Democratic Rep: Tea Party Would Love To See Black People 'Hanging On A Tree' (VIDEO)

WASHINGTON -- A leading voice in the Congressional Black Caucus told supporters last week that Tea Party-affiliated lawmakers are devastating the black community economically and would be happy to see black people "hanging on a tree."

Rep. Andre Carson (D-Ind.), the CBC whip, told attendees at the CBC's Job Tour visit to Miami that the Tea Party is actively taking steps to keep down the black community and other vulnerable populations.

"This is the effort that we're seeing of Jim Crow," Carson said. "Some of these folks in Congress right now would love to see us as second-class citizens."

He went on, "Some of them in Congress right now of this Tea Party movement would love to see you and me ... hanging on a tree."

An audio and partial video of Carson (who has previously blogged for The Huffington Post) making the remarks first surfaced on Tuesday on Glenn Beck's website, The Blaze. When contacted by The Huffington Post, Carson's office confirmed them and didn't back down, saying they were in response to frustrations felt by many around the country regarding Congress' inability to boost the economy.

"The Tea Party is protecting its millionaire and oil company friends while gutting critical services that they know protect the livelihood of African-Americans, as well as Latinos and other disadvantaged minorities," Carson spokesman Jason Tomcsi said in a statement.

Tomsci specifically pointed to GOP efforts to cut funding for child nutrition, job creation and training, housing assistance and Head Start, a national program that promotes school readiness, as examples of ways the Tea Party agenda hurts vulnerable populations.

"A child without basic nutrition, secure housing, and quality education has no real chance at a meaningful and productive life," he said. "So, yes, the Congressman used strong language because the Tea Party agenda jeopardizes our most vulnerable and leaves them without the ability to improve their economic standing."

UPDATE: Aug. 31, 6:33 p.m. -- Leaders of the nation's largest tea party organization on Wednesday called on Carson to resign over his remarks.

"Rep. Carson should immediately resign from Congress. He is clearly not fit to serve," Mark Meckler and Jenny Beth Martin of the Tea Party Patriots said in a statement.

"This type of disgusting, hateful rhetoric has no place in our political discourse. At a minimum, he should be removed from leadership in the Congressional Black Caucus, and censured by his colleagues. If they refuse to take these actions, they are sending a clear statement to the American public that it is acceptable for 'leaders' in Congress to wantonly accuse their fellow members and the American public of desiring murder," they wrote.

UPDATE II: Aug. 31, 9:25 p.m. -- Carson said Wednesday that he doesn't regret his comments and doesn't feel he owes anyone an apology.

"I stand on the truth of what I spoke," he told CNN. "My intentions weren't to hurt anyone or any group. I wanted to speak to the issues that concern me and the philosophical issues that concern me as it relates to certain leadership within the tea party organization, not the entire tea party, but certain elements that have concerned me deeply and for quite some time that I think should really re-evaluate what it means to be an American and we shouldn't go along the path of taking America back to the 'good old days' because those days were not good for everyone."

Comments

[BuckCarson]

10:40 PM on 09/14/2011

The encouraging thing to me is that in all my time with the tea party, I have never witnessed childish and ugly comments such as I see here and within many of the comments attached.

Thinking broadly, it implies that the progressive movement is on its very last breath. You can not have such sobriety coexist with such drunkenness for periods of significance.

It appears the national debate is over.

[Allen Reed Jensen]

01:36 AM on 09/04/2011

What Republican congressperson wants to see black people lynched into a tree? The fact that no liberal can name one proves Congressman Carson's statements are blatantly false and are among the worse of political dialogue. It make's Glenn Beck's regretted comment about Obama hating white people pale in comparison.

[3daywkend]

06:59 PM on 09/03/2011

These old black Democrats are stuck in the 60's.

[chocolate cherries]

03:56 AM on 09/04/2011

So are the old white tea baggers. Google and see how many nooses were found after Obama was elected....stuck in the 60s??

[jlg1952]

11:13 AM on 09/04/2011

Did these nooses belong to tea party members? Here we go again with a race card taught by the 'empowerment' meetings.

When obama comments on any civilian matter without knowing the facts and attemps to sway public oppinion for condemnation---He, himself, stupidly plays the race card.

where is the out-cry from obama when blacks commit hate crime attacks against whites? Oh. that's alright---- they justify it by referring to slavery which maybe only 2 may still live

[ncqueenxox]

10:41 PM on 09/02/2011

Andre Carson , 7 Maxine Waters need too stop telling people the tea party wants blacks to hang , they know its not true !If these two people were white we would be making them step down out of their job , Its not helping anyone for them to be talking like this!

[chocolate cherries]

02:18 AM on 09/05/2011

http://billingsgazette.com/news/opinion/blogs/city-lights/article_dd99052c-be17-11df-817f-001cc4c002e0.html
http://billingsgazette.com/news/opinion/blogs/city-lights/article_dd99052c-be17-11df-817f-001cc4c002e0.html
http://tpmdc.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/03/a-week-of-threats-and-vandalism.php

Does this help people? Do the baggers get to do the most insane backwoodsy acts of lunacy without being called out for it? You fools are ridiculous.

[pink4004]

10:49 PM on 09/01/2011

I'm an African American and I think this man's comment is waaaaay over the top. We all know that there are still lots of prejudice people in the world and there always will be. But I don't think everyone in the Tea Party is trying to lynch someone, or of that mindset.

[chocolate cherries]

04:06 AM on 09/04/2011

http://www.capitolhillblue.com/node/11890
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/08/tea_party_comix_creator_speaks_theyre_not_racist_t.php
http://theragblog.blogspot.com/2008/11/baylor-obama-signs-burned-noose-hung.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/03/20/tea-party-protests-nier-f_n_507116.html
Way over the top???

