Eleventh Hour Protesters Accused of Racism, Homophobia

Fightin Words ^ | March 21, 2010 | Walter Scott Hudson

[Walter Scott Hudson]

This morning's Washington Post contains a report summarizing the last minute political wrangling surrounding tonight's vote on President Obama's government takeover of healthcare. Protesters gathered in Washington, hoping against hope to have their voice heard by those servants elected to the Hill, were characterized thus:

Throughout the day, thousands of angry protesters milled outside the Capitol; some hurled insults at black and gay lawmakers and shouted at Democrats to "kill the bill!" Meanwhile, Obama made a final pitch for reform, exhorting wavering lawmakers to rise to the aid of millions of uninsured Americans by taking "the single most important step that we have taken on health care since Medicare" was created in 1965.

...

The Republican message was being received loud and clear outside the Capitol, where angry protesters gathered and waved placards that said "Defeat Obamacare" and "Born in the USA not the USSR." Republicans were treated as heroes as they walked through the crowds, who patted them on the back and thanked them for their opposition. Democrats were greeted with jeers.

Black lawmakers said some protesters hurled racial epithets at them, and in one instance, spit upon them.

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) said that he was walking into the Capitol to vote when a protester spat on him. Police quickly responded and detained the protester, Cleaver said in a statement, but the lawmaker declined to press charges.

Others hurled epithets at Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a former civil rights leader, and Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.) as they left the Capitol after Obama's speech.

"They were shouting the N-word," Carson told reporters. "It was like a page out of a time machine."

Observers also said that Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was heckled with anti-gay epithets inside the Longworth House Office Building.

"I have heard things today that I have not heard since March 15, 1960, when I was marching to get off the back of the bus," said House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn (D-S.C.), the highest-ranking black official in Congress.

For those who are counting, that's 287 words out of 1,223, nearly 1/4 of the article devoted to how protesters against Obamacare are racist homophobes. Conspicuously missing is any mention whatsoever of any substantive objection to the bill, as if folks traveled from across the nation to gather at their capital for the sole purpose of calling John Lewis the n-word. The other three-quarters of the article is naturally replete with quotations and summaries of Democratic rationale in favor of the bill.

This is an outrageous eleventh hour smear of the majority the public, who have made their position on health care reform abundantly clear in poll after poll. There is no indication of any attempt to follow-up with the accused protesters or obtain their side of the story. It is inconceivable that racial epitaphs represented a proportion of the day's protest significant enough to exclude all other substantive reporting.

[Paisan]

Police quickly responded and detained the protester, Cleaver said in a statement...

This can be checked out.

[Highest Authority]

These were probably DemonRat plants to disrupt the gathering and get negative publicity. They did!!!!!!
Somebody check out their backround, please.

[TigersEye]

Rep. Emanuel Cleaver, D-Mo., won't press charges after being spat on by ...protestor (I call BS)

Tea party protesters use racial epithet against Georgia's John Lewis

ABC: Anti-ObamaCare Protest ‘Turned Very Ugly’ with ‘Racial and Homophobic Slurs’

All of these accusations have proven to be unfounded. No video or audio exists to support them and no charges were filed by Emanuel Cleaver.

Fox News is about to report these lies. I just e-mailed them and challenged them to provide evidence. If anyone is up e-mail them at Friends@foxnews.com

[TigersEye]

Congressman Tim Ryan D-OH uses a homosexual slur against Tea Partiers on the floor of the House.

Congressman Ryan Denounces Protestor Behavior

Congressman Tim Ryan D-OH uses a homosexual slur against Tea Partiers on the floor of the House.

Congressman Ryan Denounces Protestor Behavior

[radioone]

Aren’t these just re-writes of last summer’s stories?? Sounds very familiar.

[cweese]

"...but the lawmaker declined to press charges."

Yup, probably after he realized the spitter was a SEIU member.

[Eye of Unk]

I am sure they were plants, they saw the news about what happened at that Walmart and they though throwing rocks at a racial hornets nest would be fun.

[mylife]

Yeah, that’s it. We don’t want health care for black gays...Yeah, thats the ticket.

sheesh.

[BigSkyFreeper]

I read in the LA Times, who was using AP reporting, that no one was arrested. Not even the guy the media claimed spat on the politicians.

[kayak42]

We were there when Lewis and his gang walked by. I heard nothing but “kill the bill”. I think he just made up this stuff for his constituents.

[Upstate NY Guy]

This is a complete fabrication. A last minute attempt to discredit Obamacare opposition. Listen to the video. There are on racial slurs. These people have no shame.

YouTube

[mylife]

These people are so predictable.

[BigSkyFreeper]

The fact that there are conflicting media reports about what really happened, means it was a setup. I first read about this on Twitter and even then the facts never added up.

[RRTJSP...........]

First I will never go to a Tom Hanks movie again, or rent one............he is a communist........

Secondly, If you support Obamabomb you are a communist......

[RGSpincich]

LIARS!

[orinoco]

If it can be checked is there a police report of the incident or must we accept the word of Cleaver?

[RedMDer]

Us too and heard nothing. Leaving soon to go back to DC

[mylife]

Wear boots. ☺

[Travis McGee]

I just watched CNN/HLN news. The gist is that a few hundred angry white extremists were at the capitol yesterday screaming the N-word and faggot.

I suppose if we’re going to be transformed into the USSR, we’ll need Pravda for our news.