Posted on 03/20/2010 7:03:59 PM PDT by kristinn
A Democrat Congressman who says he was a few yards behind Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) as he was walking between Congressional buildings today when Lewis was allegedly called a n***** by Tea Party protesters says that it was actually a chorus of voices calling Lewis a n*****.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo) is quoted by McClatchy Newspapers as saying he "distinctly heard" Lewis called a n*****:
"It was a chorus," Cleaver said. "In a way, I feel sorry for those people who are doing this nasty stuff - they're being whipped up. I decided I wouldn't be angry with any of them."
Politico has reported that Lewis claimed it was only one protester who called him a n*****:
When Rep. John Lewis said he was voting for the bill, someone yelled, "Baby killer."
Later, House Majority Whip Jim Clyburn said that he heard from Lewis that another protestor later called him the N-word. A Lewis staffer confirmed that Lewis had been the target of that slur.
Politico also reported that a spokesman for Rep. Cleaver issued a statement claiming Cleaver was spat on by a protester:
“This afternoon, the Congressman was walking into the Capitol to vote, when one protester spat on him. The Congressman would like to thank the US Capitol Police officer who quickly escorted the other Members and him into the Capitol, and defused the tense situation with professionalism and care. After all the Members were safe, a full report was taken and the matter was handled by the US Capitol Police. The man who spat on the Congressman was arrested, but the Congressman has chosen not to press charges. He has left the matter with the Capitol Police.
A later report by CNN now has Lewis saying he was "repeatedly" called a n*****. Rep. Andre Carson (D-IN) says he heard the word n***** "several times" while walking with Lewis.
Rep. Carson told the Washington Times he counted the times he heard the word n*****:
"It just happened on the way to votes. Coming out of [Cannon]…John Lewis’ chief of staff came with us. It was just the three of us walking down the steps. ‘Kill the bill, Kill the bill…n-word, fifteen times."
Newsbusters reported on ABC News' report of the alleged incidents:
Emanuel Cleaver was together with John Lewis – they were walking over to the Capitol when somebody spit on Congressman Cleaver and yelled the ‘N’ word at Congressman Lewis. Cleaver was taken to police headquarters. He did ID the man, but he is not going to press charges. He’s not speaking about it. Lewis is not going to speak about it. They don't want to take any more details away from the vote that’s coming up tomorrow.
CNN also claims that Rep. Barney Frank was called a "faggot" and that Frank claims he was called a "homo" by protesters.
No video of these claimed incidents have surfaced. The n***** charges have not been confirmed by anyone so far, except for those making the claims.
Kinda funny how this boisterous but peaceful protest:
has morphed into this without a video camera having recorded a thing based on claims that a handful of jerks in a crowd of thousands acted like jerks:
Politico reported that when Rep. Frank was called a homo or something, the heckler was swiftly dealt with by Tea Party protesters:
Frank, who is gay, was leaving the Longworth House Office Building when a man yelled a charged homophobic slur at the Massachusetts lawmaker.
Other protesters quickly admonished the shouter, with one woman yelling back, "We don't need that."
Given that example, there is no way a "chorus" of protesters chanted n***** at John Lewis with nobody shouting them down after the first n***** was allegedly uttered.
The media will run with this lie. Reichstag fire.
When they play the race card, they don’t have the votes. They are desperate.
He is not pressing charges because either a Dem plant did it or it never happened in the first place.
Compared to all the other lies this Congress and the President have told, this one seems like it would have real easy for them.
I don’t believe it, but I also just don’t care. “Racist” is a term with no meaning any more. So sure, I am a racist. Big effing deal.
Before this is over, there is going to be more than “racial epithets” being hurled at these jackasses.
)
They are lying for sure, as you state...anyone who would have yelled that would have been dealt with immediately by the protesters.
I eagerly await the audio/video of all this. Media is piling on and the evidence is slim thus far.
I wouldn’t trust or believe Carson.
They LIE!
I wasn’t there but I’m STILL calling them LIARS!!
I imagine it won’t be long before we’ll be getting the old standby “noose” story from one of these whinyass ‘RATS.
Oh, the irony. Pay back is hell libs.
I’m taking bets on SEIU plants.
Maybe they were being called niggardly for their lack of transparancy in describing what’s in the bill.
You got that right. By morning it will be the whole crowd chanting the n word, veritable buckets of spit hurled and be the headline story on all the MSM morning shows.
These cretins will go to any lengths to discredit the Tea Partiers.
has Mr Lewis and the rest of the perpetually offended CBC commented yet on what the other 39,999 protesters who were there (including me) were saying?
Like KILL THE BILL
I watched 3 videos and didn’t hear name-calling and there were blacks in the crowd. I just heard “boos” and “kill the bill”...a modus operandi. Anyone talking about us being called “tea-bag” crowd by that CBS reporter?
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