Jesse Jackson: You Cant Vote Against Health Care and Call Yourself Black

[Robert Toy]

The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Wednesday night injected race into the national debate on health care, saying any black lawmaker who votes against President Obama's sweeping overhaul isn't really black, the Hill newspaper reported.

"We even have blacks voting against the health care bill," Jackson reportedly said at a Congressional Black Caucus reception Wednesday night honoring the 25th anniversary of the civil rights leader's run for president.

"You can't vote against health care and call yourself a black man," the Hill reported him saying.

http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2009/11/19/jesse-jackson-reportedly-warns-black-lawmakers-opposing-health-care/

say what?

[robeiae]

Funny stuff.

For those that just can't trust FoxNews:

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/19/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5712116.shtml

[JoNightshade]

The Rev. Jesse Jackson on Wednesday night injected race into the national debate on health care,

Is there any issue Jackson DOESN'T inject race into? I was pretty sure that was all he ever did.

[Wayne K]

I want to know how they understood a word of what he was saying.

[Gretad08]

I might be the only one with this opinion, but it seems to me that injecting race into everything keeps this infatuation with race alive and well.

It pits people against each other...offense vs. defense, and it's getting really tiresome.

[William Haskins]

if you do vote for it, can you call yourself a black man?

[robeiae]

You get to choose: you can be a black man OR you can be a "last" Kennedy brother.

[nighttimer]

Funny stuff.

For those that just can't trust FoxNews:

http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/11/19/politics/politicalhotsheet/entry5712116.shtml

How about just trusting the original source both sites are quoting from?

Jackson said later that he "didn't call anybody by name and I won't."

He added that he wasn't saying that black lawmakers must vote a certain way. Instead, they should vote the interests of the people in their districts, and he said the healthcare bill would help Alabama because it's one of the poorest states in the country.

"The poorest people need healthcare protection," Jackson said. "They have the highest infant mortality and the lowest life expectancy. They're dying from lack of access."

Other members of the CBC found no fault in Jackson's words. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) was in the audience. He called Jackson's criticism of Davis "accurate," but said he did not hear Jackson say "You can’t vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man."

"If it is an issue that disproportionately impacts black folks, race has to be considered," Cleaver said. Jackson, he added, "is expected by his constituency to call balls and strikes."

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/68451-jackson-you-cant-vote-against-healthcare-and-call-yourself-a-black-man=

[robeiae]

How about just trusting the original source both sites are quoting from?
Okay. He still said what he said, no? He went into damage control mode when he caught heat. Just like when he said he'd like to cut off Obama's nuts...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KIuimjehBvo&feature=fvw

He's a tool.

[Robert Toy]

How about just trusting the original source both sites are quoting from?

Jackson said later that he "didn't call anybody by name and I won't."

He added that he wasn't saying that black lawmakers must vote a certain way. Instead, they should vote the interests of the people in their districts, and he said the healthcare bill would help Alabama because it's one of the poorest states in the country.

"The poorest people need healthcare protection," Jackson said. "They have the highest infant mortality and the lowest life expectancy. They're dying from lack of access."

Other members of the CBC found no fault in Jackson's words. Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) was in the audience. He called Jackson's criticism of Davis "accurate," but said he did not hear Jackson say "You can’t vote against healthcare and call yourself a black man."

"If it is an issue that disproportionately impacts black folks, race has to be considered," Cleaver said. Jackson, he added, "is expected by his constituency to call balls and strikes."

http://thehill.com/homenews/house/68451-jackson-you-cant-vote-against-healthcare-and-call-yourself-a-black-man=
from your link

"Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) called the remarks "vintage Jesse Jackson," but said Davis's vote against healthcare was consistent with a voting record more conservative than many CBC members."

[BenPanced]

What if I'm a white woman and I vote against it?

[robeiae]

What if I'm a white woman and I vote against it?
Then you're an asian child.

[Robert Toy]

What if I'm a white woman and I vote against it?
as a white woman you would be a bit of stand out in the CBC

[nighttimer]

Okay. He still said what he said, no? He went into damage control mode when he caught heat. Just like when he said he'd like to cut off Obama's nuts...

You can call it "damage control" if you like. When Jackson made his brain-dead remarks about Obama's testicles that was a brain fart on a live mic he thought was dead---like his brain.

He didn't namecheck anyone with his CBC remarks. I know that doesn't cut any ice with anyone who can't stand Jackson, but it's a noticeable distinction.

[MGraybosch]

*facepalm* Who died and made Jesse Jackson the arbiter of blackness?

[Perks]

"You can't vote against health care and call yourself a black man," the Hill reported him saying. If you can't call yourself a black man, then what do you do when someone asks, "who the hell do you think you are?"

Jesse Jackson came to my high school to speak. It was supposed to be motivational, but what it left was a sea of multi-colored wtf-faces. He really is impenetrable.

[William Haskins]

*facepalm* Who died and made Jesse Jackson the arbiter of blackness?


MLK

[Bird of Prey]

*facepalm* Who died and made Jesse Jackson the arbiter of blackness?

Rodney Dangerfield. . . .

[Wayne K]

I wonder which way Michael Jackson would have voted.

[Perks]

I wonder whether his strong stance applies to black women. Oh, those inconvenient semantics.
If I'm honest, I've never heard anyone proclaiming he was a black man (or that she was a black woman) so I'm pretty sure everyone is free to vote their conscience and their opinion, since they've got nothing to lose as far as Jesse Jackson says.

