Lawrence O'Donnell, Herman Cain Argue About The Civil Rights Movement (VIDEO)

Lawrence O'Donnell and GOP presidential contender Herman Cain got into a tense argument about an unexpected topic on O'Donnell's Thursday show: Cain's participation in the Civil Rights movement.

The two also discussed Cain's predilection for calling people "brainwashed." He refused to back down from his assertion that many black voters have been brainwashed by the Democratic Party, and also told O'Donnell he thinks that the 81 percent of Americans who support a surtax on the rich have been brainwashed as well.

O'Donnell asked about the Hank Williams Jr. controversy. Cain said that Williams had made a "poor choice of words," but refused to say that ESPN was right to end its association with him.

Then, O'Donnell took a surprising turn. He read out a passage from Cain's new book in which Cain discusses his childhood in Atlanta. In the passage, Cain says that he was too young to participate in the Civil Rights movement, and that his father told him to "stay out of trouble" by moving to the back of the bus.

"Where do you think black people would be sitting on the bus today if Rosa Parks had followed your father's advice?" O'Donnell asked. It was an audacious question, and Cain took the bait, reacting forcefully.

"You are distorting the intent of what I said," Cain said. "...If I had been a college student I probably would have been participating." He said that, as a high school student, "it was not prudent" for him to be involved. O'Donnell didn't buy this. He noted that Cain had been a college student "at the height" of the movement, from 1963-67, when other black people were "murdered" fighting for their rights. He asked Cain if he regretted "sitting on those sidelines."

Cain called this an "Irrelevant comparison." O'Donnell said he was just reading from Cain's book. "Did you expect every black student and every black college in America to be out there?" Cain said. "...You didn't know, Lawrence, what I was doing...maybe, just maybe, I had a sick relative!"

"I gave your book a fair reading, and I didn't read anything about a sick friend," O'Donnell said. "What I did read was a deliberate decision to not participate in the Civil Rights movement."

Cain said he didn't understand why O'Donnell was pressing this point when there were more pressing matters at hand. "Let's do the people of this country a service, Lawrence," he said.

Comments

[Bret Carpenter]

02:27 PM on 10/29/2011

TALK ABOUT HYPOCRISY!

The white man asking the black man why he wasn't more involved in civil rights?
Cain was the victim of racism at the time and now Lawrence O'Donnell wants to turn the tables on him?

Shame on you bigots for defending this type of masked racism!

Next thing you’ll be accusing the Jews of allowing Hitler to slaughter them.

RACIST HYPOCRITES!

[golfvue3]

12:36 PM on 10/11/2011

Pure Alinsky style tactics by O'Donell.

There is no legitmate journalism going on here.

[davidariley]

03:54 PM on 10/11/2011

yes...SHAME on him for asking cain a legitimate question from HIS OWN book.

he was "too young"....when there were pre-teens bein arrested for standing up for their rights as americans.

[golfvue3]

04:51 PM on 10/11/2011

Actually - in many ways you accentuated my point.

The question of Rosa Parks has nothing to do with the presidential GOP primaries coming up. Herman Cain as a teenager over 35 years ago - how exactly does that tie into him running for president today? Not exactly a "legitimate" journalistic question now is it?

This question was there to personally tear down the "opponent" - Alynski style. The question has nothing to do with his policies or how he'd govern as president.

[BuckCarson]

12:10 PM on 10/11/2011

Cain went to college and earned a Math degree. This was in an era when getting a college degree, especially in Math, was extremely rare.

The idea that Cain should have been out protesting is ridiculous. Cain made something of himself - and indeed that act trumps all of the ridiculous comments of this MSNBC lunatic.

There is something very unique about Math majors, Physics majors and many engineering majors. They typically become conservative after 30.

Perhaps it's because they have learned to think for themselves. Liberals would do well to emulate this leader. Unlike liberals, progressives and democrats, he can see the forest from the trees.

[freedom is right]

03:38 PM on 10/11/2011

So very well said. Herman Cain was smart enough to know that he could do a lot more for himself, his family, the black community and society as a whole by staying on the coarse that he chose. And he has helped many people by saving and creating hundreds if not thousands of jobs over his career. He's a Christian who, no doubt has tithed thousands to help those in need. And.. he could very well become President (or Vise President) of the U.S. and help create millions of jobs and turn our horrible economy around. Participating in the violent riots that were going on during his college years could have prevented all of this from happening. It was a personal choice and clearly he made the right one.. starting with listening to his father.

