Huckleberries Online

GOP Blasts Reid For Slavery Remark

Posted by DFO

Dec. 8, 2009 5:58 p.m. • 37 comments

As could be expected, Republicans haven’t been all that receptive to Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s assertion that those who oppose the Democratic health care legislation are like those who supported slavery. Reid made the controversial comparison on the Senate floor yesterday. “Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all the Republicans can come up with is, ’slow down, stop everything, let’s start over.’ If you think you’ve heard these same excuses before, you’re right,” Reid said. “When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said ’slow down, it’s too early, things aren’t bad enough.’” … Senator John McCain said he was “astonished” to hear Reid’s comments/Jimmy Orr, Christian Science Monitor. More here.

Question: Should Harry Reid apologize for comparing opponents of health care reform to supporters of slavery?

37 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

Phaedrus on December 08 at 6:08 p.m.
No. If the shoe fits…
hmoffsuite on December 08 at 6:09 p.m.
Absolutely. Reid is an embarrassment to himself and his party. He may very well not get re-elected in Nevada. Another Daschle perhaps.
JIMMYMAC on December 08 at 6:21 p.m.
Having the right to life liberty and justice
Having the right to free health care
I guess it depends on how you look at it.
hmoffsuite on December 08 at 6:28 p.m.
Jimmymac. Health care reform and availability is one thing. I support it. I don’t like my tax dollars paying for abortions. (it’s just a thing with me) We simply need to slow down and do this health care thing right. It will be the single biggest expenditure our Country will make and it should be thoroughly thought out.
BethB on December 08 at 7:00 p.m.
Wait, wait. Wasn’t the comment about the civil rights law, and process before its passage in the 1960s? Oh, and could people stop saying that they don’t want to pay for abortions? They don’t, except in cases of rape, incest or life endangerment. it’s called the Hyde amendment. It’s been in existence since 1977. The new proposal would exclude health insurers that provide coverage for abortions from the national insurance exchange. Only people paying for that is the person (based on premiums) and the private insurer. Why would you want to intrude on that relationship, hmoffsuite? Oh, and I know Jimmy Orr, author of the article, from when I lived in Cheyenne, WY. We chased a tornado once.
MatthewRoot on December 08 at 7:09 p.m.
never play the slavery (or Holocaust, or Nazi) card.
Can’t believe that I agree, in part, with HMO. Reid is an embarrassment to the party (as much for squelching any kind of tort reform as for this).
Charlie on December 08 at 7:12 p.m.
Sen. Reed should apologize for his slavery remarks then be quiet!
Phaedrus on December 08 at 8:07 p.m.
We simply need to slow down and do this health care thing right—suite

“A Senator may make a point of order at any point he or she believes that a Senate procedure is being violated, with or without cause,” —Sen. Judd Gregg, (R-NH)

I rarely agree with anything Sen Reid says, but in this instance he is correct, if it was up to the GOP, the Senate would still be debating the Civil Rights Act of 1964 under the guise of getting it “right.”
bpoole on December 08 at 8:08 p.m.
Not at all. They are obstructionists with no goals in mind. I agree with BethB that people need to stop playing the card that Democrats want to pay for abortions with tax payer dollars. The Amendment that failed in the senate today, one which the republicans loved but was sponsored by Ben Nelson takes it to far. They want to strip out abortions in private insurance coverage and take way options for those who want choice in their coverage. Thankfully the Demo’s stuck together along with 2 republicans to kill the amendment.
Me on December 08 at 8:35 p.m.
Senators today spent the majority of the day arguing the bipartisan amendment, which would prohibit private insurers that get federal money from providing abortion, and would also bar recipients of federal affordability tax credits from purchasing a policy that covers abortion.

Where does ‘federal money’ come from?
spokelooneh on December 08 at 8:36 p.m.
“Senator John McCain said he was “astonished” to hear Reid’s comments.

“I was astonished and taken aback to see a FOXNews.com article that just crossed my desk,” he said referring to a story discussing Reid’s charge.”

I thought McLame finally made it into the 90’s, got email, the web, even a Blackberry we’re told.

So how does a FoxNews.COM article “cross his desk”?

I personally can’t stand Reid, think there are much better Dem Senators that should be the majority leader. Harkin comes to mind.
OutofStaterTater on December 08 at 8:52 p.m.
I think JimmyMac’s remark was made tongue in cheek.

Anyway, I seem to remember lots of Dems and liberals in the year or two immediately following 9/11 wailing and gnashing their teeth about how Bush’s blatant, shortsighted partisanship squandered the unity our nation experienced after the attacks.

