Reid Defends Himself From Racism Accusations (VIDEO)

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was forced to defend his support for African-American politicians in a testy exchange with David Gregory on "Meet the Press" Sunday.

In a discussion of Senate appointee Roland Burris, Gregory repeated a claim of Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich that the Nevada Senator had opposed three other black potential replaces for President-elect Barack Obama. "He's making it up," Reid said.

Gregory went on to say that people close to Burris were suggesting that "Reid doesn't want an African-American to succeed Obama." Reid gave a lengthy and impassioned defense of his history of promoting black Senate politicians. Anyone accusing him of racism, he concluded, is "part of the Blagojevich spin." Watch:

Comments

[blastit]

Can Harry Reid and Nancy Polesi just go away why don't he try and defend why he won't start investigating Bush, Cheney and Rove I'm sick of the bull why not fight some real battles instead of this kind of nonsense.

[AlphaDoc]

Racism or no, Harry Reid does not belong as Senate Majority Leader. Of all the issues which have come up over these past years, he chooses to take a definitive stance on this one? Puh-leeze.

[Roger]

Yeah, that David Gregory - right up there with Geraldo. What a maroon.

[mudshark12]

I think it's such a brown nosing circle-jerk on the hill that most of the pols are brain dead and can't tell the difference between the truth and a lie anymore.

[NSeagle78]

Great post watchandwait, and Reid is no racist as far as I know, he is just spineless.

[benedict15]

There is something self-destructive about Democrats. Reid is not the enemy. Republicans are. In the last session, Reid had no real majority. Lieberman was unreliable, and Johnson could not be expected to show up for close votes. With the 60 votes required for cloture, the Republicans had powerful bargaining power. A degree of co-operation was required to get anything passed, since Republicans could always threaten an unbreakable filibuster. Reid is not the enemy, the Republicans are. Time for the nuclear option!

[Hurrikan]

http://www.oyez.org/cases/1960-1969/1968/1968_138/

[ciotog17]

The Court ruled that because Powell had been LAWFULLY ELECTED by his constituents, he could not be unseated by the House of Representatives. [emphasis added]

Burris hasn't been elected by his constituents, and plainly his selection was announced under a cloud of scandal by a governor who faces imminent impeachment for allegedly trying to sell the office. If that doesn't make his appointment disreputable, nothing will.

The Senate has a history of expelling members who bring disrepute upon the body, dating from the 1797 expulsion of William Blount of Tennessee for trying to incite a war pitting the Creek and Cherokee Indians against American interests in the Spanish colony of West Florida (modern-day southern Mississippi, southern Alabama and the Florida Panhandle). No war took place, but just the allegation of the attempt to incite one was enough to merit expulsion.

As for the charges of racism, nothing would prevent Pat Quinn from naming an African-American to replace Obama were the lieutenant governor to come to occupy the governor's mansion, and indeed, Burris might eventually be the compromise candidate if he comports himself with the dignity expected of a senator. But if he behaves like a fullback recovering a fumble or a pursesnatcher high-tailing it from the cops, he will watch Obama's successor take the oath of office from the comfort of his own home, just like the rest of us.

[benedict15]

The Governor of Illinois does not have to be reputable legally to appoint a Senator to fill a vacancy, he merely has to be a legal elected governor. If Governors had to be reputable to carry out their duties who would 'scape whipping?

[Hurrikan]

Powell v. McCormack

[GeorgeKaplan]

Does anybody REALYY think that Harry Reid is going anywhere? He's not my favorite, but I agree that any appointment by Blago to the Senate should not be seated.

[cbates]

I disagree that to seat Burris would be a comprimise. Reid himeslf is not that qualified and Blago has the right to conduct the business of the state of Illinois until he is indicted and or convicted of a crime. Even then you must show that Burris influenced Blago's decision to seat him. This is a trivial matter and should be kept off the dockets of things that the Senate should spend a whole lot of time on. I also put the Franken/Coleman thing in the same category.

This country is faced with perils like never seen before and without the 2 Dem Senators there is enough leverage to get stuff done to save the economy and environment.

Reid and Pelosi always pick the wrong fights. So in my humble opinion they both should go and soon.

[GeorgeKaplan]

We always have time to fight corruption. Corruption is not acceptable nor trivial. You can hope, but I see no evidence that Reid and Pelois are going away - do you?

Balgo is playing games and he should not be allowed to continue.

[steamboat]

read Hurrikan above......That says it all.

[harriettubman]

Reid better be telling the truth because those phones were TAPPED!

[LeeCalif]

That's the clearest and most succint(sp) I've ever heard Reid be.

I'm pleasantly surprised.

[1manstandin]

Reid is Right..not much i can disagree with here..hummm nope not much...third thought..humm yeah he is pretty accurate

[firelord5000]

Spineless more like it.

[Anonani]

This is the possible strategy that will not allow Mr. Burris to be seated:

http://firstread.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/01/02/1730186.aspx

[bayarea000]

nothing like repeating lies, something david gregory is a champ doing.
as for harry reid, RESIGN!!!!! you are a spineless non leader!!!!!!

[Kartoffel]

I'm not a Harry Reid fan, but the charges of racism against him are silly. The people making those charges are motivated by a ridiculous belief that the empty IL seat should be regarded as a designated seat for an African-American. Back in 2004 the voters of Illinois marked their ballots for the name "Barack Obama", not "Black Guy". To argue that an African-American must fill Obama's seat is tantamount to arguing that Obama was an affirmative action senator. It belittles his qualifications, and it insults the voters of Illinois.

[timmmahhhh]

Yeah, Blago will do ANYTHING to (try) and get people on his side. That fact he is using the race card is just outright disgusting. Nothing like having Bobby Rush the ex Black Panther accusing somebody of being racist. Racism goes both ways, and fortunately so does tolerance and most of us are smart enough to not fall for the former anymore.

[foolchild0]

well said.

[loucreattie]

I so agree.

Just like the people who say New York Senate set MUST go to a women! WTF!?!

Or the people that say a Hispanic MUST fill the Richardson departure! WTF!?!

You are taking away the fact that Obama, Clinton, and Richardson are amazing politicians. To say they got where there are because of anything but hard work and determination takes away from the fact that they are ALL gifted policticians.

[benedict15]

To be representative, the Senate should have 51 or more women, 12 or so African Americans, and 14 or so Hispanics. These should not be hard quotas, but reasonable targets. The Voting Rights Act imposes affirmative action on the House, and the Courts require the States to design Representative Districts to produce the maximum number of seats for racial minorities -- this is Constitutional under the XIVth Amendment, Sec. 1 and the XVth Amendment, Sec. 2. In our majority-rule election systems no racial minorities could ever expect to gain an office where traditional white majorities were free to design election districts as they wished. I woul prefer to vote for or appoint a highly qualified African-American, Hispanic, or woman to that most undemocratic and most unrepresentative of American political institutions -- the United States Senate -- as long as these peoples are under-represented.
We have had two Arabs, many Jews, three Japanese-Americans, a Chinese-American, an Hawaiian, and several Native Americans serve as Senators, and it seems less necessary to plan special protection for the groups. One way to democratize the Senate is an informal, self-selected system of sex and ethnicity preferences. I think the Democrats could make this work reasonably well.

[steamboat]

Now had Trent Lott said absolutely word for word what Reid said would you have been defending him also in your comment. Or would you have a different set of rules?

[Mildmannered]

reid does not have the constitutional authority to refuse to seat burris