← Autodidact Archive · Original Dissent · Sertorius
Thread ID: 12324 | Posts: 10 | Started: 2004-02-14
2004-02-14 14:18 | User Profile
Senators on civil rights trip Lawmakers to tour landmarks Morgan Kelly - Cox News Service Saturday, February 14, 2004
Washington --- Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) is leading a civil rights pilgrimage this weekend through Tennessee and Alabama with senators who plan to walk across the historic Edmund Pettus Bridge.
"We hope that as we honor the powerful history of the civil rights movement together that bridges of understanding will be built across the aisle to bring healing and reconciliation," Lewis said in a statement announcing the trip.
Lewis began the tours about six years ago with the Faith and Politics Institute, a Washington organization that organizes bipartisan retreats among politicians to promote political civility. This is the first one to include a delegation of senators, according to Lewis. They are being led by Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.).
"He's doing this to listen and learn about that time and history and honor those who did stand up during the civil rights movement," Frist spokeswoman Amy Call said. "He's also doing it to bring a greater awareness to civil rights issues."
But Frist's support of civil rights legislation is between 10 percent and 12 percent, said Nancy Zirkin, deputy director of the Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, a coalition of civil rights organizations.
In 2002, Frist voted against a bill to restore voting rights to felons who have completed their prison sentences, including 1.4 million black males who make up 13 percent of voting age African-American men, according to the Leadership Conference.
"We are certainly glad that Dr. Frist is going down to the South with Mr. Lewis,'' Zirkin said. ''We hope this means a rededication to civil rights on Dr. Frist's part.''
Call said Frist is dedicated to several issues affecting minorities, especially health care. Shortly before his trip, Frist, a doctor, on Thursday introduced the "Closing the Health Care Gap Act," which aims to improve health care for racial and ethnic minorities.
"A gap does exist in health care today," Frist said. "While we've made great progress in recent years, there are additional steps we can take to improve, expand, and enhance quality care for all Americans."
The leadership conference sees Frist's trip as an indicator that he will support civil rights legislation in the future, particularly the Civil Rights Act of 2004 introduced this week, Zirkin said. "We hope this [trip] is a sign that Dr. Frist is not only willing to be a co-sponsor, but to help push it through Congress."
Others listed as participating include Sens. Mike DeWine (R-Ohio), Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.), Jon Corzine (D-N.J.), Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Norm Coleman (R-Minn.) and Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), as well as Secretary of Labor Elaine Chao.
In addition to walking across the bridge where authorities attacked civil rights marchers, including Lewis, in 1965, the group will visit the 16th Street Baptist Church in Birmingham and the dedication of a civil rights room at the Nashville public library.
The trip began Friday in Alabama and will end Sunday in Nashville.
Try as they may, they won't improve on the number of black voters they'll get.
2004-02-16 16:53 | User Profile
I saw the laugh-out-loud picture in the Times of these fools all cross-hand folded, encircling some "civil rights" monument. Frist, of course, took over from Lott. Lord, Republicans are dumb.
2004-02-16 16:58 | User Profile
Lord, Republicans are dumb.
Yep. The only people dumber are White folks who vote for them. White Republicans have battered-wife syndrome.
"I just know he loves me and if I go back to him, he promised he'll change!"
Cripes, what fools.
Did anyone catch the Bush attempt to woo "NASCAR dads" yesterday? Gross! :cowboy:
2004-02-16 17:24 | User Profile
That's about as sincere and inspiring as Dean saying he wants the Confederate flag vote. Yeah. You want that vote so you can get into power and screw whites further.
2004-02-16 22:19 | User Profile
[QUOTE=Hugh Lincoln]I saw the laugh-out-loud picture in the Times of these fools all cross-hand folded, encircling some "civil rights" monument. Frist, of course, took over from Lott. Lord, Republicans are dumb.[/QUOTE]
[CENTER][img]http://a.abcnews.com/images/autowirestory/AP/ALDM10502132350.jpeg[/img][/CENTER] [FONT=Arial Narrow]Lawmakers place a wreath on the Civil Rights Memorial outside the Southern Poverty Law Center in Montgomery, Ala., Friday, Feb. 13, 2004. The group is touring civil rights sites in Alabama on Friday and Saturday. At front from left: Sen. Sam Brownback, R-Kan., Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., Rep. John Lewis, D-Ga., and Sen. Jon Corzine, D-N.J. At rear is Sen. George Allen, R-Va., left, and Sen. Richard Shelby, R-Ala. (AP Photo/Dave Martin)[/FONT]
[CENTER][img]http://img.coxnewsweb.com/B/08/39/53/image_453398.jpg[/img][/CENTER] [FONT=Arial Narrow]Sens. (from left) Sam Brownback (R-Kan.), Norm Coleman (R-Minn.), Richard Shelby (R-Ala.), Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.), with son, Harrison, joined Rep. John Lewis, (D-Ga.) and Sens. Jon Corzine (D-N.J.) and Mike Dewine (R-Ohio) at the Civil Rights Memorial in Montgomery Friday. The tour ends Sunday.[/FONT]
[FONT=Century Gothic]Frist press release: [url=http://frist.senate.gov/index.cfm?FuseAction=PressReleases.Detail&PressRelease_id=1574]Frist Joins Congressman John Lewis to Lead Civil Rights Pilgrimage For Senators[/url] [/FONT]
2004-02-16 22:35 | User Profile
Brownback is another egregious offender here. Same guy hinted about bringing Somalis to Kansas. Jesus told him to, of course, so we can't criticize.
2004-02-16 23:02 | User Profile
Let the zhids dictate which issues are important, make it impossible for anyone to deviate one step from the party line on "racism" and still not to become pariah, and here you have the result.
2004-02-16 23:18 | User Profile
Aren't two of the participants listed a married couple--Mitch McConnell and Elaine Chao? :dung:
2004-02-17 07:57 | User Profile
I see Virginia's "own" George Allen is nuzzling Rastus' fragrant buttocks right along with his fellow Senatorial skankhoes. This buffoon used to be governor of the Commonwealth. Even though he was raised a silver spoon Left Coast surf bum, he likes to make with the "Ahm a good ol' boy - jes like y'all!" affectations (dips snuff, wears cowboy boots instead of wingtips, etc).
Try the yarmulke-on-a-do-rag look instead - know whum sayin', bubbeleh?
2004-02-17 09:45 | User Profile
[QUOTE=N.B. Forrest]I see Virginia's "own" George Allen is nuzzling Rastus' fragrant buttocks right along with his fellow Senatorial skankhoes. This buffoon used to be governor of the Commonwealth. Even though he was raised a silver spoon Left Coast surf bum, he likes to make with the "Ahm a good ol' boy - jes like y'all!" affectations (dips snuff, wears cowboy boots instead of wingtips, etc).
Try the yarmulke-on-a-do-rag look instead - know whum sayin', bubbeleh?[/QUOTE] For all the fece's that gets elected every where now, it must be, becuase it's rigged, and as the elderly watch TV all day they mostly vote what they are scared into voting, leaving U.S. white males in the cold. Perhaps what 40% of white males do not vote for Fed office's any more?.. That is a total guess on my part.