Michael Jackson Resolution Squashed By Pelosi

WASHINGTON — House Speaker Nancy Pelosi shut the door Thursday to a resolution honoring Michael Jackson because debate on the symbolic measure could raise "contrary views" about the pop star's life.

Lawmakers are free to use House speeches "to express their sympathy or their praise any time that they wish," said Pelosi, D-Calif. "I don't think it's necessary for us to have a resolution."

A resolution sponsored by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Texas, cites some of the singer's charitable acts and proclaims him an American legend, musical icon and world humanitarian.

Even before Pelosi's comments, some Democrats said privately they did not support the resolution and a divisive debate would hurt House efforts to muster the votes for priorities such as health care and climate change.

Rep. Peter King, R-N.Y., who posted a video on YouTube calling Michael Jackson a "pervert" and a "pedophile," has pledged to do all he could to block the resolution.

Michael Jackson was acquitted in 2005 of charges that he molested a 13-year-old boy. Those allegations, and his admission that children slept in his bed at his home but nothing sexual occurred, have led some members of Congress to put distance between themselves and any formal honor for the entertainer.

"A resolution, I think, would open up to contrary views to _ that are not necessary at this time to be expressed in association with a resolution whose purpose is quite different," Pelosi said at a Capitol Hill news conference where she discussed various legislative matters.

Unbowed, Jackson Lee said she will seek support from colleagues who thanked her when she introduced the measure June 26, one day after Michael Jackson died. She said honorary resolutions don't often "pass the next day."

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"On this floor we elevate people and doing that we have to work to tell your story," she said after a House vote. But she would need support from Democratic leadership for the resolution to advance to the full House from the committee where it is now.

When members of the Congressional Black Caucus held a moment of silence in the House after Jackson died June 25, some lawmakers walked out of the chamber.

Jackson Lee has pledged that the resolution, now before the House Foreign Affairs Committee where she is a member, would come to the full House for debate. Such honorary measures normally move quickly from committee to the full House and pass on a voice vote.

But Jackson Lee's resolution was in trouble early. It drew only one co-sponsor, Rep. Diane Watson, D-Calif., and was not endorsed by other black caucus members.

From the stage at Jackson's memorial Tuesday at the Staples Center in Los Angeles, Jackson Lee hoisted a framed copy of the resolution.

___

Associated Press writer Jim Abrams contributed to this report.

Comments

[barkrudedog69]

On to Iran or something worth while. This constant race card thing by a couple of the bloggers in here is wrong and I am going to take the Obama route and go on tour.

[felisa11]

please buy some enlightenment while you are out.

[ThinkPink]

Oh people please. The Republicans are going to debate the Dems with or without this resolution. Now if this resolution was given to other "questionable" people, then Mike might as well get one. Let's be real: our government­...ALL of them...are questionable as well.

Random: My experiences hearing about child molestors indicates they don't just do one kid and then all of a sudden it stops. There is case after case after case. I wonder how Mike turned his molesting on for one kid and then off for everyone else. Nothing, nada, zip after the case he was found not guilty of. Nothing even before that. Interesting.

[barkrudedog69]

Molesters can act for 30 years or more without being found. They pick their victims well.

[montecarlo408]

A man that had as many servants and employees as Jackson could not have gotten away with that. In fact, all of the disgruntled employees who accused Jackson all had to retract their stories and admit they were lying.

[llfutrell]

There were two accusers. One took it to court where he was acquitted the other took hush money to tune of 20 million.

[montecarlo408]

Do you know that big businesses settle all the time and admitting guilt is never a part of the settlement? First accuser-proven in a GQ article that the whole thing was a sham. Jackson wanted to go to court but his lawyers advised him to settle.

Second accuser-acquitted.

What else you got?

[mj77777]

For a white man, he sure could dance.

[felisa11]

doesn't matter his skin color, just his heart. and by all acounts it was good and charitable.

