Civil Rights Leader Rep. Jim Clyburn: ‘I Cannot Remember’ When I Had As Much ‘Anxiety’ Over Voting Rights

By Ian Millhiser/Think Progress

Earlier today, the Center for American Progress released Voter Suppression 101, a report documenting conservative efforts todisenfranchise voters through state restrictions on voting. At a press call accompanying the release, former Civil Rights Movement leader and current Congressman Jim Clyburn (D-SC) was asked for his personal feelings on seeing another wave of voter disenfranchisement after he fought so hard to end Jim Crow. His response was grim:

I cannot remember — even sitting in an Orangeburg County jail — when I had as much anxiety as I’m experiencing today. Back then, even when we were at the back of the bus and we were not able to sit down at lunch counters, we really felt strong that what’s happening to me here in Orangeburg, SC or Columbia, SC, ah, if I can get my plight before the United States Supreme Court, the promise of this country will be delivered for me. That’s what we felt, and I can remember our discussions in meetings — yeah, we’re going to jail now. We are going to be convicted. But we know that that conviction is going to be overturned by the United States Supreme Court.

I don’t feel that today.

Listen:

Sadly, Clyburn is right to be anxious. When the first voter ID law came before the Supreme Court four years ago, the Court completely abdicated its responsibility to strike them down — despite the fact that they were only able to find one example of in-person voter fraud in the last 140 years that would have been prevented by a voter ID law. Four years before that, the Court’s conservatives abdicated its responsibility to strike down partisan gerrymandering of Congress and state legislatures. Yet, when George W. Bush saw the presidency slipping out of his fingertips, the Court’s conservatives suddenly deemed that to be a massive constitutional violation worthy of their attention.

Tea Party protesters reportedly spit on one lawmaker, call others ‘faggot’ and the n-word.

By Amanda Terkel

Today’s Code Red rally appears to be one of the most raucous Tea Party gatherings on Capitol Hill yet. In addition to protesters shouting with rage at federal lawmakers, Sam Stein reports on some more disturbing incidents:

A staffer for Rep. James Clyburn (D-S.C.) told reporters that Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-M.D.) had been spit on by a protestor. Rep. John Lewis (D-G.A.), a hero of the civil rights movement, was called a ‘ni–er.’ And Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) was called a “faggot,” as protestors shouted at him with deliberately lisp-y screams. Frank, approached in the halls after the president’s speech, shrugged off the incident.

But Clyburn was downright incredulous, saying he had not witnessed such treatment since he was leading civil rights protests in South Carolina in the 1960s.

“I heard people saying things that I have not heard since March 15, 1960 when I was marching to try and get off the back of the bus,” [said Clyburn.]

Clyburn added, “I think a lot of those people today demonstrated that this is not about health care…it is about trying to extend a basic fundamental right to people who are less powerful.” TPM, Mother Jones, and The Hill have reports of similar behavior by the Tea Party protesters.

Update On Twitter, Sen. Jim DeMint (R-SC) wrote that he was "grateful for the thousands of patriots who are storming the Capitol today protesting government healthcare and defending freedom." M.C.L comment: Odd how things turned protest one president Jim DeMint would probably accuse you of hiding terrorists in your basement, scream racist and homophobic slurs, spit and threaten to do violence towards another president and members of that president party and Jim DeMint would call you an American hero.. What Jimmy DeMint doesn't know those protesters from the short bus that Freedom Works brought in already vote Republican, you're not expanding your base Jimmy those couple of thousand or so old racist right wing crap stains protesters are your voting base. But here's the bright side sane, honest,fair and reasonable people are seeing who the Republicans are trying to latch up with. The tea bag protest has shown health care is not the issue, hating the brown skin guy with a funny name in the white house is.

Rep. Clyburn: ‘I find it appalling’ that Rep. King would call the IRS terror attack ‘a noble happening.’

By Alex Seitz-Wald

Yesteday, ThinkProgress reported that Rep. Steve King (R-IA) attempted to justify last week’s suicide attack on an IRS office in Texas. While acknowledging the attack was “sad,” King argued, “by the same token,” it was justified because if the IRS is abolished, “it’s going to be a happy day for America.” Today, Rep. James Clyburn (D-SC) took to the House floor to condemn King’s comment, noting that one of victims of the attack was a Vietnam veteran from his district:

CLYBURN: But, Mr. Speaker, I rise also to ask my colleagues as they think about recent events involving the Texas federal building where the IRS building was — exploded by an airplane and one of our colleagues has now called the act of terrorism a noble act.

The fact of the matter is that the gentleman that lost his life in that building, Vernon Hunter, was from Orangeburg, South Carolina, that I proudly represent in this body. He spent two tours in Vietnam and was about the business of carrying out his duties and responsibilities to this great country of ours. If anybody is a hero it is this victim. And I find it appalling that a member of this body would call his death a noble happening.

Watch it:

Vernon Hunter’s son told local reporters that he was distraught that “some people are trying to make [attacker Joe Stack] out to be a hero, a patriot.” “My dad served two terms in Vietnam. This guy never served at all. My dad wasn’t responsible for his tax problems,” Ken Hunter said. (HT: Iowa Independent)

M.C.L comment: The Republicans are in such bad shape they need to pander to these anti-government folks because their pool of support is so small the Republicans need the fringes of society to keep them a political party. Now if the Democrat said this I bet ya Sean Hannity would run with for month until the mid-term.