Following reports yesterday that black and openly gay Democratic lawmakers were subjected to spitting and epithets from anti-health care reform protesters outside the Capitol, Republican leaders said Sunday that such incidents were "isolated" and "reprehensible."
On CNN's "State of the Union," Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) denounced the use of such slurs "in the strongest terms possible."
House Minority Leader John Boehner (R-Ohio), said on NBC's "Meet the Press" that the "isolated incidents" were "reprehensible."
Later on the same program, Michael Steele, the Republican National Committee's first black chairman, agreed that the incidents were "reprehensible," and added, "we do not support that."
"What you had out there yesterday were a handful of people who just got stupid and said some ignorant things," Steele said.
Took 'em long enough.
That being said, this will happen again.
Why? Because no one wants it to stop.
If the GOP were serious about stopping this, they would threaten to cut off the Tea Party if this continues. But they can't afford to do that, because right now the Tea-Party IS the Republican mainstream, so it's the "a few bad apples" strategy.
Meanwhile, the Democrats love the optics on this because it makes the Tea-Party look reactionary and racist, which, let's be honest, they are.
I want this to stop because the next level of anger past the slurs is going to be violence.
If the GOP were serious about stopping this, they would threaten to cut off the Tea Party if this continues. But they can't afford to do that, because right now the Tea-Party IS the Republican mainstream, so it's the "a few bad apples" strategy.
Meanwhile, the Democrats love the optics on this because it makes the Tea-Party look reactionary and racist, which, let's be honest, they are.
I want this to stop because the next level of anger past the slurs is going to be violence.
As an African-American I know all too well where this leads. First they demand you do something, because you always have to do what "they" say. When you refuse, they assert their superiority by calling you a name, to remind you (and them) how much better they really are. When that fails, they will force you do what they want, because they feel it is their right. And that's where the violence comes.
You can tell from their signs (scroll to the bottom of this article if you want to see what I mean).
I want the Tea-Party stopped before someone gets hurt, or worse.
I want the Tea-Party stopped before someone gets hurt, or worse.
