Jesse Jackson Walks Back Rebuke Of Artur Davis Over Health Care Vote

Reverend Jesse Jackson is moderating a stinging rebuke of Rep. Artur Davis over the Alabama Democrat's position on health care legislation.

Days after insisting it was impossible to be both black (which Davis is) and vote against health care reform (which Davis did), Jackson said he called the Alabama gubernatorial candidate to "assure him of my abiding admiration."

"I offer no challenge to his integrity as a leader. Representatives should all vote their conscience in the interest of their constituency," said Jackson, in a statement from his Rainbow PUSH Coalition. "There is a growing disparity among the black and the poor and we desperately need voices and votes."

"Among the black and the poor, the infant mortality rate is higher, life expectancy is shorter, poverty is growing and unemployment is highest," Jackson went on. "We need comprehensive health care that is more accessible and less expensive for all Americans. The historical Davis journey as a change agent continues and his latest quest deserves the support of the caring."

Running for the governor's chair in Alabama, Davis has bucked the Democrat Party on several major pieces of legislation this year. He sided against leadership on the climate change bill and was the lone member of the Congressional Black Caucus to oppose health care reform when it came to a vote two weeks back.

All of which was enough to irk Jackson. At a CBC dinner on Wednesday night, the famed civil rights leader denounced Davis's vote, saying, "We even have blacks voting against the health care bill from Alabama. You can't vote against health care and call yourself a black man."

"Rev. Jackson is entitled to his opinion," Davis told The Hill newspaper the following day. "The voters are entitled to a governor who represents everyone in the state. They're not looking for someone who speaks for a single community."

He added, "His judgment is through the prism of race."

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Comments

[llsf]

01:37 AM on 11/23/2009

First let me inform you that the race card has been played in America by you racists and you know who you are for 500 years.
Secondly you could line up all of you from sea to shining sea and you all would swear that you are not racists, yet we remain the most racist nation on earth.
Every major institution, corporation, and the Republican party practice it every single day or do you seriously think that the 43% of the American population who own 99% of the wealth actually earned it on merit.
None of you who were not there will ever know the courage and commitment that civil rights marchers in the 50's and 60's showed, most of them college kids like Jesse Jackson, so cut a little slack if the violence and racism we experienced seared into our soul.
Lastly, you cannot curry favor by abandoning your principles, Artur Davis has the same chance of being governor of Alabama as Glenn Beck has of winning the Nobel Peace Prize.

[USAFVET76]

02:40 AM on 11/23/2009

Rev Wright. Emil Jones. Black Panthers. Acorn Leadership. Not So Sharp Al Sharpton. Jesse the Ambulance Chasing Jackson. Louie Louie Farakhan. Open, public, and all racists.

The blame game is so old news, that song don't play no more.
Individual merit and accomplishment is what drives success, not the race card.
White America demonstrated this concept in the last election. We're going to pay through the nose for it because he loves to spend taxpayer dollars, but they did vote him in.

While blacks voted only 8% for Hillary and 92% for Obama.
Now who is the racists culture in this country?

[USAFVET76]

02:43 AM on 11/23/2009

Some of us that post here are old, but not THAT old. 500 years you say. I wouldn't know about that, other than what I have read in books. I know what I have experienced in my lifetime. Heck, if I referred to something 500 years ago as a reason for my behavior or beliefs, I'd want to blame the people that employeed my ancestors as indentured servants. And I'd still be operating a horse instead of a car. But, alas my culture and eventually me overcame all of those things and accepted personal responsibility as members of society to succeed. Some have and some haven't. But, it had nothing to do with whatever happened 20, 40, 100, or 500 years ago.

[Schmice]

11:17 PM on 11/22/2009

"....Davis has bucked the Democrat Party on several..."

First of all, its the Democratic Party, not the Democrat Party. Thomas Jefferson named it Democratic Party. Has Sam Stein no respect for Thomas Jefferson?

Second, Davis had BUCKED the Dem... ? Poor choice of words, wouldn't you say?

[scottyknows]

08:20 PM on 11/22/2009

“One of the reasons that I like and admire Rev. Jesse Jackson is that 21 years ago he inspired the idea that a black politician would not be judged simply as a black leader,” Rep. Davis’s statement said. “The best way to honor Rev. Jackson’s legacy is to decline to engage in an argument with him that begins and ends with race."

