Dodd, Leahy condemn Coburn's (Nut-OK) delay tactic on Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act

[draft_mario_cuomo]

This passed 422-2 in the House...Coburn is the same nut who brought us these gems (he also denounced the airing of Schindler's List on NBC):

==Breast implants

In January 2005, during a Senate Judiciary Committee discussion about class-action lawsuits and silicone breast implants, The Washington Post quoted Coburn as stating:
“ You know, I immediately thought about silicone breast implants and the legal wrangling and the class-action suits off that. And I thought I would just share with you what science says today about silicone breast implants. If you have them, you're healthier than if you don't. That is what the ultimate science shows...In fact, there's no science that shows that silicone breast implants are detrimental and, in fact, they make you healthier.<9> ”

Homosexuality

According to The American Prospect, during Coburn's 2004 senatorial campaign, he quoted a local resident that in the town of Coalgate, Oklahoma, "Lesbianism is so rampant in some of the schools in Southeast Oklahoma that they'll only let one girl go to the bathroom. Now think about it."<10> School officials have denied his statement.<11> Coburn has also been quoted as saying:
“ "The gay community has infiltrated the very centers of power in every area across this country, and they wield extreme power... That agenda is the greatest threat to our freedom that we face today. Why do you think we see the rationalization for abortion and multiple sexual partners? That's a gay agenda."<12>==

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Coburn#Controversies

Dodd, Leahy Condemn Use of Delay Tactics to Prevent Passage of Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act

June 21, 2007

Today Senators Chris Dodd (D-CT) and Patrick Leahy (D-VT) denounced Senator Tom Coburn’s (R-OK) announcement that he would place a hold on The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act, which was passed in the House of Representatives yesterday by a vote of 422 to 2 and scheduled to be passed by unanimous consent in the Senate today. Today marks the anniversary of the kidnapping and murder of three young civil rights workers (Andrew Goodman, James Chaney, and Michael Schwerner) in Philadelphia, Mississippi, and is also the anniversary of Edgar Ray Killen’s conviction for those crimes two years ago.

“My colleagues and I have fought long and hard for this bill in order to bring to justice people who have perpetrated heinous crimes based on racial hatred,” said Dodd. “It has been a bipartisan effort, and I am angry that one of my colleagues is delaying this bill’s passage under false pretense. While we allow another day, another week, another month to pass before enacting this legislation, we allow racist criminals to live the lives of innocent people when they should be apprehended and brought to justice. After so many decades, to further delay justice and solace to the families of the victims of these horrific crimes is simply unimaginable.”



“The Senate should not wait another day to take up this important legislation,” Leahy, Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee said. “This legislation provides necessary tools for our federal government, in cooperation with state and local officials, to vigorously investigate and prosecute these cases. As each day passes, new evidence trickles in while older evidence fades and witnesses age. We must have a sense of urgency about these unsolved cases – justice cannot afford to wait.”



Senators Dodd and Leahy introduced The Emmett Till Unsolved Civil Rights Crime Act in February of this year. The legislation would give the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Federal Bureau of Investigations (FBI) increased resources to reopen Civil Rights-era criminal cases which have gone cold by designating a Deputy Chief in the Criminal Section of the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ and a Supervisory Special Agent in the Civil Rights Unit of the FBI. These individuals will be tasked with spearheading and coordinating efforts by federal, state, and local law enforcement officers and prosecutors to bring long-time fugitives to justice. Both positions will focus on investigating and prosecuting unsolved murder cases that occurred prior to 1970 and the Civil-rights era.

http://dodd.senate.gov/index.php?q=node/3951

[ProgressiveAmPatriot]

1. Unbelievable that anyone who knows anything about the Emmett Till story

could oppose this bill. This should become a big embarrassment for Republicans. Democrats should call on Republicans to kick him out of their party. This is on par with when Lott said the country would have been better with a racist segregationist as President. I would also be interested in who the 2 who voted against the bill in the house were. These members of Congress should be made posterboys for the Republican Party until the Republicans throw them out of their party. Republicans need to take care of their clubhouse or everyone should know who is in it. At least O'Reilly is honest about the GOP or the "white, Christian, male power structure" as O'Reilly puts it.

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/31/preserving-the-white-christian-male-power-structure

[Orangepeel]

3. Ron Paul, TX and Lynn Westmorland, GA

http://clerk.house.gov/evs/2007/roll512.xml

[gratuitous]

4. St. Ron Paul was one of the two voting no?

My oh my. Well, I'm sure that his supporters will come up with a logical explanation for this racist, unjust vote against America and its ideals.

[Orangepeel]

5. yep. noticed that myself.

anti-war or no, there are plenty of reasons why so-called libertarians who run as republicans are bad, bad news.

[ProgressiveAmPatriot]

6. Interesting, the Republicans are looking for a reason to throw Paul out n/t

[draft_mario_cuomo]

8. To us normal people. Racists yearn for a return to the days where Till could by lynched

It is sad there are still some in Congress who are so racist that they would overtly oppose such legislation (let's not forget all the closet racists!). There were 2 no votes (both Republican) and 8 members did not vote either way (6 repukes, 2 Dems, probably DINOS). So of the 10 who did not vote for the bill 80% were Republican...

==At least O'Reilly is honest about the GOP or the "white, Christian, male power structure" as O'Reilly puts it.==

What exactly did he say? Did he actually admit the GOP is monoracial, monoreligious, and ruled by only one gender?

[dsc]

9. The two Democrats are Hispanic

Becerra and Ortiz so I am wondering if maybe there was something Hispanics were POed about in regards to this bill. I see no signs on their websites of them not being in DC.

[draft_mario_cuomo]

10. I doubt it. All the other Hispanic members voted for it nt

[ProgressiveAmPatriot]

11. That is almost exactly what O-Reilly and McCain did

O’REILLY: But do you understand what the New York Times wants, and the far-left want? They want to break down the white, Christian, male power structure, which you’re a part, and so am I, and they want to bring in millions of foreign nationals to basically break down the structure that we have. In that regard, Pat Buchanan is right. So I say you’ve got to cap with a number.

MCCAIN: In America today we’ve got a very strong economy and low unemployment, so we need addition farm workers, including by the way agriculture, but there may come a time where we have an economic downturn, and we don’t need so many.

O’REILLY: But in this bill, you guys have got to cap it. Because estimation is 12 million, there may be 20 . You don’t know, I don’t know. We’ve got to cap it.

MCCAIN: We do, we do. I agree with you.

Here is the link http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/31/preserving-the-white-christian-male-power-structure

[draft_mario_cuomo]

12. Wow. Where was the "liberal media" on that?

Thanks for sharing. We need to spread the word on the netroots if the MSM won't. Let's hope we can make someday make O'Reilly the next Imus!

[ProgressiveAmPatriot]

13. I'm still hoping McCain makes a comeback and becomes their nominee

It would be great to stick him with this! But yeah, everyone needs to know that he said this.

[ProgressiveAmPatriot]

2. kick n/t

[ProgressiveAmPatriot]

7. kick

:kick: