Why hasn't Kerry condemned Hollings' troubling statements?

[Nazgul35]

Since many here have a problem with short term memory....let's have a little refresher first...

Many here were ready to condemn Howard Dean for attending a fundraiser where comics made racially insensitive remarks....

Fast forward to this weekend...

According to Josh Marshall...it seems Sen. Fritz Hollings had some interesting things to say while he was working the crowd to introduce Sen. Kerry.....

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/

"When Hollings was getting underway on the jobs theme he said that half of the furniture in the United States (or some such stat) was now made in China. At just that moment a startling, crashing pop! came out of one of the loudspeakers. Not missing a beat, Hollings said that there must be some “chinamen” over there who didn’t like that.

A few minutes later he was talking about “ole Suskind’s book” and how, as reported in Ron Suskind’s book about Paul O’Neil, the president had blanched at the idea of giving yet another tax cut to the rich, only to have Dick Cheney pipe in to steady his course.

In Hollings' retelling ...

“‘Haven’t we already given the rich a tax cut?’ the president said. And then ole’ Cheney said, ‘No, we want more.' He’s the Jesse Jackson of the Republican Party! He wants it all!’”

The Jesse Jackson of the Republican party?"

What was Kerry's reaction you ask good reader.....

On the Jackson comment, Marshall didn't say... but later on, when the speakers did the same thing to Kerry, well, I'll let Josh Marshall explain....

"A while later when Kerry was giving his talk, and the speaker barked up again, he brought things back to the 21st century. “It’s that Chinese guy again …”"

Nice!

how long before we hear the outrage that was so easily directed at Gov. Dean earlier here....and it should be pointed out that Dean condemned the comics when he came out on stage....he certainly didn't incorporate the insensitive remarks into his speech!

[Ruti]

1. How dare you ask such a silly question?

Because Hollings endorsed Kerry, of course!

[jsw_81]

2. Hollings is 82 years-old and from another era

People his age sometimes say things that we might consider rude or even offensive. I doubt he means any harm.

[Nazgul35]

3. So than why did Kerry

incorporate the slur into his speech?

He should have at least made the attempt that you just did....but Dean got blasted here at DU for statements others made, and he actually made comments about how they were out of line...but for some here that wasn't good enough....

well, all I am asking is these people apply the same "outrage" here...unless that outrage was manufactured!

[Toucano]

6. That's no excuse.

I wouldn't let it be an excuse for Strom Thurmond, and I don't accept it from Fritz.

Jesse Jackson = Dick Cheney ????

Is he mad?

Jesse gave a voice to the voiceless. Cheney gives voice to the heartless.

If Kerry wants to hold Clark responsible for Moore's "over the top" remarks then he's responsible for Fritz's assinine remarks.

[farmbo]

9. Same excuse was proffered for Strom Thurmond by Trent Lott...

This story will grow legs unless Kerry immediately and forcefully disclaims the statements.

Jessee Jackson has done wonders for the democrats in the South and elsewhere. He should not be reduced to a punchline by Kerry's surrogates.

[KoKo]

11. I agree, Hollings goes over the top and uses colorful "low country" speak,

which often seems racially offensive. But, it's not meant that way...it's meant to be "ironic." But, in this day it comes off offensive. Remember Byrd has made some remarks that people got upset about. But, both Byrd and Hollings represent the best of the Southern Democrats. Thurmond and Jesse Helms were the worst. You only get extremes in the South. I'm thankful for Hollings holding the fort for Dems in SC against the wingers, and the same for Byrd. They are old and speak the way they do because they are from a long gone era that most here would assume is racist backwoods, but for Byrd and Hollings it's not true.

[Nazgul35]

16. than could you deconstruct

his Jackson comment for those of us who don't speak low country?

[w13rd0]

21. Um...

You only get extremes in the South


I'm not exactly considered "pro-South", but even I recognize thats a completely ridiculous claim. You only get extremes in the South?

[HazMat]

27. Exactly

Hollings is a good man and a rare bird -- a true liberal in the South. Hollings and Byrd say some politically incorrect things, but their hearts are in the right place.

The Democratic party is never going to reclaim the South if we demand extreme political correctness (which many Southerners believe to be more of a 'northern' way of speaking).

Re Jesse Jackson: there are people across the political spectrum that have problems with Jesse Jackson, for many reasons. In the 80s, fair or not, many Dems felt Jackson was holding the party hostage, i.e. if he didn't get what he wanted he would take the black vote with him. This is probably what Hollings is referring to.

