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Democratic leader under fire for accusing Republicans of racism
A House Democratic leader is drawing fire from Republicans for charging that some of President Obama's conservative critics in Tennessee are motivated by racism.
Rep. Mike Turner of Nashville, chairman of the House Democratic Caucus, made his remarks at a news conference Monday. Asked his view of the Republican-backed Tennessee Health Freedom Act, which would order state Attorney General Bob Cooper to sue to overturn any federal mandate to buy insurance, Turner said: “I have one thing to say about that: Appomattox.”
“We’ve got a lot of bills on states’ rights here, state sovereignty and all that,” he added. “We went through that fight once before. All of a sudden, we have a black man elected president and everybody wants to start acting like something’s wrong with our country. I didn’t agree with a lot of things George Bush did, but I wasn’t ready to secede from the union.”
Asked to elaborate afterward, Turner said, “I think some of the people who are against Obama are just against Obama because he’s African-American.”
“Rep. Turner’s comments are completely out-of-touch with what Tennesseans believe and they are a slap in the face to people who have real concerns about the consequences of Democrats’ government takeover of health care,” state GOP chairman Chris Devaney said in a statement. “To suggest that race is the motivation for Tennesseans’ skepticism of government-run health care is irresponsible and nothing more than an effort to deflect actually dealing with one of the most important issues facing our nation and state today. Rep. Turner’s comments are further proof that Democrats just don’t get it which is why their radical agenda will be rebuked this November.”
A spokesman for Lt. Gov. Ron Ramsey, who supports the Health Freedom Act, called Turner’s comments “bizarre name-calling” and said they show “why Democrats are losing ground in Tennessee.”
“Tennesseans overwhelmingly oppose Obamacare, and Rep. Turner seems to be the only person in the state who does not realize that,” said the spokesman, Lance Frizzell.
The state Senate voted 26-1 for the Health Freedom Act last month. Scheduled to be heard Wednesday in a House subcommittee, it would allow the state to opt out of the federal insurance mandate. Similar measures have been enacted in Idaho and Virginia.
Turner declined to speculate on the bill’s changes of passage in the House. “We’ll address that when it comes up in the House,” he said. “We’ve been actually trying to save jobs and create jobs and things like that. I’ve not looked at that bill yet. Is that a resolution or a bill? I don’t even know. That’s not been on our radar. We’ve been trying to do good work for the government and not make grandstands.”
Conservatives object to the federal legislation’s requirement that all Americans buy health insurance or face penalties, saying the mandate stretches the federal constitutional power to “regulate commerce … among the several states.”
In a statement Monday before Turner's news conference, Ramsey said: “The health care legislation passed yesterday is a disaster for Tennessee citizens and our constitutional requirement to maintain a balanced budget. It will raise taxes on Tennessee citizens while stripping away the right to control one’s own medical decisions.
“I believe the bill passed yesterday by the U.S. House is unconstitutional, and I am calling on Attorney General Cooper to join the 11 state Attorneys General already planning to challenge the constitutionality of the bill.
“Individual states must challenge this legislation immediately to halt its implementation. The longer we wait, the more it will cost the state of Tennessee and her citizens. Washington has forced this problem upon us — it is now up to state leaders to stop this unfunded mandate from breaking state budgets across the country.”
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Asked to elaborate afterward, Turner said, “I think some of the people who are against Obama are just against Obama because he’s African-American.”
Ithink this guy needs to resign.I'm so sick of the race card.
I can't believe the "state's rights" issue is rearing it's ugly head. We've been there and done that thank goodness. Our country's great legislative achievements such as civil rights and environmental regulation could only have been passed in Washington then sent down to the states.
I would have been against John the Baptist if he had on his agenda a health care plan like this. I cannot believe that race was even mentioned by this fellow Turner.
Some liberals believe there is no such thing as states' rights. Also, anyone who questions the constitutionality of the Federal government forcing citizens to buy products in order to be American is dismissed as a racist.
So very sad to witness the demise of our Republic.