Too reasoned a response for some.

[Waitaminute]

07:06 PM on 11/22/2009

Rep Davis, you are not representing the whole state at this time. You are at this time, representing your district. I bet that district is mostly black and represent some of the most needy? So you should as you say be representing your constiuents.

[blssme]

06:52 PM on 11/22/2009

Jackson is part of the problem of why we can't move forward. I was so annoyed when he slammed Obama for simply stating that black men need to step up to the plate with their responsibilities. Young black men need to hear this! Because I WASN'T focused on race and being a victim was I able to break away from it, put myself through college, get a good job, etc. I hate that he thinks he is the only one who can define what being a black person is or isn't. Go away!

[Waitaminute]

07:09 PM on 11/22/2009

Maybe the ones who are so against him, can step up and take his place. Afterall, the Rev has been at it for close to 50 years. I just wish these educated people retire him. How about it?

[psbintl]

03:27 AM on 11/23/2009

At what?!

Sleeping around like some many other politicians and having babies with his mistresses.

[Swampstomper]

04:10 PM on 11/22/2009

Jackson does not speak for the Black community? Neither does Limbaugh speak for Republicans.

[psbintl]

01:03 PM on 11/22/2009

Who could care less what Jesse Jackson has to say or what he thinks!

He is a hypocrite who has been riding Martin Luther King Jr's coattails for decades and he has done absolutely nothing significant over the years for any community of people, be it Black, White, Hispanic or Asian, or Native American!

I am multiracial and I have never felt that he represented me.

I can't stand this man!

[time4change2009]

11:16 AM on 11/22/2009

Although the Reverend has made some misspeaks in the past...this time he is absolutely correct. And for Artur Davis to sway toward the ignorant Alabama, anti-American viewpoint in hopes of garnering readneck support is an abomination. And to think that he was a staunch Obama supporter throughout the campaign. What a traitor...against Obama...and The People.

p.s. NO WAY he'll win Alabama even with the bribe/campaign dollars that will now be thrown at him from the Alabama (monopoly) insurance cartel. Just another example of how we can't vote party loyalty...we must vote for the person. Heck, Davis would be a Black-Blue Dog ! That's Crazy !

[USAFVET76]

03:00 AM on 11/22/2009

Jesse is a clown.

Stats on US death rates are so misleading. They typically include people killed by homicide (and we know there is a HUGE number of young people dying everyday in urban areas). That significantly alters and "stats".

Any reform or change that benefits the black community is not necessarily good. Just view the impact Johnson's policies have had on the black culture. Every urban area in US is a war zone. There are more problems with the black community because they are dependent and have no self esteem or individual accountability.

And I am getting pretty tired of paying for their way from cradle to grave.

Good on the black politician who voted based on facts, not color. That is so rare in the black political world.

[Benjamin Henning]

10:36 AM on 11/22/2009

I rarely agree with Rev. Jackson, but USAVET76 you may be the clown.

Your comments are ignorant and not backed by any facts, just racism.

Sad.

[Benton]

11:23 PM on 11/21/2009

All we need another blue low down dog un-principled Democrat.

[dsmyre]

09:09 PM on 11/21/2009

JJ can go to h e ll. After saying he wanted to cut Pres. O's nuts off, he went on my sh *t list permanently. Can't understand a word he mumbles anyway.

[psbintl]

12:52 PM on 11/22/2009

Agreed!

[Waitaminute]

07:11 PM on 11/22/2009

But he's right this time. Am i not right about that?

[CO2feedsPlants]

08:48 PM on 11/21/2009

How' jj's baby? havent heard much lately

[MrT3]

08:40 PM on 11/21/2009

Jesse has to know by now how diverse we are for better and for generally much worse ....being black doesn't mean what it used to mean pre-"integration"...we don't have much but stereotypes in common anymore

[tnkeating]

07:34 PM on 11/21/2009

Could it be possible he just wants to be an American, not an African American or hyphenated American, and that color has nothing to do with the oath he took to serve.

[Waitaminute]

07:12 PM on 11/22/2009

It looks like Davis want to be an American black blue dog to me.

[mrskorn]

06:55 PM on 11/21/2009

Yup....no diversity within a color scheme. Now that is r-----.