Now I see Dems and liberals defending Reid’s blatant, shortsighted, appalling statements. Funny how things change. I guess the difference is that Reid isn’t spoiling any sense of unity, since none existed. But I fail to see how Reid’s statements are unifying or elevate the debate at all. They might make a point (with which I would disagree), but how does this bring healthcare any closer to the uninsured? If those remarks were aimed at you, would it make you more or less likely to shake Harry Reid’s hand and vote for his bill? It’s hard to honestly say “more so.”
bpoole on December 08 at 9:27 p.m.
“Me” its called the Hyde amendment which was enacted in 1976, which is a limitation amendment that bars federal funds to be used to fund abortions. The bill was named after the sponsor of it Henry Hyde of Illinois. The Stupak-Pitts amendment that was accepted in the house of representatives( which I don’t agree with either) it prohibits the use of federal funds for abortion or to cover any health plan that has the coverage of abortion. That amendment takes away the choice of people to elect to have abortion coverage through private insurance with private dollars, not with public dollars. The idea the republicans have is that they want no abortion coverage in this health exchange that private companies will be apart of. Its absurd and they will continue to distort everything they can.
richard on December 08 at 9:52 p.m.
Phaedrus -

You best go back and check your history … it was Democrats who filibustered the debate on the civil Rights Act. It was Republican Senators who signed on to the bill to break the filibuster.

So much for easy stereotypes. They rarely are factual you know!

Me - the federal money comes from the provision in the House bill which specifically calls for public money to pay for abortions. The House bill has already passed.

Oh … Harry Reid is not only an embarassment to his party, he is a blight on his nation. His comparison that passage of the health bill equates to passage of the civil rights bill merely magnifies this man’s incompetancy. He is so bad, he is dangerous.

I am sending as much money as I can to his opponant to help ensure he takes the long road home.
JIMMYMAC on December 08 at 10:11 p.m.
Out of State Tater was correct, my post was tongue in cheek.
LarrySpencer on December 08 at 10:52 p.m.
“When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said ’slow down, it’s too early, things aren’t bad enough.’”

Yep, there were those people. They were Democrats! Ten points if you can tell me what Democrat Senator this is…

“The ex-Klansman later filibustered the landmark 1964 Civil Rights Act…”
Arch_Druid on December 08 at 11:48 p.m.
And just who pushed the Holocaust argument when ever it came to abortion? Who pushed “Obama as Hitler?” Senate Majority leader Reid hasn’t said anything HALF as embarrassing as the radical special interests who push radical GOP into Congress. The pot calling the kettle black?

So, telling the truth becomes “embarrassing, huh? How about that.
LarrySpencer on December 09 at 12:31 a.m.
“And just who pushed the Holocaust argument when ever it came to abortion? Who pushed “Obama as Hitler?”

Good question, tell us. What Senator did those things?
Arch_Druid on December 09 at 1:05 a.m.
Didn’t I SAY, Spencer the radical SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS that pushed radical GOP into Congress? It might do you some good to READ what is said BEFORE making a comment. As it is, I can’t think of a bigger embarrassment that Silly Sali, that I guess is considering tossing his hat back in the ring and not having learned anything from past mistakes, plans to be a BIGGER embarrassment to the state? Or is that all right as long as he has an R after his name? Reid’s commentary is far milder than the frothing I have routinely heard from radical GOP. If the shoe fits…
Charles_Dixon on December 09 at 8:30 a.m.
I can’t believe Reid has the gall to make that statement. His own party came out on the wrong side of slavery in the mid nineteenth century and it was on the wrong side of the Civil Rights Act of 1964. It was his party that filibustered the Civil Rights Act for over two months, with such distinguished senators as Richard Russell (D Ga.) (“We will resist to the bitter end any measure or any movement which would have a tendency to bring about social equality and intermingling and amalgamation of the races in our (Southern) states”) and Robert Byrd (D. W.Va.) (still currently a senator for W. Va.) leading the effort.

The voting for the Civil Rights Act of 1964:

The original House version:[9]

Democratic Party: 152-96 (61%-39%)
Republican Party: 138-34 (80%-20%)

Cloture in the Senate:[10]

Democratic Party: 44-23 (66%-34%)
Republican Party: 27-6 (82%-18%)

The Senate version:[9]

Democratic Party: 46-21 (69%-31%)
Republican Party: 27-6 (82%-18%)

The Senate version, voted on by the House:[9]

Democratic Party: 153-91 (63%-37%)
Republican Party: 136-35 (80%-20%)

Amazing.
Me on December 09 at 8:32 a.m.
Sorry - I think there is a little double-speak going on here - the amendment that some here say ‘wanted to go too far’ was as I stated above:

Senators today spent the majority of the day arguing the bipartisan amendment, which would prohibit private insurers that get federal money from providing abortion, and would also bar recipients of federal affordability tax credits from purchasing a policy that covers abortion.

Yes, it does say private insurers but it says THAT GET FEDERAL MONEY. Also Federal affordability tax credits. I was being facetious when I asked where Federal money comes from.
Smacky on December 09 at 8:47 a.m.
Sticks and stones, people. Don’t we have better things to discuss in our country than a careless remark about slavery? No wonder our economy is in the tank and we can’t rise to the level our country once was.