Marginalize your enemy. Anyone who argues against the coming mass legalization of all within these once secure borders will be called racists. Heck lets do away with term limits while we're on a roll here. We had a nice run, over 200 years. I'm just sorry for all the heroes who served for the freedom we once had. Incremental baby steps since FDR. A little here and a little there, we die from a thousand tiny cuts. I doubt congress will even take a break until the election to get all they can as fast as they can.
Rep. Turner may be on to something here, I nominate Allan West the black Congressional candidate from Florida to be President of our new Confederacy.
Well put, popeye; but let's continue the fight. The Civil War was fought over the gross oppression of individual liberty imposed by state governments. Now we are witnessing an oppression of individual liberty imposed by those in control of the federal government. Oppression in any form is evil. To throw out accusations of racism by greedy capitalists with this issue is akin to what the Nazis did to the Jews - fabricate blame and hate to gain further power. But last time I checked, the majority of Americans are not buying it.
This guy is telling the truth about Republican motivation as was evidenced by the use of the N- word in washinton out side the state house yelled at legislator lewis and his companiion..
One nut(only if the statement is true) does not speak for the majority
of any organization. Rep. Turner watches Chris Matthews as his only inspiration for what to say concerning politics and the Presidents of
the SEIU and Firefighters Unions are his backup.
His size and voices is that for "bullying" not persuading!
BEOWULF: This not racism; it is an attempt to protect state sovereignty, something for which Barry Soetoro has every intention of destroting!
I'm not racist or against Obama because he's "African American"..... I don't care for his white half either!!
Conservatives oppose Obama on the "content of his character", and his statist policies.
Turner's Dem remark would be like accusing Republicans of not liking Pelosi because she is a woman.
Ed vanVoorhees
www.EvVMgt.com
Hey dooley, your comment made my point again. Thanks!
"Asked to elaborate afterward, Turner said, “I think some of the people who are against Obama are just against Obama because he’s African-American.”"
Mr. Turner see if you can comprehend the simple use of the English language by me. I'm opposed to anyone ORDERING ME, demanding me, or mandating me to purchase health insurance.
I don't care if the president is a martian, a christian, an athiest, a dope smoker, an adulterer or is white or black. I am opposed to the mandating of companies to provide insurance. I am opposed to the government sticking their ignorant nose into my business.
I am opposed to any human being who says I'm not smart enough to make my own decisions.
When Hillary Clinton failed at national healthcare, were we all SEXists? Or just realists?
If Obama suddenly were declared a Saint by the Pope, and Jesus Christ himself spoke to me, I would still be upset about some mandating that I purchase "ANYTHING".
By: richgoose on 3/22/10 at 10:19
I would have been against John the Baptist if he had on his agenda a health care plan like this. I cannot believe that race was even mentioned by this fellow Turner.
Yep, Richgoose, you nailed it. I'm opposed to FREE government paid for cell phones (see television ads that run 24/7). Does that make me racist?
I'm opposed to abortion PAID FOR BY TAX DOLLARS. Does that make me a racist?
Yep, and I doubt if John The Baptist or Attilla the Hun would have wanted to be forced to buy health care insurance -- or anything else for that matter.
NAACP TAKE A STAND FOR CIVILITY
You may have heard by now that over the weekend some opponents of health care reform used shocking racist and personal epithets against members of Congress who disagreed with their position and supported the bill.
Last Saturday, while Representatives filed through a House office building on their way to watch President Obama deliver a health care speech, some extremist protesters turned vicious. Civil rights legend and Georgia Congressman John Lewis was repeatedly called "ni**er" by the crowd, while fellow Congressional Black Caucus member Emanuel Cleaver was spat on. Longtime NAACP champion and openly gay Representative Barney Frank was called a "fa**ot." This is not only outrageous behavior -- it is un-American.
Stand with Representatives Cleaver, Lewis and Frank. Sign our Petition today and let it be known these outrageous personal attacks have no place in our nation's political discourse. Saturday's incident is just the latest evidence that a lack of civility is undermining our democratic process. Last August protesters painted a swastika on the district office of Georgia Representative David Scott. Later that fall Congressman Joe Wilson shouted, "You lie," as President Obama delivered a speech before the joint Houses of Congress. These sorts of outbursts serve only to bully our elected officials and undermine our democracy.
