Steele Slams Jimmy Carter about Democrats’ ‘Pathetic Distraction’: “This Isn’t about Race — It Is about Policy”
Posted By Vicki McClure Davidson on September 16, 2009
RNC Chair Michael Steele blasts former Pres. Jimmy Carter about making legitimate policy disagreement into a 'race issue'
About time…
RNC Chairman Michael Steele’s had it up to here with Democrats and the “race card” being flung about willy-nilly. AGAIN.
And so, Steele’s issued the following statement. It appears he’s gotten plum tired of this insulting crap from Democrat leaders. And so have we.
In this press release included below, Steele strongly criticizes former President Jimmy Carter for arguing that much of the opposition that President Obama is facing on ObamaCare is due to race.
Dusting off and trotting out one of the worst former presidents of recent history to play the race card reeks of Democrat desperation, methinks.
Steele’s press release, provided by Mark Murray, First Read, MSNBC:
“President Carter is flat out wrong. This isn’t about race. It is about policy. This is a pathetic distraction by Democrats to shift attention away from the president’s wildly unpopular government-run health care plan that the American people simply oppose. Injecting race into the debate over critical issues facing American families doesn’t create jobs, reform our health care system or reduce the growing deficit. It only divides Americans rather than uniting us to find solutions to challenges facing our nation.
Characterizing Americans’ disapproval of President Obama’s policies as being based on race is an outrage and a troubling sign about the lengths Democrats will go to disparage all who disagree with them. Playing the race card shows that Democrats are willing to deal from the bottom of the deck. Our political system has no place for this type of rhetoric. As the leader of the Democratic Party President Obama should flatly reject efforts by those in his Party, including Jimmy Carter and Tim Kaine, to inject race into our civil discourse in ways that divide, not unite, Americans.”
You’re fabulously magnificent when you’re on fire, Mr. Steele. Keep it up and don’t slide back into your typical weak-kneed, prim and proper, if-we-ignore-the-Dem-attacks-they’ll-go-away demeanor.
This forcing of ObamaCare down Americans’ throats is becoming a war between the majority of Americans and Congress. You’re our Republican leader, Mr. Steele. So, keep these newly kindled fires burning, protect the desires and cries of the American majority, and continue to lead!
Rush Limbaugh offered the following thoughts on Wednesday’s radio show:
“Jimmy Carter is such a disingenuous, old, doddering, incompetent boob that I have mixed emotions about him: I wish he’d go away, but yet I’m glad he’s here because he’s doing nothing helpful to the Democrat Party.”
“If Barack Obama wants to be the president that he told everybody he was going to be during the campaign, then he needs to schedule a speech — not five appearances on Sunday shows and Letterman — and say, ‘Stop this race stuff. This is not productive. This is not helping America.’”
“I have a question for Jimmy Carter; seriously, now. Remember the election of 1980? An overwhelming portion of the country did not think Jimmy Carter was qualified to lead the country. Were they racists?”
VIDEO UPDATE: Again, who’s the racist, Mr. Carter?
Jimmy Carter calls Barack Obama a “black boy”
Gateway Pundit: Not Backing Down: Carter Again Accuses Obama Critics of Being Racist (Video):
Of course, it never bothered him when Bush was compared constantly to Hitler.
And, of course, there were no signs that said “bury Obama” but why be factual when it’s so much easier to smear your opponents?
UPDATE, SEPTEMBER 17, 2009:
H/T to Sister Toldjah: Democrats distance themselves from Carter’s remarks
From Law of the Bad Premise, On “Race and Circuses”:
…So, it is fair to conclude that President Obama has not been as good as he could have been on issues regarding race. However, he is the president of the United States, not the “black” president of the United States. His job is not to solve all residual racial issues in America, no more at least than if he were John McCain or George Bush. He also does not need a bunch of white sanctimonious losers rushing to his “defense” every time some one disagrees with him. This is degrading to him and degrading to the country.