[davidariley]

03:59 PM on 10/11/2011

it wasn't that rare - hbcu's had been educating blacks for more than 100 years at that point in time.

why SHOULDN'T he have been protesting? were his rights as an american not being denied?

[freedom is right]

05:42 PM on 10/11/2011

So you think there is no legitimate reason for a black person to not participate in the race riots? Even "pre teens"? People here are so quick to judge.

[EbonyCali]

02:05 AM on 10/21/2011

Very well said, and he was certainly old enough to be an active member of the civil rights movement, the man was born on December 13, 1945 so (he's older than my mother, my mom was born in 51). So what he is trying to say, he had it good during this time, he was the only black person who wasn't denied rights? Give me a break.

[shankapotomus]

05:56 AM on 10/11/2011

Herman schooled him.

[DanoX]

03:46 AM on 10/11/2011

Trolls be trollin' today!

[freedom is right]

03:29 PM on 10/11/2011

yeah!.. they a bees out dere! lol!

[freedom is right]

02:05 AM on 10/11/2011

Still waiting for anyone to prove that Cain lied or was deceptive in this interview or his book. O'donnell is the one who was deceptive by twisting Cain's words and context to make it appear that he lied. How much more desperate can they get over at MSNBC??

[DanoX]

03:43 AM on 10/11/2011

No one said he lied idiot. He was rightfully cited for choosing not to participate in the civil rights movement and all that it implied.

[papapj]

08:55 AM on 10/11/2011

...And he lied about his whereabouts when it all went down...

[freedom is right]

03:27 PM on 10/11/2011

You should try reading BEFORE commenting. And especially before calling someone else an "idiot". lol.

[Dr Jimmy and Mr Jim]

11:57 PM on 10/10/2011

Does the United Stats of America want a president that avoided trouble by going to the back of the bus???? I think not.

[freedom is right]

01:36 AM on 10/11/2011

But that's what Obama does in regards to foreign policy. He puts the U.S. at the back of the bus.

[DanoX]

03:44 AM on 10/11/2011

Cite an example or gtfo!

[Dr Jimmy and Mr Jim]

09:38 PM on 10/11/2011

“Vintery, mintery, cutery, corn,
Apple seed and apple thorn,
Wire, briar, limber lock
Three geese in a flock
One flew East
One flew West
And one flew over the cuckoo's nest”

[marischae]

11:07 PM on 10/10/2011

Americans seem to have trouble with reality. It is disappointing, but Obama only cares about one job, and that's his own! This has NOTHING to do with race, Herman Cain just happens to be a man strong enough to deal with reality http://www.mofopolitics.com/2011/10/10/sean-hannity-interviews-herman-cain-101011/

[marischae]

09:49 PM on 10/10/2011

Sure hope you "moderators" have the courage to publish my last comment. You do believe in free speech don't you??

[Quitcherbichin]

10:17 PM on 10/10/2011

Only if you say something they agree with...the truth is not material to the censors.

[marischae]

09:32 PM on 10/10/2011

Tea Partyers were against the Wall St bailouts. Did they urinate and defecate everywhere and disrupt small businesses? Come on Dems, isn't Nancy Pelosi one of the biggest f*n idiots you've ever seen??

[Quitcherbichin]

10:17 PM on 10/10/2011

But she rides a mean broom.

[Bruce vain]

08:40 PM on 10/10/2011

Sorry but it was Herman Cain who had this in his book, then he tried to say he was in High School at the time and when Lawrence pointed out he was in Morehouse from 63-67, Cain got upset he got called out because he got caught telling a FIB.....now that in mind I think Herman Running for the Highest office in the country it tells a lot..if he has said "Well I made some signs" for my fellow protesters or I attended a few meeting but didn't take an active role...most would have sai okay,,but he said...I was told by my father to sit at the back of the bus and not make trouble...which could have meant alot of things like..Herman don't do this if you got prison I can't help you.....hey Prsion scare anyone...but that not what happen he tried to say he wa to young..Cain FIBBBBBED and got caught....but his true feelings have been expressed he thinks rascism does not happen or exist in America..well for him I guess not.....Cain is a loser..Period...He said President Obama is not a "REAL BLACK MAN"..what ever that means..F^& you Cain

[freedom is right]

10:19 PM on 10/10/2011

Sorry Bruce but you, along with the rest of the liberal left here have been duped by O'donnell. They do this all the time because they don't know how else to improve their poor ratings except to mislead their liberal naive viewers and get them all riled up. Cain didn't lie. Please quote the exact text.. AND the CONTEXT surrounding that text.