I’m not paying these people to act like kindergarteners. If they cannot get the job done, they need to look for other work.
LarrySpencer on December 09 at 10:17 a.m.
Smacky, the “careless remark” was yet another attempt by the left to re-write history in hopes that the people will forget that the Democrats are the party that opposed equal rights for slaves, women and minorities.

The Republican Party was founded on the basis that slaves should be free, and the Democrats opposed that idea, they just don’t want to admit it.
Smacky on December 09 at 10:27 a.m.
Larry, it’s clear to me that you are a proponent of rehashing the past and contemplating navel fuzz, but this obviously solves no real problems does it? We’ve truly lost the ability to generate ideas and solutions because we’re too busy nitpicking the word of the week.
Arch_Druid on December 09 at 10:31 a.m.
Yeah, Spencer, there is absolutely no historical question that the Democrats were pro-slave, against civil rights and also against women’s equality. And after Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the same bigoted Dems then MIGRATED to the GOP, esp. those from the South.

Sorry, but that TOO is part of history.

And yes, Spencer, for being part of the old Republican ideology that pushed against slavery, supported women’s equality and also for civil rights, I get called “liberal” and you can’t possibly be a Republican. Well no, I am not a bigoted Dem in GOP clothing, that’s for sure. LOL!

Reid hasn’t re-written history, but the GOP he seems to have annoyed didn’t care to stare in the mirror he held up for them.
Phaedrus on December 09 at 10:36 a.m.
Arch_Druid, touche!
LarrySpencer on December 09 at 10:36 a.m.
“the same bigoted Dems then MIGRATED to the GOP”

You are great about making broad accusations, how about naming them for us. You know, those elected Dems that became Republicans.

Didn’t think so.
LarrySpencer on December 09 at 10:40 a.m.
Smacky, you say

“Larry, it’s clear to me that you are a proponent of rehashing the past and contemplating navel fuzz, but this obviously solves no real problems does it?”

and I hear

“Darn! we all thought we could get away with playing the race card and nobody would point out that the Dems are rooted in racist beliefs. I know, let’s change the subject!”
LarrySpencer on December 09 at 10:43 a.m.
Come to think of it, the tactics of the left are not unlike the tactics of a cockroach or those aryans who litter their filth in the middle of the night. They put out a falsehood, then scurry for cover when somebody turns on the lights.
Arch_Druid on December 09 at 10:43 a.m.
The late and not so great Strom Thurmond of the Dixiecrats? Spencer, you really crack me up.
Sisyphus on December 09 at 10:43 a.m.
Another Republican hissy fit. Seems that’s all they know how to do.

Larry, where did Reid call out Republicans or try and rewrite history? Go look at his remarks. He didn’t blame one party or the other on the historical facts. He just said that there have been occasions where senators vote on the wrong side of history. And damned if he wasn’t correct. If we adopt the Republican plan on HCR, which is to do nothing, the middle class will be hosed.

Is there any distortion the Republican Noise Machine won’t make to obfuscate the issue on the table?
OrangeTV on December 09 at 10:45 a.m.
Smacky, I like your style more and more every day.

It seems awfully silly to me to argue about which party did what and who said whatever about whomever, things that happened WAY BACK WHEN. Shouldn’t it be more important to stay focused on the issues as they stand now, in late 2009? Too many people seem unable to let go of political minutiae from aeons ago.

I’d love to see Larry Spencer say something positive and productive instead on negative and nitpicky. Just every once in a while. I won’t hold my breath.
Arch_Druid on December 09 at 10:48 a.m.
And by the way, Spencer, don’t juxtapose Aryan radicals with any one party. After all, the GOP listened to the tear jerking testimony of Randy Weaver and awarded an ARYAN SYMPATHIZER with 3.1 million for himself and his surviving family.
Phaedrus on December 09 at 10:53 a.m.
those aryans who litter their filth in the middle of the night.

Would these be the same Aryans who attend the Tea Party anti-immigration and anti-global warming events at the Greyhound Events Center looking to recruit like-minded folks. Not many Dems there, are there?
nic on December 09 at 11:00 a.m.
“left are not unlike the tactics of a cockroach” - Larry

Well, at least they’ll survive a nuclear blast.
Cabbage Boy on December 09 at 11:01 a.m.
“Not many Dems there, are there? ”

No they are out killing loggers with tree spikes Phaed.
MatthewRoot on December 09 at 11:05 a.m.
“Dems are rooted in racist beliefs.” - Larry

you are conflating the Dixiecrat Dems of the 1960s and before with the current Democratic party. That is a common ploy among partisan hacks. Most of the Dixiecrats left the Democratic party after Pres. Johnson and Congress, with the support of Republicans and many Democrats, passed groundbreaking civil rights legislation.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.