Like many of the hot-button political issues of our day, health care reform has inspired passion in supporters and opponents alike. Indeed, it is this passion that kept us determined to keep fighting for reform, even on the days when it looked like we might not win. While the NAACP respects the passions that inspire political movements of all kinds, we know that when civility breaks down, communities of color are often the first to be hurt.
Please, join me in signing the civility petition today. Stand alongside Representatives Cleaver, Lewis and Frank, and take a stand for civility in our political discourse.
Sincerely,
Benjamin Todd Jealous
President and CEO
NAACP
"“Rep. Turner’s comments are completely out-of-touch with what Tennesseans believe ..." Mr. Devaney evidently hasn't stopped for gas in rural towns (or big cities, for that matter) and stood in line and LISTENED to the conversations.
Why do Ron Ramsey and the Republicans think senior citizens should pay more for their prescription drugs through the Medicare doughnut hole? Why do Ron Ramsey and the Republicans side with big insurance companies that deny coverage to hard-working Americans with pre-existing conditions, kick other hard-working Americans off coverage because they get sick, and put life-time caps on coverage for all of us?
"I'm opposed to anyone ORDERING ME, demanding me, or mandating me to purchase health insurance."
Hmm, funny how sooooo many avowed conservatives/Republicans were hot to trot to order and demand that citizens only be ALLOWED to marry certain types of people. Hypocritical nanny autocrats.
How did YOU vote on Amendment One?
Turner drops the race-card because he has nothing cognizant to base an argument on. It's the last refuge of the desperate.
How could TN not be racism with all of the emails floating around degrading our President and the First Lady. I have received many myself.
Opposition to liberal (excuse me! "progressive") ideas and laws is celebrated in/by the leftist, corrupt legacy media in America. In contrast, conservative ideas and laws are condemned, not based on facts, but invective and slander like this. Until Americans demand from all parties factual, reasoned debate, then we will get the type of arrogant tyranny that we saw in the past year from the Democrats in Congress and the White House. They're not "progressive", they're destructive to rights and the economy. Now that more Americans than ever before see what "progressivism" is all about, the left only have their charges of racism. Hmmm, wonder what the black conservative who runs the business next door to mine thinks about this white man's (Turner's) charges of racism. See how complicated things are these days, Dem-wits?
Painting with a broad brush, pswindle. Too stupid to see that Mr. Turner is a Tennessean? Hmmmm!?
By: Floyd2 on 3/23/10 at 9:12
"Why do Ron Ramsey and the Republicans think senior citizens should pay more for their prescription drugs through the Medicare doughnut hole? Why do Ron Ramsey and the Republicans side with big insurance companies that deny coverage to hard-working Americans with pre-existing conditions, kick other hard-working Americans off coverage because they get sick, and put life-time caps on coverage for all of us?"
Because they are RACISTS. Geez, didn't you read the article?
typical Alinsky-esque tactics - anyone who criticises the ideas of a person of a different race/gender/religion/etc is a racist/sexist/anti-whateverist. just more garbage from the mouth of politicians too stupid to understand the citizens.
and, the issue is less that the government is mandating a purchase - it is that the FEDERAL government is doing it. Read your constitution. 10th Amendment.
By: pswindle on 3/23/10 at 11:26
How could TN not be racism with all of the emails floating around degrading our President and the First Lady. I have received many myself.
Well, pswindle, I'd say you have some pretty racist friends who have your e-mail. They must know something about you, that even you don't know. Could it be? Oh no, not You.
Actually, I don't get those things. My friends don't think that way and neither do I. Tell your friends to stop sending you racist e-mails, ps.
pswindle wrote: "How could TN not be racism with all of the emails floating around degrading our President and the First Lady. I have received many myself."
From your post here and several others you've written on other stories, it's obvious you don't like Tennessee or the people of this great state so I'm going to ask you honestly and sincerely to get the hell out. After living here for 48 years, I can tell you things have come a very long way from the days of separate drinking fountains and blacks having to sit in the back of the bus. If you want to blame someone for the race card always being played look at your own party.
