GOP chair: Reid should step down following race remark

Well isn't this interesting.

Washington (CNN) -- Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid should give up his post following publication of remarks he made in 2008 about Barack Obama, Republican Party Chairman Michael Steele said Sunday.

"Racism and racist conversations have no place today in America," Steele told NBC's "Meet the Press." He accused Democrats of following a "double standard," and added that Reid had used "anachronistic language that harkens back to the 1950s and 60s, and it confirms to me a mind-set out of step with where America is."

But Gov. Tim Kaine of Virginia, chairman of the Democratic Party, said "the case is closed" following Reid's round of apologies for the remarks, which included a call to Obama. The comments "were in the context of praising the senator and acknowledging that the senator could be a great president, but they were still insensitive," Kaine told NBC. Asked whether Reid should resign, he responded, "Absolutely not," and added, "We're moving on."

Authors of the new book "Game Change" quote Reid, D-Nevada, as saying privately during the 2008 presidential campaign that Obama could be successful as a black candidate in part because of his "light-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

The authors write that "Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination."

But while Steele, the GOP's first African-American chairman, went after Reid on Sunday, he was also on the defense over a remark he made last week that has been called racially offensive.

In an interview Monday with FOX News, Steele said the GOP platform "is one of the best political documents that's been written in the last 25 years, 'honest injun' on that."

Rest of the article here.

I wonder what Reid's response will be in the long term, he's already apologized, and I figured that would be the end of it, but to give his resignation seems a bit much. Mind you I don't like Reid and he's done more to hurt this country than help it, but that's just my opinion.

Any thoughts ATS?

~Keeper

Reid should absolutely NOT step down. He is a DEMOCRAT, and that gives him immunity from being considered a racist.

Only Republican Majority leaders are required to step down in situations like this. Remember Trent Lott?

Plus Harry Reid stepping down would deprive us from enjoying his upcoming 2010 re-election bid landslide defeat.

Originally posted by Carseller4
Reid should absolutely NOT step down. He is a DEMOCRAT, and that gives him immunity from being considered a racist.

Only Republican Majority leaders are required to step down in situations like this. Remember Trent Lott?

Plus Harry Reid stepping down would deprive us from enjoying his upcoming 2010 re-election bid landslide defeat.

Haha, well, I can see your point and I do want to see his concession speech to whoever wins in the re-election..

And besides, it's not like the Democrats give a damn what Republicans think anyway, Reid would only step down if some big member of the Democratic party asked him to, and even then it would have to be Nancy or Obama.

~Keeper

reply to post by Carseller4


Could'nt have said it better If old Harry does'nt resign somebody owes Mr. Lott an apology!

[edit on C: by JMech]

So, a republican shouts "you lie" and the democrats go after his head. But a democrat makes a racist remark and he gets a free pass? Yeah, that seems really fair. Wilson apologized, why wasn't his apology good enough? Oh yeah, he's a republican.

Blech. I mean, I know the two part system is a joke and I shouldn't let crap like this bother me but geez.

EDIT TO ADD:
And yes, I know Wilson's apology was eventually accepted. But other members of Congress kept hounding him and hounding anyway after his apology. That outburst will follow him for the rest of his career. But no, not Mr. Reid.

[edit on 10-1-2010 by angrymomma]

I think it's up to Queen Nancy............thank god a Republican didn't yell you lie when he said this. Think of the ramifications.

AND can you IMAGINE if someone involved with the Tea Party movement said something like this and it was reported? The media would have a FIELD DAY. The Tea Party movement would be ruined and be labeled as racists forever. Their message would never get out and they would be generalized for the rest of their existence.

Edit to fix my ranting too fast while typing

[edit on 10-1-2010 by angrymomma]

Originally posted by JMech
reply to post by Carseller4

 

Could'nt have said it better

If old Harry does'nt resign somebody owes Mr. Lott an apology!

[edit on C: by JMech]

Couldn't agree more!

Harry needs to resign if he has any morality whatsoever (highly unlikely) seeing as he felt Trent Lott did the right thing by resigning (Source.), or be kicked out of the Senate immediately.

reply to post by angrymomma


I think to begin with the Tea Party movement's message has fallen on deaf ears, at least when it comes to the Media and the government. Something like this would be nail in their coffin.

It would be so for any republican who said something like that as well, but as Reid is part of the "good" guys these days, I guess he gets a free pass.

~Keeper

reply to post by tothetenthpower


Yes, their message has fallen on deaf ears. They don't really get any publicity unless it is negative and in some cases faked or misconstrued to the extreme. But there would be so much air time for them if something like this had come out of one their own's mouth. And it would be nothing but trashing them. All publicity is not good publicity, especially with todays MSM.

reply to post by adifferentbreed


Oh god. I seriously hope Nancy does not say anything about this. I hate listening to anything that comes out of her mouth. Anything she would have to say about this would be dribble because Reid comes from her side of the aisle. I don't dislike Pelosi b/c of her pary affiliation, I dislike her as a politician in general.

Originally posted by angrymomma
reply to post by tothetenthpower

 

Yes, their message has fallen on deaf ears. They don't really get any publicity unless it is negative and in some cases faked or misconstrued to the extreme. But there would be so much air time for them if something like this had come out of one their own's mouth. And it would be nothing but trashing them. All publicity is not good publicity, especially with todays MSM.

I'm gonna have to agree with you on your last part, any publicity is good these days.

I certainly hope they can gain some positive stuff over the next several months, perhaps during the re-election cycle. Maybe we'll get a few more independants in this time around.

~Keeper