[atomicshell]

07:44 AM on 09/22/2011

are you suggesting we judge an entire group of people by a very small number of lunatics whom nobody supports? you see nothing wrong in this?

[Infamous Lenman]

09:48 PM on 09/01/2011

Just more race-baiting by the CBC. I’m sure Rep. Carson has heard the story ‘The Boy who Cried Wolf’ and should realize that the village discovered the shepherd’s lies back when Obamacare passed. CBC Rep. Cleaver “claimed” that racial slurs were being hurled, and even though Breitbart offered $100k for any video proof, no video has ever been found, despite the fact that there were numerous people recording it, including Jesse Jackson Jr., who had TWO CAMERAS. A good story on this found here.
http://anotherblackconservative.blogspot.com/2010/03/what-did-jesse-jackson-jr-capture-on.html

There’s a good story and a video of the so-called spitting incident here;
http://anotherblackconservative.blogspot.com/2010/04/unraveling-of-tea-party-racial-smear.html

Just look at the statements from top Democrats and you should see where the racism lies. You have Reid talking about Obama's lack of "negro dialect" and Biden talking about how Obama is the "first mainstream African-American who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice-looking guy“. You have the CBC being used by Pelosi, parading them through the crowd to try to provoke an incident, yet despite a crowd of thousands, there was not a single arrest. The democrats have been using ALL minorities and the poor for ages to further their careers.

[ncqueenxox]

10:44 PM on 09/02/2011

infamous True!!! F&F

[Jguig]

08:17 PM on 09/03/2011

This post is a triumph! F&F!

[Just Ask Jheri]

04:00 PM on 09/01/2011

As Frederick Douglass wrote in his memoir, "Between the Christianity of this land and the Christianity of Christ, I recognize the widest possible difference." The Lost Causers of course, pretend this gulf does not exist by filling it with fairy tales about happy slaves.
Douglass's criticisms of American Christianity, particularly of the sort that justifies and minimizes slavery, remains perceptive. He referred to the kind of Christianity that views as acceptable the owning of people as property as "the climax of all misnomers, the boldest of all frauds, and the grossest of all libels." He was right then, and he still is.

[nicothebaker]

02:41 PM on 09/01/2011

How has Mr. Carson served his constituents while in office? Or Maxine Waters? These people are holding their constituents back with comments they've made recently.

[El Cuervo]

12:47 PM on 09/01/2011

Say what you want, but what this guy is saying is the truth.

[spoonbill1963]

11:35 AM on 09/02/2011

It is no doubt the truth as far as some of the tea people but I hardly think it applies to all. He should be more responsible when he speaks.

[ncqueenxox]

10:48 PM on 09/02/2011

spoonbill , If anyone shows up at a tea party and is saying anything racist or has a sign thats racist , they are asked to leave , the tea party dont want that they want everyone to feel welcome!

[BarryChaLaque]

11:34 AM on 09/01/2011

The funny thing about these liberals gone wild: Waters, Carson, Pelosi, they know that obama is in trouble. Even the black vote is not energized to vote in 2012. They are trying to energize the blacks and the Dems have become unhinged. They are so scared they can’t even think straight and are throwing up any hail mary they can.

When all else fails, scream “they did this because I’m black”.
I can get anything for free, without working for it or earning it on my own.
I want all the rights in the world and NO responsibility.

Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I am so sick of this kr.ap

[Clevelandinwi]

09:36 AM on 09/01/2011

There might be a few 'innocents' in the teaparty; that is, a few who were not there at the founding and really don't understand what it is. Many have forgotten that the teaparty was formed by dickarmey with money furnished by the kochbros (check 'freedom works'). Basically, what armey did was created a small coalition of hate groups to get the ball rolling. How quickly we forget.

[aveindustries]

09:35 AM on 09/01/2011

Republicans care more about the black community than these Democrats that claim to represent them. So many African Americans I've talled with are beginning to turn their back to these people and are finally realizing these people were part of the problem the whole time.

Republicans are trying to put fiscal policies that are unpopular, but necessary to avoid a default on our currency. Many African Americans are beginning to realize the damage a run on the dollar and inflation would cause them.

A run on the dollar would hurt poor people more than the rich. We need serious entitlement reforms to protect the weakest among us, so that when you get your social security pension the dollars they pay you with will actually have the same or near purchasing power as to what you put into the system that our government chose to spend freely.

[Tony Davis 1234]

05:58 PM on 09/01/2011

WOW!!! Really?

[artistkatja]

02:59 AM on 09/03/2011

.......is that all you've got? How immature can you get?

[Chaton de Malheur]

09:51 AM on 09/02/2011

What color is the sky in YOUR world?

[Squirdlock]

09:03 AM on 09/01/2011

Nothing like a black man telling the truth to stir up the right wing.

[artistkatja]

03:01 AM on 09/03/2011

......first of all, you don't even know enough to capitalize Black. Secondly, he is not a real man to stand up there and lie so blatantly like that. He is NOT for Black people, he is for chaos and racial unrest and misunderstandings. You are right about him stirring something up. But it sure wasn't the truth!

[lcelidon]

08:29 AM on 09/01/2011

tell it like it is....

[SOSTED]

08:04 AM on 09/01/2011

And how does this devisive hateful rhetoric solve the percieved problems that you think are holding back people of color?? Did the White- American electorate send an African - American to the highest elected office in the world?? The white race baiters were driven out of politics along time ago, it's time to do the same with the African-Americans politicians that prey on the ignorant victim mentality class just to get votes...........Most Americans, regardless of race do not hold racists views or values but all races have a few dinosaur hold outs that cannot accept the reality of self reliance and responsibility and blame others for thier lack of initiative.
Success is 90% dfetermination & hard work combined with 10% skill........