[scottymac11]

10:55 PM on 10/10/2011

He lied and you can't proove otherwise.

[lohy]

07:01 PM on 10/10/2011

Nominating Herman Cain to run against Barack Obama would assure that there would a Black man in the White House for 4 more years...Just sayin', Tea Party....Think about it....

[marischae]

07:49 PM on 10/10/2011

Very clever, but if you actually think that is true then why all the hate towards Herman Cain?
It occurs to me that O'Donnell's line of questioning was pointless, irrelevant and designed to be a huge distraction from the issues at hand. Granted Mr. Cain "could have" or maybe even "should have" been more active during the civil rights movement, but he ALSO "could have" been killed and wouldn't even be around for this mess we are ALL in now! Just sayin'

[kwhaleys]

10:22 AM on 10/11/2011

The Tea Party doesn't care what about the color of the POTUS's skin. They care about the amount of money removed from their pockets to line the pockets of the federal government. If Herman Cain is the Republican candidate. They will welcome him with open arms. Frankly, for everyone who voted for Barack Obama because of the color of his skin are the racists.

[woody7]

11:28 AM on 10/11/2011

you lie...................................................................Obama gives the Republicans everything they want and it still isn't enough. So it has to be something else, I wonder what it can be, hmmmmmmmmmmm..............................

[freedom is right]

03:43 PM on 10/11/2011

" Frankly, for everyone who voted for Barack Obama because of the color of his skin are the racists."

Exactly! And generally you'll find that those on the left who scream "racism" the loudest are themselves racists deep down inside.

[aviandonn]

05:35 PM on 10/10/2011

Herman Cain is making me angrier by the day. I have to ask myself why he went to such pains to state that he didn't participate in the Civil Rights movement. He didn't have to say that in his book. He could have just said supportive things about the Civil Rights movement in general. But no.

He wasn't talking to black people in that passage, or to whites who participated in that movement. He was talking to all those white conservatives out there who have their misgivings about another black man in the white house. He was reassuring them that they didn't have to be a afraid of him - he would have their white interests at heart. They could trust him not to sympathize or empathize with black people. That message was clear to me "You can trust me. I won't cause you any trouble. You won't have to worry about me. I'm not an uppity black man. I was a good boy. I sat in the back of the bus until you folks told me I didn't have to sit there anymore." Good man, Herman. Some day maybe black politicians won't have to sell their souls to get elected.

[kwhaleys]

10:25 AM on 10/11/2011

Is there anywhere in your brain that can conceive that he said that because he wanted to be honest with the American people? Not everyone lead at that time. Some followed, watched and learned to lead.

[cpsummer2457]

04:59 PM on 10/10/2011

The only ones that are brainwashed, are the ones that don't agree with him, which is quite a few. In my (opinion) This man is using the race for President and campaign to sell books, how wrong is that.

[freedom is right]

05:36 PM on 10/10/2011

Do you know how much it costs to run for president???

[Nina Buckler Eckhoff]

05:26 PM on 10/11/2011

And Obama is using the race for president only to provide himself with another job for four years. How wrong is that?

[cpsummer2457]

06:18 PM on 10/11/2011

He doesn't need a job, none of them do. Which brings it back to us, oops I forgot, no one care about that.

[kbeth]

03:24 PM on 10/10/2011

Cain knows he will never have the black vote so he can dismiss it as "brainwashing" and appeal to the white conservative base, when he blames the unemployed for being lazy he is speaking right to them, when he tells them it isn't Wall Street but the greed of people wanting more money and every thing handed to them, they love it, then they can say "see, we aren't racists, that Cain makes a lot of sense and he is black"

[aviandonn]

07:08 PM on 10/10/2011

He has The Codespeak down pat, doesn't he?