|
|
|
 |
FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
|
|
|
|
Posted on 01/18/2003 4:34:23 AM PST by RJCogburn
The Rev. Al Sharpton believes he best represents the traditional principals of the Democratic Party of any of the Presidential candidates seeking the party’s nomination.
Speaking yesterday at a breakfast his campaign organized for about 25 clergy, political activists and college students, Sharpton railed against President Bush’s economic and foreign policies as he kicked off a day of campaigning in the state.
He was particularly harsh about the administration’s push toward war with Iraq, saying, “We see the same type of war machine that we saw in Vietnam being oiled in Iraq and the same kind of flawed argument for war.”
He criticized Democrats for giving Bush the power to go to war and for not opposing the death penalty and welfare reforms that humiliate people.
“The so-called new Democratic way has failed; it hasn’t worked. We need to have a new era where our priority is Americans,” he said.
Sharpton said he was the only Democrat running who opposed the North American Free Trade Agreement. “The new Democrats are nothing but old Republicans. You got a bunch of elephants running around with donkey clothes on,” he said.
He urged the people in attendance to make sure they questioned the other candidates about the issues of importance to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.: economic fairness, racial equality and peace. “In the snow-capped hills of New Hampshire, we need to redefine what a Democrat is,” Sharpton said.
King said there are those who do what is politically correct and those who do what is morally right, Sharpton said.
While Bush is ready to invade Iraq over weapons of mass destruction that have not been found, Sharpton said, the President only wants to talk to the North Koreans about their nuclear program. “Not only do they have weapons, but they lied about it,” he said.
Bush is trying to distract the American people from the fact that 2 million people in the private sector have been laid off since January 2001 and his tax cuts only help the wealthy, he said.
Sharpton said Bush says the benefits will trickle down to everyone. “We heard that before. We heard that from Ronnie Reagan in 1980. He said give tax breaks for the wealthy and it will trickle down to the poor.
“We are now 22 years later, and it still didn’t get down to us. In fact, Mr. Bush’s daddy called it voodoo economics. It was voodoo in ’80 and it’s hoodoo voodoo in 2002,” Sharpton said.
He said Bush issued his statement on affirmative action on King’s actual birthday, Jan. 15. He said it was ironic that issues King worked on — economic justice and racial equality — are still in the headlines today.
“Trent Lott did with one joke what I couldn’t do in 10 years and that is make America at least start discussing that there is still racial inequality in this country,” he said.
Sharpton said what King accomplished in his short life allows him to run for President. “I want to be President of this country because I think the direction of the country is the wrong direction,” he said. Big business should not come first; the American people should, he said. The country should be working with the rest of the world to do such things as make sure children have clean water to drink, not starting wars.
“I understand more about the global village we live in than anybody talking about running because most people in the world are not rich white people,” Sharpton said.
Many people attending said they had not decided whom they would support in the Presidential primary, but many praised Sharpton for discussing the issues that matter to them.
Arnie Alpert of the American Friends Service Committee said he thought Sharpton was right on the mark talking about war and poverty.
Wayne Lesperance, a student at New England College in Henniker, attended the breakfast with five other people from the college.
“I’m interested in the political process and hearing all the candidates and their views,” he said.
Martha Yager of the American Friends Service Committee said, “It is good to hear someone talk about poverty in a way that dignifies people, not blames them. There is huge disparity, and it is empty rhetoric to talk about trickle down.”
The Rev. Gayle Murphy of Concord said she came to hear Sharpton because her confirmation class had told her he was “a wonderful preacher.”
“I figured it’s pretty hard to get that kind of praise from ninth-graders, so I thought I’d see what he had to say,” she said. “When I told my son I was coming today, he got really excited because Sharpton was in the Adam Sandler movie ‘Mr. Deeds.’ ”
If one enjoys the spectator sport aspect of politics but still wants a normal life, there is no better place.
The season has begun. Bring it on.....
|
|
|
|
|
FreeRepublic , LLC PO BOX 9771 FRESNO, CA 93794
|
|
|
|
I never occurs to these slime balls that they and their ilk are the reason?
Sounds like a much larger audience that he got in Keene, NH last year.
That is a true democrat!
Note that Sharpton admits here something that the neocon fanatics on this board have hysterically denied: Lott was joking.
Now back to your regularly scheduled programing.
The best thing the Republicans have going is to have this Moron "represent" the Democrats!
Not even close to true. It did trickle down and there is tons of evidence to back this up. The African American middle class has been growing by leaps and bounds since the 80s. The real issue (IMHO) is that African Americans are polorized economically amounst themselves, but this has more to do with teenage pregnancies than anything else. Of course you won't hear Al or Jesse pointingthis out because it's more profitable to whine about how whitey is repressing them.
Race-baiter, demagogue, freeloader, pro-tax, pro-"reparations," pro-welfare, anti-business, anti-freedom, anti-military ... yep, he's a Democrat all right.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.