Barbara Boxer Accused Of Being 'Racial' And 'God Awful'

So, here's the story of how Senator Barbara Boxer got called a racist or whatever during today's climate change hearing. Harry Alford is the head of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. He opposes the current climate change legislation. Barbara Boxer is a senator from California who chairs the Senate Environment and Public Works Committee. She is in favor of the current climate change legislation. Boxer says that green jobs are being created in California, Alford says that's not true. Let's fight!

ALFORD: I've been looking - I haven't seen them yet...The last time I checked, California is an economic basket case and these green jobs aren't going to solve it.

BOXER: I want you to come with me. Let's go see these jobs you say don't exist.

So, okay! Alford and Boxer are going to take a trip to Fresno, to look at windmills or something! But then Boxer dared to reference a report that favored climate change legislation that was authored by the NAACP, and that's when everything suddenly got pre-post-racial!

"Madam chair, that is condescending to me," Alford said. "I'm the National Black Chamber of Commerce, and you're trying to put up some other black group to pit against me."

Boxer defended including the report, however, saying the report reflects a "diversity" of support behind climate change legislation facing the Senate.

"If this gentleman were here, he would be proud he's being quoted," Boxer said in defense of the NAACP support.

But Alford was working himself into a fine rant:

"All that's condescending, and I don't like it. It's racial. I take offense to it. As an African-American and a veteran of this country, I take offense to that," he said. "You're quoting some other black man -- why don't you quote some other Asian or some other... You're getting racial here."

"You're speaking on behalf of the black community?" Alford asked. "Why are you doing the colored people association's study with the black Chamber of Commerce?"

[...]

"We've been looking at energy policy since 1996. And we are referring to the experts, regardless of their color. And for someone to tell me, an African-American, college-education veteran of the United States Army, that I must contend with some other "black group" and put aside everything else in here -- This has NOTHING to do with the NAACP, and really has nothing to do with the National Black Chamber of Commerce. We're talking about energy. And that -- that road the chair went down, I think is God awful."

Now, did Boxer specifically cite an NAACP report just to needle Alford? Probably! And that's annoying, yes. As a colleague writes (for the win!): "It drives black people nuts that white people always want to hook them up with their one other black friend." But! Is that racism? Not in a week where this happened it isn't!

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Comments

[JoeJokester]

Boxer is having identity problems -- wants to be called this or that title, but wont respect the fact that others also have the right to be respected for who they are.

[ImpressedByHonesty]

Oh she respects him, but will not let that obscure the subject in question. She obviously knew that he is paid to throw up as much 'noise' as possible to distract from the important subject of climate change.

[JoeJokester]

Oh, ok... it's ok then... Thanks for the explanation... Good to know that our Democratic Lawmakers are operating with the utmost of respect, except for those noisy detractors. How DARE they interfere with Senator Boxers right to impose her will on the mindless thralls that she represents! How DARE THEY, I say!!!

[judyx]

Well, I guess he told her!

[CheshireCat2]

Indeed.

[leduck]

No – I don’t think this guy’s over the top…..
I can see Sen. Boxer burning crosses in a white hood. She’s probably the Grand Dragon of the Ku Klux Klan.

[tallcoolone47]

Whenever I think of Boxer the word Meglomaniac pops into my head I wonder why???

[BrighterStar]

This is pretty typical of how Democrats approach people of color. Sen. Boxer did not see a business leader testifying, she saw a black business man testifying. That is why she felt the need to contradict his testimony with that of other black leaders. Mr. Allford could not understand why the point he was making should be considered based on his skin color.

[billyfromphilly]

Maybe she saw a black businessman testifying because he's the head of the national BLACK chamber of commerce. Can't have your cake and eat it too. That doesn't let her off the hook, but let's be honest here.

[Dem4Lyfe]

Senator Boxer isn't one of my favorite Senators, and this is a perfect example of why. She did make it racial (even though she didn't realize she did). She is constantly making these verbal blunders. And after flipping out over not being called "Senator," she certainly can't act like she didn't say anything wrong to this gentleman. If she is overly sensitive about be called Madame, she definitely can't negate this guy for being insulted by implied racial thoughts that come across as, "Well, this black guy from the NAACP thinks we are right, so you should agree with him." Please SENATOR Boxer...........stop talking.