[mj77777]

If by "good and charitable," you mean spending himself into bankruptcy and having "sleep overs" with children, then okay. I'll give you that.

[Hollywooddeed]

Another rac ist remark.

[middleofeverywhere]

I'd be irritated if they spent time on the clock discussing whether or not to honor any entertainer, let alone someone that we already know was very talented and has already been honored to the tune of 1.4 million dollars from the City of Los Angeles. If they want to form a Capitol Hill fan club they should do it on their own time. A resolution in Washington isn't going to make him more talented or change anyone's view of him, good or bad. How about some serious work on our 2 wars, healthcare, domestic violence, school shootings, poverty, homelessness, AIDS reseach, environmental issues, discrimination, North Korea, Iran,etc, etc. That's what they're paid to do, what we're paying them to do.
And the next time my home city wants to spend 1.4 million dollars, it would be nice if it was to find people homes or pay teachers more or get gangs out of our neighborhoods or ANYTHING productive.

[cgracec]

Get a grip. Do you have any idea how much money Michael Jackson would have paid in taxes to the state of California over his decades-spanning career? He would have paid for his memorial many times over. And it's not like he's going to get Social Security, now is he? And it's not like the state had any qualms about staging his expensive trial based on phony allegations, nor did they object to the boost to the local economy that the accompanying media circus provided. The state of California has raked millions upon millions of dollars from this man.

[middleofeverywhere]

Just like he raked in millions from the CD purchases and concert tickets from its citizens. And so what? Because I've paid taxes for 22 years the city or state or country should pick up the tab for my funeral or whatever? We all pay taxes based on our income. You don't get prizes based on that. Also Social Security doesn't come from the state, genius, so that has nothing to do with it. As for the trial, the state is obligated to "stage" a trial when charges are brought against somebody. They were serious charges and a grand jury saw enough evidence to proceed. I realize it's hard to balance common sense with hero worship but give it a shot.

[Tanyars5]

Does anyone know how much money was made by the city of Los Angeles from all of the hoopla of the funeral? I am sure hotels filled up and restaurants were packed. The Congress doesn't work very hard. Obama is the hardest working President ever. Lets not pretend alot of work is going on with those people.

[valentino]

The hardest working president ever? On what do you base this assertion? Roosevelt was president for 4 terms and is the reason we have social security and a minimum wage.

[middleofeverywhere]

Do you know anything about business revenue versus government revenue? Okay, let's say that hundreds and hundreds of people come and stay in hotels for this thing. The city does not own those hotels. Let's say they buy hundreds of items from local merchants. The city doesn't own those places of business. I'm sure the city did make some money but it seems highly unlikely that sales tax or whatever they make off the money spent equaled the money that had to be laid out for cops, road blocks, etc. Maybe you were here, but in case you weren't, it was an absolute circus. No one polled the citizens to ask if we wanted it, but they sure want us to chip in for it now. If the city had already made that money back it's doubtful that they'd be asking for donations to pay the entire bill, or that our city attorney would be looking into the legality of requiring the company who staged the memorial to pick up the tab for the residual expenses.

[samandally]

BAAAAAAAAA, come on, move on nicely with the rest of the sheep. Hardest working POTUS EVER. It's a good thing he's married to the MOST FASHIONABLE AND HARDEST WORKING FLOTUS EVER! You all are such a joke.

[napasonoma]

Thank you Ms. Pelosi. It is so refreshing to know there is a functioning brain dealing with this asinine circus for the intellectually challenged.

[felisa11]

was nixon and reagan intellectually challenged when they honored elvis?

[napasonoma]

WAS Nixon and Reagan....­..no but looks like you may be.

[toocoldout]

Way to go Nancy Pelosi. She's now a hero to billions of people around the world.

[montecarlo408]

The rest of the world doesn't hold contempt for Jackson. It's purely a hypocritial, self-righteous American thing.

[aquarius64]

I'm not surprised it went down like this. The Dems who are reluctant are playing political CYA. They fear a yea vote on the record for this resolution will send them to the political scaffold when they run for re-election.

