Senator Tim Scott Turned Down Invitation to 50th Anniversary of MLK Event

Mediaite ^ | 08/30/2013 | by Tommy Christopher

[SeekAndFind]

One of the controversies surrounding the 50th anniversary celebration of the March on Washington and Dr. Martin Luther King‘s “I Have A Dream” speech has been the absence of Republicans at the event, despite many of them having been invited. One prominent Republican, Senator Tim Scott (R-SC), told Roll Call through a spokesperson that he had not been invited, but the paper reported, Thursday afternoon, that an email confirms that Sen. Scott’s office declined an invitation to the event earlier this month.

On Wednesday, Roll Call reported on the status of invitations to Republican leaders like Speaker John Boehner and Majority Leader Eric Cantor, but had this to report about Sen. Tim Scott:

While Cantor and Boehner were among the Republicans who were invited, Sen. Tim Scott, R-S.C., the only African-American in the Senate, was not invited, his office told CQ Roll Call.

A snub of Sen. Scott would seem particularly egregious, given his status as the only African American currently serving in the U.S. Senate. As it turns out, though, Scott wasn’t snubbed. Roll Call reports today:

The Senate’s only black lawmaker wasn’t invited to speak at Wednesday’s 50th anniversary March on Washington, because Tim Scott’s office declined an invitation to attend the ceremony as a spectator, according to a source connected to the event.

“Much of the speaking program was created based on those who were able to confirm availability to attend the event, and thus were able to speak at the event,” the source explained.

And based on an email exchange obtained by CQ Roll Call, the South Carolina Republican did receive an invitation to attend the festivities commemorating Martin Luther King Jr.’s delivery of the famous “I Have a Dream” speech.

The invitation, sent Aug. 8 from the Coalition for the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, appears to have been a form letter to all members of Congress, with invitees listed as “Representative” rather than by name.

Within a day, Rachel Shelbourne, a staff assistant to Scott, had replied to the email with the following message:

“Thank you for extending to Senator Tim Scott the invitation to the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington on August 28th. Unfortunately, the Senator will be in South Carolina during this time, so he will be unable to attend the event. Please do, however, keep him in mind for future events you may be hosting.”

[SeekAndFind]

MORE HERE:

http://www.mediaite.com/online/every-top-republican-invited-to-mlk-anniversary-event-said-no/

Every Top Republican Invited to MLK Anniversary Event Said No

[norwaypinesavage]

I’m sure that most SENATE staffers are instructed to decline invitations sent to them addressed: REPRESENTATIVE, and routinely sent to all members of congress. This is hardly an invitation deserving such a headline as this.

[cripplecreek]

Alveda Kind is usually not one to get openly angry about this sort of thing but she is clearly mad that this was nothing more than a democrat political rally.

[PapaNew]

Every Top Republican Invited to MLK Anniversary Event Said No

Why is it so hard to speak against the big government interference and entitlements MLK stood for? It is fine to "have a dream" but it is not fine to use government to force that dream on me. I do not have the right to interfere with your life, freedom, and peaceable pursuits but I DO have the God-given right to discriminate and choose who I will and won't associate with, do business with, etc.

[zeebee]

"Tim Scott’s office declined an invitation to attend the ceremony as a spectator..."

I'm sure he considered it a snub to be only invited to watch so he said, 'no thanks'.

[SeekAndFind]

He could have said — “I’ll go if I am invited to speak”

[DoodleDawg]

I'm sure he considered it a snub to be only invited to watch so he said, 'no thanks'.

If you believe the story everyone was invited as a 'spectator' and the speakers list was created from those who said they could come. But I have a hard time believing that King's kids, Clinton, Carter, Sharpton, and Caroline Kennedy were not penciled in as speakers long before the invites were sent out.

Still, the evidence does seem to show that he was invited when he said he was not.

[Jim Scott]

Senator Scott wasn't invited to speak and that was no oversight, so, realizing this was going to be little more than a rally of liberal Democrats bemoaning the fact that the government hasn't yet given all black Americans a guaranteed income for life to 'fulfill the dream' the senator declined to attend. This was engineered by the leftists that organized this rally and the intention was clear: only left-winger are welcome.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: This was engineered by the leftists that organized this rally and the intention was clear: only left-winger are welcome.

Or they knew that guys like Scott would not attend.... therefore, they can say — REPUBLICANS DON’T CARE ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: Clinton, Carter

I don’t see the name of two other LIVING presidents...

[henkster]

OK, in the thread above it says Sen. Scott was NOT invited, but this story says he was. Which is correct?

[SeekAndFind]

RE: OK, in the thread above it says Sen. Scott was NOT invited, but this story says he was. Which is correct?

1) Which thread are you referring to?

2) I just copied and posted the title of the article.

[RedMDer]

Only Two Days Until
September.

Less than $3.5k to go!!
We can do this!!

[henkster]

This one

“http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/3060606/posts";

I’m not jumping you for posting; both stories have a valid point about the GOP being shunned from the communist love-fest. I just wanted the specific facts clarified. If the other story contains an inaccuracy about Sen. Scott’s invitation, I question the rest of it.

[GreyFriar]

Typical ploy to sent out invitations from unknown organization to ‘any representative whom it may concern’ within a couple of weeks of an even and not individual by name invitations from the main group, so that when the invitation is declined as “junk mail,” the lefties can say “we invited those racist republicans but they didn’t want to come.” And the msm will carry only that story.

[SeekAndFind]

1) Bill O’Reilly said on Wednesday that Republicans were not invited to the MLK commemoration ( he assumed that because he saw NO REPUBLICANS )

2) Yesterday, he admitted his mistake and said that Republicans WERE INVITED but declined to go.

[Moonman62]

The invitation, sent Aug. 8 from the Coalition for the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington, appears to have been a form letter to all members of Congress, with invitees listed as “Representative” rather than by name.

Isn't that late to be sending an invitation? When did the Democrats receive theirs?

[DoodleDawg]

I don’t see the name of two other LIVING presidents...

I'm not aware of any Republican being there. Kennedy and Johnson's kids were there, where was Nixon's? He pushed for affirmative action and an end to segregation when he was in office, in spite of taking a political hit for it. Yet he wasn't represented. The whole thing could have been sponsored by the DNC.

[napscoordinator]

“Thank you for extending to Senator Tim Scott the invitation to the 50th Anniversary of the March on Washington on August 28th. Unfortunately, the Senator will be in South Carolina during this time, so he will be unable to attend the event. Please do, however, keep him in mind for future events you may be hosting.”

A "rookie" mistake. Keep in mind that he is still in his early first term Senate seat. Precisely why keeping an eye on staffers and your personal staff is very important. I am sure Tim just forgot he told a staffer he was not available. I still don't think that Scott should have made a fuss about it, unless he was 100 percent SURE he was not invited.