Bond comes out swinging at Bush

Milwaukee Journal Sentinel ^ | July 10, 2005 | TOM KERTSCHER

[BraveMan]

NAACP Chairman Julian Bond bashed President Bush and other conservatives Sunday, warning they have tried to seduce black clergy, created "fraudulent" civil rights organizations and backed federal judicial nominees who come from a "dim and gloomy legal netherworld where few Americans wish to dwell."

Officially kicking off the NAACP's 96th annual convention, its first in Milwaukee, a fiery Bond told delegates they have won great accomplishments but must continue to fight widespread discrimination.

"We have never wished our way to freedom, instead we've always worked our way," he said in a 50-minute keynote address at the Midwest Airlines Center.

Bond opened with an attack, saying, "Milwaukee is the home of beer, of brats and the Bradley Foundation," and blasting Bush for failing to appear at the NAACP's annual convention for the fifth straight year.

Bond explained his reference to the Milwaukee-based Bradley Foundation later in the speech, saying it is among entities that fund what he called "fraudulent" civil rights organizations.

He charged that the organizations appear to back civil rights but push school vouchers, use legal means to assault affirmative action and try to redraw political boundaries in hopes of preventing people of color from being elected to office.

Such organizations have had black "hucksters" on their payrolls for 20 years, said Bond to thunderous applause.

"Like ventriloquist dummies, they speak in their puppet master's voice, but we can see his lips moving," he said.

Similarly, Bond fired at organizations that have tried to "seduce black clergy" to conservative causes and criticized what he said is an attempt by the Bush administration to replace vital public welfare programs with faith-based organizations.

He gave special importance to the continuing battle over Bush's judicial nominees, especially a replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, saying the high court needs another independent-minded justice like her. Too many Bush nominees to federal judgeships have made rulings that hurt the civil rights movement, he said, calling newly named federal appeals court judge Janice Rogers Brown "the female Clarence Thomas."

Bond recalled that some people had hoped the conservative Thomas would change after being put on the Supreme Court. "He did change, he got worse," Bond said.

Bond, a close ally of the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., invoked King several times in recalling '60s civil rights triumphs such as the Montgomery, Ala., bus boycott. He also credited recent National Association for the Advancement of Colored People efforts for accomplishments such as a law reducing school class sizes in Florida and restoring in Pennsylvania voting rights for felons who have completed their sentences.

"Our values are American values. We value tolerance, we value inclusion, we believe in equality, we celebrate the worth of every human being," he said.

But Bond urged the audience to continue the struggle.

The former Democratic Georgia state senator blasted the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate for failing to hold a roll call vote on a resolution apologizing for failing to enact an anti-lynching law first proposed 105 years ago. He named eight Republican senators who did not co-sponsor the resolution, saying, "If a United States senator in 2005 cannot apologize for that, what outrage is deserving of an apology?"

Targeting the Bush administration, Bond said it was "outsourcing torture" by sending terrorism suspects to foreign lands and backing economic policies that have created "an ownership society, where you're really on your own."

"They profess to being true believers, but they're really true deceivers," he said. Bond said African-Americans, in comparison to whites, still face wide gaps in "life chances" such as jobs, and that discrimination continues to be a key cause. He said the NAACP should resist calls to become a social service agency, saying its fight against discrimination is more important.

"We believe when our people have social justice they'll need much less social service," he said.

Sensenbrenner praised

Bond did praise U.S. Rep. F. James Sensenbrenner (R-Wis.), who told the convention he would introduce legislation extending provisions of the 1965 Voting Rights Act that are due to expire in 2007. Bond said the most important provision requires certain jurisdictions - most of them in the South - to get "pre-clearance" from the U.S. Justice Department before making changes in voting time, place or manner.

"Anybody who claims that voting rights are now secure only has to look to Florida in 2000 and Ohio in 2004," Bond said, referring to razor-thin margins in back-to-back presidential elections in those states.

"Making democracy safe for America's minorities is as important as making the world safe for democracy," he said.

Bond did not hold his criticism to Republicans. He also had some harsh words for Democrats who agreed to an "empty compromise" that allowed Brown and other nominees to be confirmed from the Senate last month.

"Unfortunately, some Democrats won't take their own side in a fight," he said.

