Ousted worker Sherrod rejects return to Ag agency

[kpete]

Source: Associated Press


Ousted worker Sherrod rejects return to Ag agency


By MARY CLARE JALONICK


WASHINGTON — Shirley Sherrod, the Agriculture Department official ousted during a racial firestorm last month, declined Tuesday to accept an offer to return full-time to the agency.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that Sherwood did agree to work with the agency in a consulting capacity in the future to help it improve its civil rights performance. She told reporters she did not think she could say yes to a job "at this point, with all that has happened." There had been indications that Vilsack, who apologized to Sherwood for pushing her out, had offered her a position in the Office of Advocacy and Outreach, which works in the civil rights area.

"It is a new position," she said. "I look at what happened now. I know he has apologized and I accept that. A new process is in place and I hope that it works. ... I think I can be helpful to him and the department if I just take a little break and look at how I can be more helpful in the future," Sherrod said.

She did say she was "tempted" to take the position.

Read more: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/38826954

[valerief]

1. Sherwood? What does Mr. Peabody think of this?

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack said that Sherwood did agree to work with the agency in a consulting capacity in the future to help it improve its civil rights performance.

[Javaman]

2. I blame the spell check. nt

[Downwinder]

3. Have to love this part.

"Sherrod repeated Tuesday that she plans to sue the blogger who posted excerpts of her speech, Andrew Breitbart. But she declined further questions on the subject."

[Judi Lynn]

4. Shirley Sherrod Says No to Vilsack Offer of New Job at Agriculture

Source: Salon

Shirley Sherrod Says No to Vilsack Offer of New Job at Agriculture
51 minutes ago

Shirley Sherrod, who was ousted from her federal job after the release of an edited video in which she appeared to make a racist remark, won't be going back to work at the Agriculture Department, despite an offer by the agency at a meeting Tuesday.

Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, who fired Sherrod in July, then quickly apologized for the misunderstanding, said she has agreed to work as a consultant to the department at some point in the future to help USDA with its civil rights performance, the Associated Press reported.

Sherrod said Tuesday she could not agree to the full-time job -- reportedly in the Office of Advocacy and Outreach -- "with all that has happened." She accepted Vilsack's apology but felt she could likely be more helpful to the department in the future "if I just take a little break."

Sherrod was forced out after a conservative website put up a portion of a speech she made in March where she admitted not doing all she could at one point to help a white farmer. But the incident occurred in 1987, when Sherrod worked for a non-profit in Georgia. And she went on to say -- this part of the speech was not posted -- that she had recognized her error and later helped the grower, becoming friends with him and his wife.

Read more: http://www.politicsdaily.com/2010/08/24/shirley-sherrod-says-no-to-vilsack-offer-of-new-job-at-agricultu/

[tularetom]

5. Good for her - hope she keeps a high profile

as a visible reminder of the futility of caving into right wing emotional panic.

This administration seems to have a real problem standing up to the media bullshit that is deliberately tossed out on a daily basis.

Maybe if they see Shirley Sherrod every time they turn on their TV it will encourage them to stop being weenies and stand up for what they believe in.

[Judi Lynn]

9. It's shocking they didn't take the time to even investigate it, isn't it? Sick.

They need to take the time to track these things down with the intention of doing the right thing, not the rightwing thing.

I know I can't forget. Her outstanding character, loving spirit stand right OUT for anyone sober enough to notice! How could anyone decent want to screw her over? That's Republican behavior.

We DO need to be reminded of what this woman had to endure for going BEYOND her own reactions to cruelty to her and her family to move on her own instincts to forgive and to seek to help others.

Incidently, I heard immediately after the story broke, and was clarified, the Republican idiots shifted and tried to build a case against her ALL OVER AGAIN, claiming she had done crooked things in a lawsuit against the government. Apparently someone informed them that just wasn't going to fly as it died out almost immediately.

Disgusting. Loathesome. Grotesque Republicans.

[DeSwiss]

6. K&R

:) - Maybe they should have tried another beer summit.....

[katandmoon]

7. Good. It was an insult that she wasn't immediately reinstalled in the job she was so unfairly ousted

from. The offer of a new job as a deputy to another official was simply a sop to PR and one that said loud and clear that Vilsack didn't really want her back so he'd give her a job with a fancy title but one that would make her subject to tight control. It was a total insult, he knew it, she knew it, and she was infinitely more gracious in declining it than that craven POS Vilsack deserved.

[hugo_from_TN]

8. She can forget about damages in her lawsuit

after Vilsack very publicly stated that she turned down a job offer on the table. Hard to show that she has been monetarily damaged.

[bullwinkle428]

10. Yeah, no evidence at all that he tried to damage her reputation.