[MilDem]

4. Commenting on insensitive comments only brings atttention to them.

No one really seems to have notice what Hollings said, so Kerry bringing them up would only work against him.

[Nazgul35]

5. huh?

I hope you are being sarcastic.....

When someone makes such a statement...especially someone who is running for President of the United States...I would hope that you would want them to say something about such things....

Or are we supposed to only point out racism in the republican party?

[MilDem]

7. I'm not saying it's right

but a smart politican isn't going to bring attention to something that is likely to hurt him.

[Nazgul35]

8. I agree with you idea...

about hwo to handle it...but when you consider how much the Dems in Washington have abandoned the "hard fights" this is just another piece of evidence that it is the same old thing from Kerry....

And that is scary! Everyone was so gung-ho to go after Dean, saying it was better to find out now if he was not fit enough for a run for President....so now I am applying the same standard to our surrent front runner.....I would rather find out now if Kerry is going to fight the good fight or just avoid the hard issues....

And considering what has happened over the last week...I am not very sure he can!

[Tesha]

19. I would imagine that the Republicans were paying close attention...

...and these remarks will resurface "at the appropriate time".
That's how the Great Republican Smear Machine works, and its
effects aren't limited to just candidates that are currently
out of favor here in DU GD2004.

Tesha

[BansheeBarbie]

10. Kerry Must Be Made To Renounce Hollings' Slur Against Jackson

fair is fair

[Monte Carlo]

12. Is this a specific tit-for-tat, or just unfocused revenge?

"Many here" is fine on occasion, but it doesn't work for an entire forum. That's more and more new people get sucked into cycles of bitterness.

[JNelson6563]

13. I don't know about Sen Hollings

but I for one was damn glad to see when Jesse Jackson arrived to help in the FLA debacle. He showed more backbone that a lot of elected Dems in that fight.

Julie

[w13rd0]

14. Ok...let's put up three samples:

Comic at a Dean fundraiser makes insensitive jokes...
Dean reprimands, gets "angry" - the anyone but Dean crowd goes apeshit claiming that apparently Dean is a racist because he didn't flay and flog the comic on the spot

Moore at a Clark event says that Bush is a deserter (now, we can argue whether he was a deserter, or AWOL, or just an ass, but whatever)...
Clark says Moore isn't the only person he's heard that from, and he hasn't personally investigated the charge - the we hate Clark crowd goes apeshit claiming that Clark is, what, unAmerican, for not denouncing Moore's comments (which contrary to Jennings unjournalistic assertions, are NOT disproven by the "facts")

Hollings, a Senator, at a Kerry event makes insensitive remarks...
Those who dislike Kerry go apeshit saying that Kerry needs to denounce Hollings

Senator Santorum compares homosexuality to "man-on-dog sex"...
Bush calls him an inclusive man, and wraps his arm around him, follows it up with a lovely bit in the SOTU about wanting to protect the "sanctity of marriage", not by actually emphasizing life-long, loving commitments, but by denying rights to others...

Ok, one of these things is not like the others, one of these people just doesn't belong (in the White House). Can you spot which one?

ON EDIT: I was going to put up three examples, but then I realized we were missing the obvious...

[windansea]

15. hmmmmmmmmmmmm

vedy interesting!

[Cocoa]

17. how many people made a big deal about the Dean thing?

Was there really a lot of people condemning him? Were any people condemning him?

I don't remember that being a big deal, or any kind of deal at all.

[Nazgul35]

18. hahaha...

stop.....my side will split!

[Tesha]

20. Yes.

"how many people made a big deal about the Dean thing?"
Was there really a lot of people condemning him?
Were any people condemning him?

It was the "Talk of the Town" here on DU for quite
a while.

Tesha

[Cocoa]

24. are you sure?

seems to me that many non-Dean-supporters, including myself, have defended Dean against bogus attacks.

I don't recall the comedian stuff really catching on at all.

[Nazgul35]

25. of course...

It was lsot in all the other nonsense threads about Dean, so i can see why you missed it....but there was more than one, I can remember at least three...

You have a star.....do a search...

[oasis]

22. I'll leave it up to Jesse Jackson. If he's okay with it, then so am I.

[Nazgul35]

23. He may be as confused as I am...

as too what point Hollings was actually trying to make.....

[jpgpenn]

26. because Kerry is Hollow and agrees with them