[UncleSpam]

She most certainly did make it racial...otherwise she wouldn't have bothered to introduce it in the first place. She figured "hey, these OTHER black people agree with me, so why don't you?"


Puhleeeeeeasse.

[UncleSpam]

DOUBLE STANDARD ALERT!

LOL...Mr. Alford called her "ma'am"...I am surprised she didn't demand to be called Senator, after all she EARNED it right.

[CheshireCat2]

http://www.breitbart.tv/god-awful-black-chamber-of-commerce-ceo-rips-sen-boxer-for-condescending-racial-remarks/

That is the six minute exchange between the two.

[londongal]

Wow! Mr. Alford, calm down already!

[CheshireCat2]

Mr Alford had every right to be upset and call her out.

She just expected him to go to his corner and lay down.

He wouldn't and he was right she was condescending.

Did you see the six minute vid?

[Wonderwheel]

LOL out of my A**!
Accuse her all you want, as a Californian I say Boxer is one of the best 5 Senators.
As a Buddhist I don't say "Thank God for Barbara" and instead I say it is California's good karma to have Barbara.

[CheshireCat2]

She was caught playing both ends against the middle and she couldn't get away with it.

[KDog76A]

Good Karma to talk down to someone, refuse to argue the point the panel is meeting on and marginalize the invited speaker by just saying were are going to tag the NAACP's opinion on the matter because they are black too. The study pertitent to the discussion had nothing to do with race other than it was sponsored by the NBCC. Why marginalize the report by this?

Prior to the racial slight, She accused Mr Alford of not knowing how long she had been in California. "You don't know how long Ive been in California" Alford responded "Since around 1962" She had to choke on that one. Alford did his homework, Boxer didn't even take the time tolook into the fact that the National Black Chamber of Commerce has 18 branches in her state. While Alford is responding to another Senator, Boxer has the gall to talk to someone else the whole time (it gets picked up by the mike) when Alford is done responding she says that she respects Alford... yeah but not enough to even listen to him.

Boxer has no good karma coming. She even lied about the green jobs

[aces215]

she quoted John Grant...a black leader...and said "if this gentleman were here...he'd be proud that he was being quoted (by me)"

What does she mean by that other than this other black man agrees with me, why don't you? When did climate change become a racial issue?

[PA Blue]

She also happened to use a PEW study, in fact before she used the NAACP reoprt.

[KDog76A]

still not defensible, especially since the whole time she talks down to Alford, tone is everything.

[aglee]

Anybody have a link to the whole hearing? In particular I'd like to see his opening remarks to see whether he represents himself as an advocate for the black community, or as an energy expert.

[acanthus]

Here's a link to a .pdf of his opening atatement:

http://www.epw.senate.gov/public/index.cfm?FuseAction=Hearings.Testimony&Hearing_ID=61c08454-802a-23ad-494a-4ff5e60d89d5&Witness_ID=810a2528-6c33-4099-859d-9b001b30db17

[PA Blue]

He did represent himself as a minority advocate. That was one of his first lines.

[aglee]

Thanks.

[GrammyP]

Personally, I get tired of having one group or another cry racism when someone disagrees with them.

[ocalasatpro]

Me, too. It's the first thing they do.

[FZliveson]

Don't YOU see that by even saying "THEY" that YOU are discriminating?
The only way to solve this thing is for us to be using the pronouns "YOU, ME and I"

You appear to be (a) nice, hard-working person(s) AND you have a real arrogant edge that is hard to get past. Get down to the same love of humanity you had making you "damn proud of the miles we logged for Obama in 2008" You seem to be constantly teasing the dog you wish to befriend.
Thanks

[humorgazette]

Sheesh... That guy needs to think outside the Boxer.

[KDog76A]

ha

[Republicrats]

"C'mon mister black man, all of these other black groups are faling in line with our party bs, why dont' you, forget that you cite facts from scientific experts and I quote opinions from the non-scientific community, just fall in line with the other black groups...."

If thats not condescending, I dont' know what is...


AND Boxer is too daft to understand his point!

[acanthus]

You're assuming that the NAACP didn't cite the scientific community. Why?

[KDog76A]

Boxer couldn't even cite the document she was referring to, nor discuss its content or why it was being entered into the record without even being discussed.. this is what set the whole thing off... she couldn't give any details on it other than that it was by other black people.