After the Civil War, the Republicans passed the 13th Amendment, banning slavery, and the 1866 Civil Rights Act, the nation’s first Civil Rights Act, both despite the opposition of the Democrat President, Andrew Johnson. The Republicans went on to pass the 14th Amendment, requiring the states to obey the Bill of Rights, and the 15th Amendment, recognizing the voting rights of racial minorities. Later, the Republicans passed the 1875 Civil Rights Act. Decade after decade, generation after generation, Republican campaign platforms consistently included committments to the constitutional rights of blacks and minorities, while Democrats actively opposed Republicans on this issue. In 1956 and again in 1960 Republicans passed civil rights acts. So in 1964, when the Democrat President, Lyndon Johnson, submitted the landmark Civil Rights Bill, a greater majority of Republicans than of Democrats voted for the bill, enabling its passage. This bill had been the dream of generations of Republicans. The chief opponents of the bill were Democrats. Republicans voted for the Civil Rights Bill, even though they knew the Democrats would take credit for the law in the North and the West, and even though Republicans would lose votes in the South at a time when they were making a concerted effort to win over more southern voters. Republicans had been working for this legislation ever since the 1875 Civil Rights Act was overturned by the Supreme Court. Later in the 1960s, when the Voting Rights Bill and an additional Civil Rights Bill came up for a vote, the Republicans made the same choice and accepted the same risks.
"In 1956 and again in 1960 Republicans passed civil rights acts. So in 1964, when the Democrat President, Lyndon Johnson, submitted the landmark Civil Rights Bill, a greater majority of Republicans than of Democrats voted for the bill, enabling its passage. This bill had been the dream of generations of Republicans. The chief opponents of the bill were Democrats."
CNN: Do you have a comment on Senator Lott?
Clinton: No, other than....I think that -- obviously -- I don't agree with him.
But I think there is something a bit hypocritical about the way Republicans are jumping all over him. I think what they really are upset about is he made public their strategy.
The whole Republican apparatus supported campaigns in Georgia and South Carolina on the Confederate flag. There is no action coming out of the Justice Department against all those people, Republicans, who suppressed black voters in the South, in Arkansas and Louisiana, and lots of other places. Telephone operations telling people in Florida they didn't have to vote on Election Day, that they could vote on Saturday but not if they had parking tickets. I mean, this is their policy.
So I think the way that the Republicans treated Senator Lott is a pretty hypocritical since right now, their policy is in my view inimical to everything this country stands for. They tried to suppress black voting, they ran on the Conferederate flag in Georgia and South Carolina and from top to bottom Republicans supported them. So I don't see what they're jumping on Trent Lott about.
I think the Democrats can say we disagree with what he said and we don't think its right but that's the Republican policy. How do you think they got a majority in the South anyway?
CNN: So he should step down as majority leader?
Clinton: I think that's up to them. But I think that they can't say it with a straight face. How can they jump all over him when they're out there repressing and trying to run black voters away from polls and to run on the Confederate flag in Georgia and South Carolina. Look at their whole record. The others, how can they attack him? He just embarrassed them by saying in Washington what