[TainoBoy]

Pelosi is a airhead. No wonder most people ha.te her, she has given me reason to join them

[valentino]

It wasn't just her. Besides the resolution's sponsor and co-sponsor, Sheila Jackson Lee and Diane Watson, respectively, not even one other Congressional Black Caucus member endorsed the resolution.

[barkrudedog69]

This is the lady that said the Hurricane names were to white.

[toocoldout]

No one hates her anymore. This changed all that.

[felisa11]

I don't blame Pelosi, just ignorance and apathy in general. Some people knows that things are wrong, but they don't want to stir the pot. A lot of democrat leaders are like that.

I just don't like the TWO SETS OF RULES that are being justified though.

I have posted the elvis word three linkss and HP has erased all of the,

[barkrudedog69]

There is not two sets of rules. It is your thoughts like yours and Monica Conyers that keeps taking us back 40 and 50 years. No one is doing this because of race.

[Adartist777]

Yep...they did the same to me.

[Tia2008]

Did anyone honestly believe that this resolution would pass?
When the congresswomen introduced the proposed resolution at MJ's memorial service, I said "Yeah, good luck with that one"!
It was a nice thought but the truth is few politicians want their names associated with a resolution honoring a person who was surrounded by controversy (regardless of the race/color of the person). Yes, MJ was found innocent but unfortunately too many people still have doubts about his innocence and as long as that doubt exist the resolution will not pass. Besides, MJ was a great entertainer with a generous heart and the lack of a federal resolution WILL NOT invalidate his talent or contributions.

[Tanyars5]

How can these same people work with men who have sex in public bathrooms, drunks, and drug addicts? Hypocrites.

[wanttruth]

Don't forget former Congressman Mark Foley who tried to date underage Congressional Pages! Heck, Foley was put in charge of a children's fund!

[barkrudedog69]

How did that sex in pubic bathrooms work out for that guy?

[MANK]

They don't get proclamations either.

[Joyana]

They don't mind supporting their adulterous and ethically-­challenged colleagues. It's a political family thing.

[ramal]

Thank you, Madame Speaker. Congress wastes enough time with "hometown" and "homestate" resolutions honoring Pickle Queens, National Rhubarb Pie Week and the oldest living barbershop quartet. Get serious with some of the immense problems this nation faces.

[felisa11]

they honor people all the time, why is this one protested and not elvis'?

[Green-Zanto]

Elvis wasn't some bizarre p edophile who turned his own face into a surreal plastic mess.

[javaz]

I cannot find anything on Elvis ever having been honored with a resolution.
Do you have a link?

[barkrudedog69]

You keep asking the question but do not like or accept the answer.

[lizr]

black, for starters.

[llfutrell]

Because I wasn't alive then. I would have been against that one too.

[Ramonne]

I do not want Congress giving awards to hollywood personalities. Let those that loved them grieve for them. It should not be a national event when one passes on. I think way too much has already been made of this. I am sorry for his passing and my sympathy to his family, but it still does not concern me. Nor should it concern our Congress as a whole.

[felisa11]

did you say that when elvis was recognized? funny don't remember hearing the outrage.,

[wanttruth]

Me either! LOL Hypocrites!!!

[Disuberence]

Can you find me the text of this online? I can't find it anywhere. I'd like to read it.

[valentino]

Most of us were too young to raise a fuss back when Elvis was recognized. I never even new that Congress ever did this until the other day.

[otop016]

It's obviously a racial thing...

[llfutrell]

I didn't because I wasn't born yet...but I would have if I was old enough to speak out. I bet there were people that spoke out but people were not heard as loudly back then becuase there was no 24 hour news and the internet.

[Tanyars5]

who said it was going to be a national event?

[octopi]

Then why is a Hollywood personality from California your party's figurehead?

[mcthfg]

When is the last time any of you Michael Jackson fans listened to a song he wrote? 10 years or so?

But you sure miss him now that he's gone...