Also at Sunday evening's session, Bond recognized James Cameron, 91, founder of America's Black Holocaust Museum in Milwaukee, who is believed to be the nation's only living survivor of a lynching.

[Einigkeit_Recht_Freiheit]

It seems like only yesterday that Bond was snorting cocaine. Time flies when the media are overlooking his past.

Actually I thought we generally ignored the whole what guys did in their past thing. I mean, W. himself wasn't always a choir boy. The media didn't let him go on it, but the American people are a forgiving lot. Why don't you concentrate on his present. I mean, it isn't as if there is a paucity of material there. Otherwise it makes you look mean spirited and petty and we know that is not the case.

[mhking]

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---

Julian Bond continues his persona vendetta against conservatives

NAACP Chairman Julian Bond opened the NAACP's national convention in Milwaukee as he has other such gatherings in the past -- by attacking George W. Bush and other conservatives.

The NAACP's national confab got underway yesterday in Milwaukee. Bond took the opportunity to take swipes at Bush and others, of course, reserving special venom for black conservatives.

Bond opened with an attack, saying, "Milwaukee is the home of beer, of brats and the Bradley Foundation," and blasting Bush for failing to appear at the NAACP's annual convention for the fifth straight year.

Bond explained his reference to the Milwaukee-based Bradley Foundation later in the speech, saying it is among entities that fund what he called "fraudulent" civil rights organizations.

He charged that the organizations appear to back civil rights but push school vouchers, use legal means to assault affirmative action and try to redraw political boundaries in hopes of preventing people of color from being elected to office.

Such organizations have had black "hucksters" on their payrolls for 20 years, said Bond to thunderous applause.

"Like ventriloquist dummies, they speak in their puppet master's voice, but we can see his lips moving," he said.

Similarly, Bond fired at organizations that have tried to "seduce black clergy" to conservative causes and criticized what he said is an attempt by the Bush administration to replace vital public welfare programs with faith-based organizations.

He gave special importance to the continuing battle over Bush's judicial nominees, especially a replacement for retiring Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor, saying the high court needs another independent-minded justice like her. Too many Bush nominees to federal judgeships have made rulings that hurt the civil rights movement, he said, calling newly named federal appeals court judge Janice Rogers Brown "the female Clarence Thomas."

The former Democratic Georgia state senator blasted the Republican-controlled U.S. Senate for failing to hold a roll call vote on a resolution apologizing for failing to enact an anti-lynching law first proposed 105 years ago. He named eight Republican senators who did not co-sponsor the resolution, saying, "If a United States senator in 2005 cannot apologize for that, what outrage is deserving of an apology?"

Targeting the Bush administration, Bond said it was "outsourcing torture" by sending terrorism suspects to foreign lands and backing economic policies that have created "an ownership society, where you're really on your own."

"They profess to being true believers, but they're really true deceivers," he said.

Bond insisted that the NAACP should avoid becoming a "social service agency," insisting that mission is "not as important" as the fight against discrimination.

It's nice to know that his priorities are "in order" -- helping communities overcome social ills is not important in his mind. After all, he's more concerned about partisan politics.

Bond's statements continued to skirt the partisan line that has threatened to invite additional scrutiny by the Internal Revenue Service over the past several years. The NAACP has been placed under a magnifying glass by the IRS regarding it's tax exempt status. Ongoing investigations have examined whether or not the NAACP is a partisan organization, contrary to their stated non-partisan goals.

[mhking]

What does the NAACP have against school vouchers?

It removes the masses from underneath the intellectual and sociologocal thumb that the NAACP has placed them under.

In addition, a vast majority of the rank and file of the NAACP are educators in the public school systems of the nation. Vouchers would force them to truly compete for jobs, and in many cases, potentially lose those jobs to better educators and educational institutions.

[Preachin']

Considering that I've never once heard any member of the NAACP give kudos to a republican, I'll have the consider them socialist partisan hacks.

I have no other choice.

[Ichneumon]

What does the NAACP have against school vouchers?

If the problems of the public schools actually get solved -- and vouchers would go a long way towards doing that -- the NAACP will lose a lot of its momentum. They rely on a) stupid constituents, b) the NAACP holds itself up as an organization which is "fighting the decay" of public schools, preventing the evil Republicans from canceling school lunches or stopping Johnny from reading, blah blah blah. Plus, of course, they get a lot of support from teacher's unions, and the last thing teacher's unions want is for their guaranteed jobs to start to have to face real competition.

