately, as more blacks enter the middle class and start seeing the institutional damage done them by racists such as Charlie, they are tending more to the conservative side of the spectrum socially and fiscally, and that spells doom for the race-baiters and race haters.
And not a moment too soon.
BTW, I wonder how many middle class blacks who voted for Obama on the basis of race (isn’t that the definition of “racism”?) are sorry now that they see his bull-headed direction on abortion, gay marriage, tripling the national debt in one term, and taking away their company-supplied health care?