Rangel Blasts Clinton as 'a Redneck'

Newsmax ^ | Feb 15th, 2005

[missyme]

Rep. Charlie Rangel is blasting ex-President Bill Clinton as "a redneck" after New York Sen. Hillary Clinton refused for the second year in a row to support his bill to help the mother of police shooting victim Amadou Diallo stay in the country

"I don't have the slightest clue who Hillary really is," the dismayed Harlem Democrat tells New York Magazine this week. "All I see is a gal who knew she was as good as anyone else, and she saw this guy she could make something of, so she forfeited Illinois and went to Arkansas."

Rangel then added, "That's a hell of a move to make for a redneck, which is all he was."

Asked if he really thought Clinton was a redneck Tuesday morning, Rangel told WWRL Radio's Steve Malzberg and Karen Hunter, "Of course he is. He's from Arkansas."

Later in the interview Rangel tried to backpedal, telling Malzberg he thought the Clintons were "terrific people."

"You have to remember, you know, Lyndon Johnson was one of the best presidents we had and he was a redneck out of Texas," he explained.

The congressman's non-pejorative pejorative comes just days after Sen. Clinton stiffed him on the Diallo case, a move the New York Post described on Monday as "a slap in the face to Charles Rangel."

Without Sen. Clinton's help, Rangel's legislation to grant Kadiatou Diallo and her family permanent resident status crashed and burned in the 2003-04 Congress and has attracted no other support this year.

[sodiumodium]

"America" needs less politicians and more real leaders of any color.

---

Also true. I just happened to be thinking of a conversation I had with someone about the NAACP. Much of what they say these days doesn't even relate to civil rights or advancement of african americans - but just seemingly democrat rhetoric.

[bill1952]

"Charles Rangel, a fool indeed, thinks that can throw around terms like "redneck" and still help his party's chances.
As a Republican, I am delighted he is a Democrat."


Oh, the gift that is truly continuing to give.
Imagine a snotty NY uber liberal calling people from Arkansas "rednecks" in the public press.

I couldn't have wished for it, because I wouldn't have ever thought of it.

[mhking]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1343570/posts

[SouthernBoyupNorth]

As a card carrying redneck (and proud of it) I take offense to this statement. Clinton is anything BUT a REDNECK!!! A REDNECK IS and I quote:

"Redneck dates to 1830, when it was first used to denote the Presbyterians of Fayetteville, Georgia. But it wasn't until 1893 that the term was used in the modern sense of a poor, white farmer or laborer. The significance of the name is somewhat obscure. Three explanations are commonly offered. First, it could be a reference to a ruddy neck caused by anger. Second, it could be a reference to sunburned necks caused by working in the fields all day. Finally, it could be a reference to pellagra which turns the neck red. The original reference to Presbyterians may be to poor, Scotch-Irish farmers that was later expanded to a larger economic class."

I never knew Clinton KNEW HOW TO WORK. Shirk I'm sure, screw around and philander definitely. But Clinton is NOT a redneck and to call him one is a deadly insult to honest working people everywhere.....

[Hildy]

WOW...a racist remark about somebody in your own party. Yikes.

[KC_Conspirator]

Thank you simply laying that out. What gives the Diallo family the right to jump in line ahead of millions of other people waiting to get in legally?

[cvq3842]

One thing I never heard was exactly how long the incident took. We heard "41 shots" over and over, but I have never run across the amount of time that eleapsed from the time the police yelled "halt" to the time the shooting stopped. I assume it was a very, very short time, partly bacause four officers were firing at once. And partly because I never heard the approximate time frame reported. Whatever.

[bill1952]

Personally, I don't consider what most attorneys actually do, qualifies as "work."

Clinton wouldn't know what work was unless he was thrown in jail and forced to do some hard time.

[2nd Bn, 11th Mar]

Not sure what a redneck is either. But having been once to the NASCAR race at Talledega, I can attest that most of them live in Indiana.

Semper Fi,

[bill1952]

Since when did illegal immigration ever take a back seat to anything legal?

Don't you understand that it your duty to allow them in, and for you to work very hard all your life to support these scum, and anyone else who decides to step foot on American soil, legal or not?

What are you, a Capitalist??? 8^)

[maine-iac7]

a redneck

Charley owes all rednecks an apology -

rednecks are real people

and then there's white trash, a whole 'nuther category

[RKV]

"Clinton isn't Redneck, he is white trash. Rangel is a Yankee, and can't tell the difference."

You nailed that one!

[Lexington Green]

Is it legal for black folks to use the R-word?

[smiley]

.....cat fight!....cat fight!!!

[Irene Adler]

"Must be another plant to burnish Hillary's "moderate" credentials. LOL!"

Of course it is. Virtually every lamestream story through 2008 involving Hillary will follow this pattern. I'm not sure I see the reason for the LOL, though. The press is already starting what will be a HUGE push to make Hillary look moderate. It will be like nothing we have ever seen before. They will do everything within their power to make her president. The "swing" voters are vulnerable to this kind of media activity because they vote mostly based on vague impressions (which they form from casual exposure to the lamestream media) since they don't pay consistent attention to politics.

I am scared of what the press will do for Hillary. They tried hard to make both algore and Hanoiboy attractive, but they will turn themselves inside out for Hillary, and they are starring now!.

Hillary devotees are the kind of people who simply cannot let Hillary lose no matter what they have to do.

[marvlus]

"You have to remember, you know, Lyndon Johnson was one of the best presidents we had and he was a redneck out of Texas," he explained.

Wow. I've never heard anyone refer to LBJ as one of the best presidents we had. In my mind, the Vietnam war started going downhill on his watch.

[F16Fighter]

You might be a "redneck" if you rankle Charlie Rangel.

[fella]

Billy boy is a redneck. He was hand picked by Arkansas Governor Orvil Faubus (of standing in the door of the schoolhouse fame) for personal mentoring. For a time he was Orvils driver. The acorn don't fall far from the tree.

[cvq3842]

I was half-serious. Your post was sobering however.

I think she would be very bad for the country. On character, and on the issues, she's a loser, IMHO. But many will push her, hard. Why? Even if the worst happened and she were elected, it would take all of six months for (almost) everyone to realize what a terrible mistake it was.

I don't even want to think about it! But i suppose we all must be prepared, with the facts and a superior GOP candidate and united party.

[wideawake]

I believe it was something like 15 - 25 seconds. The ridiculous thing was that he was only hit 17 times and only three or four were stopping wounds.