Etc.

It's the usual "poverty pimp" thing - as long as people are suffering, the people who claim to protect the "underclass" will always have a job, even if they never actually make things better. In fact, if they ever *did* fix the problems, they'd be out of a job... Perpetuating the problem becomes their mission, in order to maintain the endless parade of people looking to them as potential saviors.

[Ichneumon]

Considering that I've never once heard any member of the NAACP give kudos to a republican, I'll have the consider them socialist partisan hacks.

Also note that whenever they're faced with the "Advancement of Colored People" (the "ACP" in NAACP) who happen to be conservative, they suddenly stop becoming an "Association for the Advancement of Colored People" and begin attacking that "CP" in every way they possibly can.

They're actually the NAALCP" -- the National Association for the Advancement of Liberal Colored People". Or actually, just Liberals in general, of any color. They love the advancement of white liberals too.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

Take a closer look at who runs inner city schools.

[Ichneumon]

Take a closer look at who runs inner city schools.

If you have an actual point to make, stop being cryptic and just make it.

[Boomer Geezer]

Gee, cool tie the guy is wearing. It's not a Limbaugh tie is it (thought I saw something similar awhile back in the youth section) ... maybe a Garcia?

Nah, couldn't be a Limbaugh ... maybe a Jerry. fits in better with Julian's past I think.

[Eric in the Ozarks]

I'll leave it to your imagination.

[rollo tomasi]

Hey Bond, look at the history of your Democrat Party. First they persecuted you, now they use you.

Of course you are a black elite and have been bought so thats all good, right.

I forgot, you want to keep the black man poor and misinformed, don't want to make Booker T Washington out as a liar now do you.

I guess thats how Bond and other race baiters justify it.

[Sangria]

Bonds is also looking a lot more like Jesse Jackson.

[Hatteras]

Oh! Julian Bond.... Who cares? Now, if it had been James Bond I would have been a little concerned...

[AnAmericanMother]

Bond is such an evil, stupid, race-baiting hatemonger, we actually gave money to John Lewis's campaign when Bond ran against him. So did just about everybody we know, be they black or white, Democrat or Republican, whatever.

We all know in Atlanta that this man is a menace. Wish the rest of the country knew him as well as we do.

[MudSlide]

Bond is a bitter white man trapped in a black man's body.

[PhiKapMom]

The IRS is checking to see if the NAACP is partisan? That doesn't take a genius to figure that one out! They have been partisan for as long as I can remember and now they admit they don't care about helping cities but want to end discrimination. Think Bond is a little behind the times.

Seems to me that education should be their #1 priority but then young blacks might grow up to be like J.C. Watts or Steele, or Blackwell, or yourself or many other conservatives that wouldn't fit the agenda of the NAACP.

Oklahoma may be on the verge of having the first black Governor in the Country in J.C. Watts (we hear he will announce within the month and all signs point to him running for Oklahoma Governor) -- we are also hearing that Barry Switzer, former OU coach, and Toby Keith will both endorse Watts -- they endorsed Henry our Dem Governor the last time. J.C. is by far the most popular Republican in Oklahoma.

[AmishDude]

I thought this was about Pierce Brosnan.

Or whomever is taking over for the geriatric 007.

[AnAmericanMother]

Unfortunately, the "black leadership" rejected the wise counsel of Prof. Washington years ago, and elected to follow the lead of the anti-American communist W.E.B. DuBois.

[F16Fighter]

"Our values are American values. We value tolerance, we value inclusion, we believe in equality, we celebrate the worth of every human being," he [Bond] said.

Master prevaricator Julian Bond makes Al Sharpton seem like an Apostle in comparison.

[mhking]

Considering that I've never once heard any member of the NAACP give kudos to a republican, I'll have the consider them socialist partisan hacks.

Actually, in an irony of ironies, the Oakland NAACP chapter president is one Mr. Shannon Reeves, who also happens to be the former secretary of the California Republican Party. There are other Republicans who are tied to the organization, but their voices are not enough to overcome the windmill-tilting that Julian bond keeps having at.