GOP Rep. Steve King on Shirley Sherrod, Pigford and Racism (VIDEO)

As part of my documentary about how the Pigford settlement designed to help black farmers was hijacked by trial lawyers and politicians, I interviewed controversial congressman Steve King (R-IA) about the evidence he's personally heard about Pigford.

During the interview, he discussed the charge that it was the White House and not the USDA that forced Shirley Sherrod to resign. This charge is actually part of Mrs. Sherrod's lawsuit against Andrew Breitbart, who is also funding my film on Pigford. I asked Rep. King about his years of experience with USDA secretary Tom Vilsack and King says that Sherrod's sudden forced resignation is out of character with the Vilsack he knows. Mrs. Sherrod has not filed suit against either the White House or the USDA.

King also discusses charges of racism against him by people like John Boyd, the head of the National Black Farmer's Association. Boyd successfully sued the USDA for $500,000 for a discrimination claim in the 1990s and after that settlement received a $500,000 outreach grant from the USDA. A few months ago, King was scheduled to appear on Anderson Cooper 360 to debate Pigford with Tom Vilsack but Vilsack was replaced by Boyd at the last minute. I was critical of that appearance and have contacted CNN and the Anderson Cooper producers numerous times with questions but have gotten no response. King reveals that he and Boyd had an 'intense' discussion after that segment.

 

 

 

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Comments

[PBCliberal]

03:02 AM on 02/19/2011

Lee, you can tighten up the writing in the first graf by replacing "the evidence he's personally heard" with its one-word synonym. Hearsay.

[JennyT]

01:51 PM on 02/17/2011

Umm - this Post seems a bit incomplete. Its unclear where the author is coming from and where he's going. I'm not sure what was the point of the questions that were asked of Steven King, any more than I can figure out what light his answers shed on any topics. All I got from it, was that Steven King thinks Steven King is pretty hunky dory. Was that the point?

[tbetz]

09:34 AM on 02/19/2011

Stranahan is coming from the same place he's always coming from -- his bank account. He's happy to say whatever anyone is willing to pay him to say, and to twist the facts however they please, so long as they are willing to fatten his bank account. That's why he's so happy to take a bit of that that sweet, sweet wingnut welfare from Andrew Breitbart.

[3dtrix]

12:26 PM on 02/17/2011

Rep. King isn't really controversial - he's CERTIFIABLE.

There's a difference...

[Lee Stranahan]

12:29 PM on 02/17/2011

Thanks for helping change the tone...

Which part bothered you most -- the part where he agreed with Shirley Sherrod or the part where he explained why racism is bad?