Posted on 03/06/2014 1:56:23 AM PST by Cincinatus' Wife
Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) said Wednesday's rejection of a nominee for the Justice Department revealed a racial "double standard."
Harkin said the Republican opposition to Debo Adegbile, President Obama's choice to lead Justice's Civil Rights division, was hypocritical, given their support for Supreme Court Justice John Roberts, who had defended convicted criminals before joining the bench.
“Here is the message we sent today: if you’re a young white person and you go to work for a law firm, you’re a lawyer sworn into the bar … and a law firm assigns you to defend a person who killed eight people in cold blood … you might wind up to be the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court."
"However, if you are a young black person and you go to work for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund and they assign you to appeal a case of someone who committed a heinous murder … the message sent today is don’t do it … if you keep your legal obligations with your profession you will be denied the opportunity to be an assistant Attorney General.
“Shame on this Senate,” Harkin said. “We have a terrible double standard.”
The nomination of Adegbil, who is black, was rejected in a 47-52 vote. Seven Democrats broke ranks to oppose his nomination.
Republicans argued Adegbile was “unfit to serve” because of his legal work in support of Mumia Abu-Jamal, who was convicted in 1981 of killing Philadelphia police officer Daniel Faulkner.
Adegbile was the director of litigation for the NAACP Legal Defense Fund (LDF) when it worked to commute Abu-Jamal’s death sentence. Faulkner’s widow, the Fraternal Order of Police and Republicans argued this should disqualify him from the Justice job, while supporters warned a rejection would set a dangerous precedent of punishing lawyers for doing their jobs.
Obama called the vote against Adegbile a "travesty," and accused lawmakers of succumbing to "wildly unfair character attacks against a good and qualified public servant."
"The fact that his nomination was defeated solely based on his legal representation of a defendant runs contrary to a fundamental principle of our system of justice — and those who voted against his nomination denied the American people an outstanding public servant," Obama said.
Harkin said Adegbile's work on the Abu-Jamal case was irrelevant to his nomination.
“The Supreme Court Justice defended someone who committed mass murder,” Harkin said. “Did we here one peep from the [Republican] side? No … and rightfully so. It should never have been an issue.”
Dems see racial bias in everything.
Interesting. It certainly would line up with this administration's "in your face" appointments and job promotions -- how they reward radicals and lawbreakers.
Roll Call: “Not even Vice President Joseph R. Biden Jr. could convince an in-cycle Senate Democrat from his home state to switch his vote and support embattled Department of Justice nominee Debo P. Adegbile.
In the view of Democratic optimists, Biden had made a rare and impromptu appearance at the Capitol on Wednesday to cast a potential tie-breaking vote for Adegbile. But in reality, Biden served as the last-ditch salesman from the administration, futilely chatting up members such as Sen. Chris Coons, D-Del., inside the Senate chamber. Coons was one of seven Democrats to join Republicans to block Adegbile from being the next assistant attorney general for the Civil Rights Division of the DOJ.
The scene on the floor underscored a new political reality for Senate Democrats. In a “post-nuclear option” world where up-and-down votes now reign, Democrats often will carry the full burden of filling administration posts — and the Republicans will not be afraid to make political gold from tenuous straw to do it....................”
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3130141/posts
On the other hand, I can't think of a more deserving target for a slam of any kind than Roberts, the Fairy Godfather of ObamaCare.
Leni
NBF, I think there’s a difference between the world and the media. “Racist” is swiftly losing its cache.
The issue is never the issue...here, you see evil giving itself PERMISSION to lie (it’s all for the “cause” doncha know) -
The darkness of heart required to embrace such evil - to “internalize” it - can only be of the devil (the book’s ‘dedication’)...
Is it any wonder that killing babies is their sacrament - or that everything they touch is destroyed?
God help us.
‘ell froze over. We paid dearly for this laugh. The rats have the runs. Karma must be female as at times she might be a little slow on the up take.
I think you’re on to something.
This guy was the next Holder...
Re your post #9, I think your maxim is absolutely correct. It seems that almost everything in American politics has a racism angle.
The default position of the American Left wing is racism. It is cheap, easy and effective. The downside is that it tears the country apart and continues to demean human beings, black and white.
The default position of the American Left wing is racism. It is cheap, easy and effective. The downside is that it tears the country apart and continues to demean human beings, black and white.
Another silver lining: Harkin, the Dem senator playing the race card here, is retiring at the end of the year.
The long over used “race card” is the last refuge of a scoundrel. When that is played, it is a sure sign that the debate is over and lost.
“The only thing surprising about this story is that seven Senate Democrats broke from Obama to oppose this nominee. Could they be running for re-election this year and vulnerable? Wow, they’re not even giving their names in the article. Wonder why.”
I think that the reason for omission is simple. provide cover for these RATs.
Here is the list:
Democrats Bob Casey of Pennsylvania
Chris Coons of Delaware
Joe Donnelly of Indiana
Heidi Heitkamp of North Dakota
Joe Manchin III of West Virginia
Mark Pryor of Arkansas
John Walsh of Montana
Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., also voted no in order to preserve his right to reconsider the vote.
FRY MUMIA
The upside of being in a black community is property taxes will be lower and housing cheaper. That helps blacks. The downside is higher crime rates and the attraction of cheap land - a draw for many undesirable industries. That's the downside.
There's a price for living at any level - bottom - middle - or top - - pick your poison ...
WHO KNEW Dumbocrats were so adept at self-immolation?
Yes, I can't recall the last time that Democrats in the Senate helped to defeat anything - legislation or a nominee - that the Obama White House wanted. This could even be the first time it's happened. So it's a pleasant surprise for us, and an indicator that Zero finally might be losing his all-powerful grip on his own party.
They probably had Harkin come out to the media with his racial diatribe, rather than Reid, because Harkin is retiring and has nothing politically to lose at this point.
Now who were those seven Dems who voted against the nominee? Bet you that all or most of them are running for re-election in tough races this year.
Seven Demoncrats fell out of lockstep formation to ditch Adegbile....and suckup Harkin, playing the race card, as usual....is (thank you Jesus) retiring at the end of the year.
Demoncrats also getting the bum's rush: Armed Services Chairman Carl Levin of Michigan Levin, Tim Johnson of South Dakota and Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia are set to depart when their terms expire. Finance Chairman Max Baucus, D-Mont, is expected to resign early to become US ambassador to China.
Sap-happy Harkin went to Cuba and praised nationalized health care and low child mortality (stupidly failing to note forced abortions keep the numbers down----and Cubans are forced to ask US relatives to send thread and needles for impending surgery).
Needless to say, Harkin loves Obamacare.
SEN. TOM HARKIN (D-Iowa): “One of the things we put in the health care bill when we designed it, was the protection for consumers to keep the plan they have if they like it; thus, the term ‘grandfathered plans.’ If you have a plan you like — existing policies — you can keep them. … we said, if you like a plan, you get to keep it, and you can grandfather it in.” (Sen. Harkin, Congressional Record, S.7675-6, 9/29/10)
Such an apropos word: Praxis
At the least, he was going to be another high level civil rights attack dog for the Justice Department — his specialty is litigation.
Dems see racial bias in “Don’t Walk” signals.
Fox has his numbers lowest yet! May have something to do with if his party is going to hang with him or without ;-)
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