Stop living posthumously through other people. Get your own lives.

[felisa11]

the recognizition is for his humanitarian work not his songs.

[AuntiepoppyCock]

mcthfg less than 6mos ago a friend sent me a link to a song, "This can't be good." By MJ...I've been listening to it since. He's was the first artist I programmed in my mp3.

Funny you taking time out of your miserable life only to comment and tell others to get a life....lo­ok in the mirror. Worry about self.

[angelize94]

Actually I had been listening to the History CD in my car for the last month.

[lizr]

hearing him numerous times a day now...aren­t you?

[Joyana]

What an asinine question. Many fans listen to his music regularly. Amazing how many people are so smug and cocky and are clueless that they know little about anything.

[bokiluis]

Congresswoman Lee why not give some space between the huge amount of coverage for Michael and this Resolution?

If memory serves me correctly, Ronald Raygone honored Michael with a Presidential Award for Safety?

It isn't as if Michael is a forgotten artists that never got his due. Let the raw emotions, both good and bad, surrounding this to settle.

In due time, i am sure all of these honors and salutes will come.

[Tanyars5]

what is the issue????? it cost little money for a frame and a piece of paper. What is the issue?

[barkrudedog69]

He said in court he slept with kids and it may take away from the current battles if they try and fight to get this done.

[felisa11]

i actually agree with you, but by reading the asisinine comments of some of these posters, it really bothers me. I didn't hear all the comments when elvis the druggie was honored.

[barkrudedog69]

The lawmakers were not trying to take on every social policy that society has in one term before the new president runs out of political power for starters.

Second Elvis never went to court and said in court that he had a non sexual relationship with children where he slept with kids.

People see this as a catamite type of relationship as one blogger put it.

[Green-Zanto]

Drug use is a victimless crime, and doesn't reflect on a persons morality.

Pe edophelia does.

[solopico]

Just curious -

Why do you feel the need to mock the last name (Reagan) of one of our former presidents, one who many consider one of the greatest of all time - and one who honored Michael Jackson with an award?

Do you consider it okay when people say President Obummer?

[Green-Zanto]

How is Reagan a great President? Compared to other Republicans I guess he wasn't as uneducated and corrupt, but he still had undeniably abhorrent views. He did a lot of harm to this country.

[Palemoon]

Space? Why? I remember when John Wayne passed away, they didn't wait til some mythical timing was right, they were debating the resolution to honor him before his body had even cooled.

[montecarlo408]

Elvis was a hero to most but he never to be, he was a straight out r@cist thesucker was simple and plain-MUTH@f4CK HIM AND JOHN WAYNE.

[lmthp]

HP - you have removed three of my comments from three separate threads tonite. WHY? If my comments violated ANY of HPs moderator's rules then HP needs to seriously revamp them!

[Palemoon]

The mods are supposed to follow the same rules as are listed for us to abide by. However, they never seem to follow their own rules, instead, some mods seem to make it up as they go along.

[Tanyars5]

I cannot understand why people are so upset with this resolution. How is this hurting anyone?The man was one of the greatest entertainers of all time. What is the problem?

[Disuberence]

We have more important things to do than this. Honestly, our congress is so slow. Slower than molasses. You can't let them find ways to waste time, it's like a dog. Can't let them off their leash, they'll run wild.

[AuntiepoppyCock]

Strange you've been in MJ threads saying enough already and we don't need this, but you can't seem to stop commenting.

[felisa11]

the problem is that the media has poisoned a lot of minds with their daily criticizing of Jackson since 2003. They have bought the lies and deceit hook, line and sinker. the fact the he was raised in a prominent black family only makes them believe the lies more.

[kjfraser]

Oh, for crying out loud. The media has absolutely nothing to do with this. We're talking about CONGRESS! Those people need to be earning their paycheck, not mooning over movie stars!
If Hollywood wants to give him 5000 awards for best everything, fine. But the United States government had better get their arses to work and forget this foolishness!