[Perks]

Well then there's that. He'd better vote for the bill.

[AZ_Dawn]

I was planning on just lurking tonight, but I can't resist.

If you can't call yourself a black man, then what do you do when someone asks, "who the hell do you think you are?"
According to my sister who does phone surveys for the Census Bureau, when they have to ask what's your race and the person on the other end isn't sure, they ask what's their mother's race. If they say, "black," they put down black for their race. A bizzare consequence is that - according to that particular survey - Obama is white. :Wha:

[nighttimer]

*facepalm* Who died and made Jesse Jackson the arbiter of blackness?

He did. Right around the time he paraded around in a shirt soaked with Dr. King's blood (http://www.nytimes.com/1987/11/29/magazine/jesse-jackson-aims-for-the-mainstream.html?pagewanted=5) and elected himself the President of Black America.

White folks get bent about Rev. Jackson for always being up in their face about race. I'm down on Rev. Jackson for his refusal to get the hell off the stage and allow a new generation of Black leaders to step up.

I also have an issue with Rev."Baby Daddy" (http://www.eurweb.com/story/eur45155.cfm) Jackson. :e2tomato:

[blacbird]

Jesse Jackson has long ago exceeded his span of relevance. Is Hollywood Squares still extant as a TV program?

caw

[Perks]

White folks get bent about Rev. Jackson for always being up in their face about race.

I'm only bent because he isn't very good at it. I think it's a topic that loses traction when it's not handled well. Jesse Jackson seems to try for dignified but slobbers all over it.

I do feel for him in that he felt he should pick up where Dr. King was cut down so short of all he had to say and do for the world. The trouble is, he's never been up for the comparison. That has to suck.

[robeiae]

Regardless of how Jackson came to be a spokesperson for "Black America," the problem is that other leaders accept it. This comment occurred at an event staged by the CBC to honor Jackson. He didn't hold a press conference and take the stage. He was given it.

[nighttimer]

Regardless of how Jackson came to be a spokesperson for "Black America," the problem is that other leaders accept it. This comment occurred at an event staged by the CBC to honor Jackson. He didn't hold a press conference and take the stage. He was given it.

Really? By whom? :e2shrug:

I sure never got a ballot.

Nobody gave Jackson jack. He saw it was available and he took it.

Nature abhors a void. When Dr. King was assassinated, an ambitious preacher from Chicago stepped into MLK's space. Even if he couldn't take King's place, Jackson was savvy enough, hustled enough and promoted himself enough to make him the first among equals.

As someone who said out loud, "I AM somebody," I would never try to demean or disrespect what Jackson has done on behalf of uplifting the race. It's impossible to diminish his impact.

But Jackson did a lot to uplift himself as well. Unlike Dr. King, he won't die broke.

I'm not mad at Jackson for getting his. It's the American way. It's just not very principled or high-minded of him.

I've read on this board, those of us who aren't particularly fond of Rush Limbaugh or Sarah Palin, prolong their 15 minutes and boost their standing by hating on them. I could say the same thing about the mainstream media and those in positions of power, who have made and kept Jackson as the "go to" guy on all matters regarding race.

[robeiae]

Really? By whom? :e2shrug:

I sure never got a ballot.

Nobody gave Jackson jack. He saw it was available and he took it.You're misreading me. I mean--quite literally--that he was given the stage at this event. Who gave it to him? Again, the CBC. So, regardless of how Jackson got to be what he is, his role as such is clearly accepted by other black leaders, like those in the CBC. See?

[profen4]

A little off topic here and I hesitate to write this at all, but:

When I watch news from the USA I am always waiting for that "racial card" to jump out of nowhere. It seems everything in the states is twisted until it has a racial component. It's always between Blacks and Whites too.

Canada isn't too different, we don't have the Black vs. Whites issues, but we do have the First Nations People vs. Other Canadians or the Immigrant vs. Canadian.

I wish a frank discussion could happen where people didn't have to filter their words for fear that something would be taken out of context. I personally don't think true equality can occur until there ceases to be differences in treatment.

But as it stands now, I can't say how I really feel about certain issues because maybe my comments will be twisted or misunderstood to imply racism. even though, truly, I'm not. I think that the multicultural aspect of Canada is one of our greatest strengths, but, man, some of the policies make me angry.

[William Haskins]

Location: The Great White North

heh...

[smoothseas]

Last census, I happened to be having coffee with friends when the data taker knocked. Lucky went to answer the door, and gave her the requested ten minutes to answer questions.

“Race?” she asked, pencil poised over the form she was filling out.

“African American.”

She raises her eyes and looks at Lucky, who just happens to be paler than snow. “Race?” and again she offers him the litany of choices.

“African American.” Lucky repeats, clearly enjoying himself, because he looks over his shoulder and winks and me and his wife.

Now this lady was fairly dark-skinned, but she turned about two shades darker with the blood that rushed to her face, and the scowl she gave Lucky told me she wasn’t amused. Apparently she decided to try one more time. “RACE?”

Lucky just scowled back at her. “I was born and raised in Durban. I met and married my wife and then became a naturalized citizen. Now, what does that make me?”

Don’t rightly know what the woman filled in for race on her form, but she asked a few more questions, then left.

[profen4]

heh...

you do know that refers to the snow right??

[William Haskins]

you do know that refers to the snow right??

like there's snow in canada...

nice try, though.

[profen4]

like there's snow in canada...

nice try, though.

You're right, it's a tropical paradise! I'm writing this post from beneath a palm tree.