Posted on 06/26/2010 2:23:01 AM PDT by Born Conservative
Several members of Congress came to the defense of U.S. Rep. Paul Kanjorski Friday after he was taken to task for remarks he made during a committee hearing in Washington, D.C.
Kanjorski’s challenger, Republican Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta, issued a press release Thursday criticizing the congressman for making what Barletta termed “insensitive” remarks directed toward minorities.
Congressman Chaka Fattah, a Democrat and author of the mortgage relief provisions in the Wall Street reform act, issued a release supporting Kanjorski, and later in the day five members of Congress – all minorities like Fattah – sent a letter to the House leadership supporting Kanjorski, the 13-term Democratic incumbent.
Part of Kanjorski’s comments went as follows:
“We’re giving relief to people that I deal with in my office every day now, unfortunately. But because of the longevity of this recession, these are people – and they’re not minorities and they’re not defective and they’re not all the things you’d like to insinuate that these programs are about – these are average, good American people.”
Barletta said Kanjorski should “apologize for saying some people are “defective” and that the 73-year-old Congressman is “out of touch with the world.” Barletta said Kanjorski should explain what he meant by his comments.
“He needs to explain what a defective person is,” Barletta said.
Tory Mazzola, spokesman for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said, “Kanjorski’s candid moment reveals a mentality that goes against American values and traditions. The fact that he does not believe minorities are ‘average, good American people’ uncovers a harsh inequity that has no place today, never mind at the seat of government.”
Kanjorski said Friday that he appreciated the support of his colleagues in Congress.
“Early this morning, I helped to reach an agreement on a negotiated House and Senate Wall Street reform bill,” he said. “I have been working on this legislation for over two years, and today marks a great achievement for this historic legislation to change the way that Wall Street operates
“Unfortunately, too many others chose to focus on politics and distortions instead of the importance of this legislation. The American people deserve more than such petty statements from Republicans who clearly took my remarks out of context.”
Fattah called Kanjorski “a man of honor, doing an honorable thing” when he urged conferees on the financial services committee to support the mortgage relief provisions that are contained in the House version of the Wall Street reform bill, which would help those who have lost their jobs hold onto their homes.
Kanjorski’s spokeswoman, Abbie McDonough, said in a statement, “Anyone trying to politicize this issue clearly doesn’t get it. Congressman Kanjorski is fighting for all Americans who are struggling. Any statement saying otherwise is grossly misinformed.”
A letter sent to the Congress of the United States on Kanjorski’s behalf was signed by five members of Congress, all Democrats: Maxine Waters, California; Luis V. Gutierrez, Illinois; Melvin L. Watt, North Carolina; Gregory W. Meeks, New York; and Elijah E. Cummings, Maryland. All five have served with Kanjorski on the House Financial Services Committee.
Meanwhile, the Cook Political Report, one of the nation’s leading political handicappers, moved the 11th Congressional District race to “Toss Up” and said Kanjorski faces his “most perilous race in years.”
In changing the rating, which went from Lean Democratic to Toss Up, Cook wrote: “Kanjorski only narrowly scraped by against former Hazleton Mayor Lou Barletta in 2008, and now Barletta is back for round three. But anytime an incumbent falls below 50 percent of the vote in a primary, it’s a serious sign of danger. Last month, the powerful veteran Kanjorski captured just 49 percent of the vote against weak Lackawanna County Commissioner Corey O’Brien and (Marywood University professor Brian Kelly).”
My wife is going to kill me after she reads this...
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