I, for one, could not care less what color NObama is. What matters is he's trying to fundamentally change this country into a socialist hell hole and rip up the Constitution. This should not be allowed and I don't feel this way because I don't like his black half. I don't like his white half either. The man is a low-life socialist and should be impeached ASAP.
Rep. Mike Turner (D) should be told to sit down and shut up and try to dig a little deeper into a very shallow intellect before opening his mouth again.
Cookie47
The Democrats who now call themselves Progressives (aka;socialist-communist-marxist) are the only true racist in America. In fact they are the only slave owners left in America. These evil monsters who hate America will do whatever they can to destroy this once great nation.
I am absolutely amazed (happily) and the preponderance of conservative-leaning messages on this board. Finally, the reality of the Dem-wit destruction and what their leadership really wants for us is clear to the sleepwalking masses... at least, we're no longer sleepwalking. Now we have to begin the job of rooting out "progressives" forever. I do not think the Dem-wits and their media handmaidens know just how furious lifelong Democrats are at the arrogant tyranny demonstrated the past fourteen months by their party's leaders. I've heard no fewer than a dozen people who swore up and down that the Republicans were the evil party NOW say that they will never vote Democrat again. That's why I call the leaders of their party Dem-wits. Actually, I call the "blue dogs" Dem-wits as they're the useful idiots used by the Marxists who will run up the trillions in debt that is crippling this country... but today the tag fits 'em all.
I also want you guys to know that I am ready to send the opponent (Jack Bailey? or whoever it turns out to be) of Missing Linc Davis the max. Also, I will do the same for opponents of 9 other "blue lap dogs"... including Heath Shuler. These useful idiots must be defeated in order to take Nanzi and her Peloshiveks out of the majority. I urge all freedom loving Americans to do the same thing. End tyranny now! Work to defeat the blue lap dogs, regardless of how they voted on Obamacare.
Schumer and Graham stand up for 'immigration reform'? I think the question is how can gringo's like us get more lovin from those beautiful brown legged senioritas; those busty mellon haulin mujerin I love so mucho me gusto.
Absolute LIE....the blatant lies told by Lewis and others being called names while strolling along. There are a bunch of videos of this and absolutely nowhere is any name calling heard. They just made it up, forgetting everybody has a vid camera in their phone or otherwise. The media would be showing these over and over if they existed. Money has been offered by media organizations for video evidence. It doesn't exist. If racism doesn't exist, just make something up and tell the media knowing they will run with it. How absolutely pathetic and dishonest.
Why should you not buy health insurance? It will be on a sliding scale, and that means that we that have insurance will not be paying for your emergency room visits. Fox News has brain-washed TN. I love my state and I ahve seen it go fsrom wonderful to hate.
Please note: PSWINDLE HAS OFFICIALLY GONE OVER THE DEEP END. STUPID AND IGNORANT HAVE GONE ALL THE WAY TO THE BONE AND THERE IS NO HOPE.
He/She/It says Tennessee has been brainwashed by Fox news. I dare say the same could be said about him/her/it when it comes to Communist News Network (CNN) and the NObama Cool-Aide.
Get a grip, pswindle. You've lost it.
Cookie47
"The Democrats who now call themselves Progressives (aka;socialist-communist-marxist) are the only true racist in America. In fact they are the only slave owners left in America. These evil monsters who hate America will do whatever they can to destroy this once great nation." Wow, somebody's paying for his psychotherapist's yacht...
Republicons always have been racists. Racism is the widest plank on their cancervative platform. Now they're pro-terrorism. America waits for republicons to speak with one voice and denounce the terrorist threats against Democrats who voted for HCR.
We're waiting....
(Sarah Palin loves America so much, she wants her state to secede from itl)
chrislib,
The threats were made by people sick of how the Democrat-dominated Congress and an arrogant, inept president are forcing this down our throats. They're born out of frustration and anger.
Now, lets go back to the threats made against Bush. Were you screaming about how wrong they were? Probably not because you probably agreed with them and may have made a few of your own..
Saying "Republicons always have been racists" is wrongfully painting a lot of people with a broad brush. You should check your history before making such an ignorant, uninformed statement.
While you're waiting....please hold your breath....
Cookie47
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