"Governor Barbour defended the indefensible this morning and in doing so portrayed a Republican mindset that is not only out of touch with this century, but the last one as well,” DNC national press secretary Hari Sevugan said in a written statement. “To say that the systematic condemnation of millions to bondage and generation upon generation to servitude is ‘not significant,’ or that the tearing apart of families and the selling of human beings as cattle ‘doesn't amount to diddly’ is outrageous for any public official to say, let alone a man Republicans have placed in a position of leadership.”
Sevugan added, “These comments are unacceptable and should be universally condemned in the strongest terms. A failure to do so will send a strong message to all Americans that Republicans endorse Governor Barbour's sentiments and are content not only to be left behind in another century, but that they deserve to be a small regional party in the permanent minority “
Want to know how that neo-Confederacy thing is going? Just ask Haley:
Mississippi Governor Haley Barbour forgot what century it is. Worse yet, he didn't care. But he didn't have to go back that far to realize how fresh the wounds are, and how not "not significant" the omission of slavery was. It's just a tad more weighty than "diddly". Check this out:
Not until 1995 did Mississippi finally ratify the 13th Amendment which abolished slavery. It wasn’t until 2009 that the Mississippi legislature finally passed a bill to repeal discriminatory Jim Crow lawsthat had been enacted in 1964 but ruled unconstitutional in 1967 by federal courts.
Some maintain that Barbour won his bid for Governor of Mississippi in 2003 in part because he pledged to keep intact Mississippi’s state flag design, which contains a miniature representation of the Confederate battle flag.
Tiptoeing around the subject of race instead of facing it head on occurs far too often. President Obama gave a wonderful speech that opened up what shouldn't even have to be a "debate" any more. Sadly, attempts at debating has morphed into out and out baiting.
In other words, civility is rapidly being replaced by outward hostility.
Barack Obama, 2008:
[W]e may not look the same and we may not have come from the same place, but we all want to move in the same direction - towards a better future for of children and our grandchildren.
This belief comes from my unyielding faith in the decency and generosity of the American people. But it also comes from my own American story. [...]
But race is an issue that I believe this nation cannot afford to ignore right now. [...]
And if we walk away now, if we simply retreat into our respective corners, we will never be able to come together and solve challenges like health care, or education, or the need to find good jobs for every American.
But in the last year, racism has had an alarming uptick in vocal proponents who carry signs, make threatening calls, scream slurs and spit on government officials.
When the subject of hatred and blatant racism is broached, there is a tendency to shy away from confronting it head on. Maybe there is a fear of stirring up even more hostility. For some it may be a way of avoiding their own prejudices. For others, it might be that it's politically radioactive, especially in an election year.
But we can't avoid it. The anger and vitriol has gotten too heated, the threats too frequent, and the divisions too deep.
Direct communication and blunt exchanges may be painful, and even scary, but they're necessary. It sure beats acting out.
It's time for America to grow up and realize we are all "created equal."
Will someone please show me where and when we "lurched to the left"? If that had happened, I'd be popping Champagne corks and writing celebratory posts:
Facing the charge that Republicans are in danger of being cast as "mean old white guys", Haley Barbour danced around calling Obama a "radical" as Newt Gingrich did. Instead, he opted for "most left-wing," which makes him sound no less grumpy. CNN
I'd call them mean, nasty, cranky, b.s.-laden, lying old white guys, and that's being kind.
Sigh, I guess they've squeezed all the usage out of the other disastrous massacres or do they just rotate them?
Gov. Haley Barbour (R-Miss.), chairman of the Republican Governors Association, called the Democrats' health care reform proposal "catastrophic" Thursday and compared it to the poison ingested at the infamous Jonestown cult’s mass suicide in 1978.
(snip)
"This is such bad policy for the United States, and it's going to be so bad for our health care system," the Mississippi governor said. "It's going to make health insurance premiums go up. It's going to cut Medicare by about $500 billion. Huge state tax increases. It is catastrophic for small business. But if the Democrats wanna do something to help Republicans, I can't improve on this.
"I've been looking for Jim Jones and where's the Kool-Aid. This is awful, awful policy for our country—and the people know it. The public already understands this. And the longer the debate goes on, the more the public understands that they're going to end up paying more and that they're going to get lower quality health care. But politically, if the nation can survive it, it will be a political windfall for Republicans."
Chris Matthews asked a simple question: Is Ex-Governor Facebook qualified to be president? Why, that's so easy that millions answered "no" on their ballots last year without hesitation!
I guess it never dawned on Haley Barbour to mull that one over:
"Uh--eifgx--er, uh... Constitutionally she sure is!"
Um, gee wilikers, we lived in different states called Mississippi 'n' Alaska 'n' stuff, so I never really saw her first hand, but goshngollywow she shore is informed 'n' whatnot! "But let's see who-all runs."
Tweety had to ask him several times. Finally, Governor Sidestep said, "I don't know of anything that DISqualifies her..."
Talk about the most untelligenic, white bread BORING ticket imaginable! Hope it happens.
For a second week, a GOP sex scandal has helped an aspiring 2012 presidential candidate. This time, it's Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour, who takes over the Republican Governors Association from South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who admitted, in detail, his affair with a woman in Argentina.
Barbour is somebody to watch, say his Republican allies. He served as head of the Republican National Committee under Ronald Reagan, was a successful lobbyist, and then won praise for his Hurricane Katrina cleanup despite the Bush administration's bumbling efforts there. He's dismissing the talk, for now, as he focuses on helping Republicans win election to the House and Senate in 2010.
But that hasn't stopped the buzz in Washington, where we're already hearing of a 2012 ticket teaming Barbour with another two-term governor, Indiana's Mitch Daniels. He was a White House political director under Reagan and served as George W. Bush's first budget chief. Like Barbour, he's popular in his state, though quick to reject talk of his political future while still in office.
Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour told reporters Thursday preparations for Friday's debate are going forward as planned.
“I expect there to be a debate tomorrow night and I look forward to it," he said.
John McCain has suggested pushing back the debate if an agreement on the economic bailout has not been reached by Friday morning. Barack Obama has said the debate should occur regardless of whether the bill is passed by that time.
It seems as if everyone is set to attend... with one exception.
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