Kevin Martin: Black Caucus Fears Senate's Ex-Klansman (Sen. Robert Byrd)

newsmax ^ | 12/11/2002 | Carl Limbacher

[TLBSHOW]

Kevin Martin: Black Caucus Fears Senate's Ex-Klansman

A Washington, D.C.-based civil rights leader said Wednesday that the Congressional Black Caucus fears the political clout of ex-Ku Klux Klansman, Sen. Robert Byrd, and that's why they haven't demanded his resignation for repeatedly using an ugly racial epithet last year.

"The Congressional Black Caucus lives in fear of Robert Byrd," said Kevin Martin, head of African-American Republican Leadership Council, on Wednesday. "They've never condemned him on anything," he told radio host Sean Hannity.

Martin contrasted the firestorm of protest that erupted this week over the comments of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott with the tepid reaction by black elected officials to the West Virginia Democrat's remarks after he repeatedly referred to "white niggers" during a nationally televised broadcast in March 2004.

The AARLC leader said that because of Byrd's position as chairman of the Senate Appropriations Committee, congressional blacks are loathe to put funding for important programs in jeopardy by speaking out against even the most outrageous racial epithets used by the former Klansman.

"Any appropriations that come out of the House have got to go to the Senate," Martin told Hannity, suggesting that Byrd would likely exact revenge for any attempt to hold him accountable by cutting off discretionary funds to their districts.

After Byrd's outburst last year, leading Congressional Black Caucus member Rep. Bennie Thompson, D- Miss., told Roll Call, "I think he has a lot of penance to give." But he declined to call on Byrd to step down from his post as president pro-tem of the Senate.

The position puts the ex-Klansman fourth in the line of succession to the U.S. presidency.

Instead, Thompson warned that the African-American community was going to closely watch Byrd's legislative activity "to make sure his future votes don't reflect that same level of insensitivity."

[evolved_rage]

They'd forgive Hitler before a Republican. After all, Hitler was a socialist and had he lived, he would have hated Israel as much as the Rats do.

[wai-ming]

....during a nationally televised broadcast in March 2004.

Back to the future with old Byrd?

[Salvation]

How is it that Byrd gets off for speak the n word but Lott gets lynched for referring the Thurmond and the dixiecrat party?

[Republican Wildcat]

I think it was March 2001...Fox News Sunday with Tony Snow.

[Wild Irish Rogue]

" They'd forgive Hitler before a Republican"

Very concise and to the point. I like it!

[Slyfox]

If Lott has to go, Byrd has to go. It would only be fair.

[Slyfox]

Once a racist, always a racist.

[Slyfox]

Martin contrasted the firestorm of protest that erupted this week over the comments of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott with the tepid reaction by black elected officials to the West Virginia Democrat's remarks after he repeatedly referred to "white niggers"

White niggers, huh? Where is the NAAWN when you really need them?

[ewing]

Well done, Kevin-you made the front page of Newsmax!

[ewing]

TBM in the 'No Spin Zone!'

[ewing]

ping

[AppyPappy]

The key is that every white Southerner knows what Robert Byrd meant when he said "white nigger". It's the old "there are white niggers and black niggers". Byrd's was truly a racist comment.

[Elkiejg]

If Lott has to go, Byrd has to go. It would only be fair.

EXCELLENT!! Can we include Hollings too?

[mhking]

Black conservative ping

If you want on (or off) of my black conservative ping list, please let me know via FREEPmail. (And no, you don't have to be black to be on the list!)

Extra warning: this is a high-volume ping list.

[NormsRevenge]

Bump

[TankerKC]

Yep. Look here.

[Randjuke]

Wow, great article! Thanks for the link.

[MeekOneGOP]

With the 'RATS, HYPOCRISY is King !!

Byrd said in part, "I think we try to have good will. My old mom told me, `Robert, you can't go to heaven if you hate anybody.' We practice that. There are white ni**ers. I've seen a lot of white ni**ers in my time. I'm going to use that word."

Former KKK Clansman,
Senator Robert Byrd…...

[NormsRevenge]

Bump