Former President Carter is particularly odious and shameless. He still looks like the tightly wound repressed peanut farmer telling Playboy Magazine in 1976 that he committed “adultery” in his heart. Gee, that was a shocker. Similarly today, I see a tightly wound repressed former president basically confessing that he has “committed racism” in his heart. He then chooses to “project” that repressed sensibility onto other Americans. Part of me, and not that small a part, believes he is purposely making nominally “anti-racism” comments as an expression of loathing toward Obama. That is how bizarre he seems to me. This is the “subliminal” message that radiates from him, regardless of purpose or intent…
Additional reading:
The Powers That Be: Jimmy Carter is Black
Alfonzo Rachel, Big Hollywood: Hollywood Bigots in Black and White
Sister Toldjah: Jimmy Carter: I didn’t accuse conservatives of “racism-racism” and AP figures out that false accusations of racism dilutes its meaning and Carter: “Overwhelming Portion” of Oppo to Obama Is Due to Race and Snowe a no-go on Senate’s version of ObamaCare and Lies and the lying President who tells them
John Ziegler, Big Hollywood: Why Were the Emmys Not ‘Racist’?
Lisa Fabrizio, American Spectator: Colorblind?
Gateway Pundit: McCain: Carter Has Earned Place as Worst President of 20th Century If Not In History and Breaking: Patients With Terminal Illnesses Die Early Under British Health Care System
Andrew Cline, American Spectator: Criticism Is Racism
Jeffrey Lord, American Spectator: Race Pimping With Mistuh Jimmy and White Mo
Michelle Malkin: The K Street tax cheat who’s lobbying to save Obamacare and What happens when you ask politicians how they’ll pay for Obamacare and Unruly moment, manufactured outrage and The House of Hypocrisy rebukes Joe Wilson
New England Republican: Democrats Losing on Merits; Pull Race Card, Make Wild Accusations
Ztower: Second least effective President ever says we’re all racists and it’s a what??? an “Obamitable” circumstance? and The Illegal Aliens the President said weren’t included, now won’t be…after language is clarified in the bill. Hmmmm…fixing something that ain’t broke? Odd!
GayPatriot: The President’s Disingenuous Rhetoric: Claiming to Be Above the Fray While Joining it with Great Abandon
Nice Deb: As Always, The Left is Dealing From The Bottom Of The Deck
Cato @ Liberty: Obama’s Health Care Speech in Plain English
American Spectator: Conservative Leaders Speak Out on Obama’s Health Care Speech
Rep. Bob Latta (R-OH), Big Government: ObamaCare Is “BIG GOVERNMENT”
NewsMax: Wilson Apologizes, But Still Thinks Obama Wasn’t Honest
True Lies and False Confessions: Democrats Hurry To Block Illegals Health Coverage
Conservative Dallas: Senate Democrats Oppose Obama’s Health Reform Plan
Federalist Fred Thompson Blog: Fact Check Proves; Joe Was Right! Obama “Lied”
Hot Air: Obama to Letterman on racism: “I was actually black before the election” and Carlson: When did the Hopemeister turn bitter? and Did Obama provide a “reset” on health care with speech? and Video: GOP congressman yells “liar” at Obama; Update: Wilson apologizes and Open thread: Obama on ObamaCare — even better the 800th time around
Doug O’Brien, Big Government: And You Thought This Was All About Health Care
Frugal Café Blog Zone: Broken, Disastrous: Native American Government-Run Health Care: “Don’t Get Sick After June” (video) and Listen Up, Congress: American Majority (83%) Says ‘NO’ to Illegal Aliens Getting Free Gov’t Health Care
Rep. Mark Kirk (R-IL), Big Government: Health Care Reform – The Right Way
NLM Gateway: Native Americans Lag Behind in Health Insurance Coverage, Access, and Use: Evidence from the National Survey of America’s Families.
The Weekly Standard: Choosy Moms Don’t Choose Socialized Medicine
VotingFemale Speaks!: ObamaCare, A Cost Too Great; Socialists’ “Concessions” Don’t Address near $1 Trillion Costs
The Health Care Blog: Is Mandated Universal Coverage the Right Way to Achieve Health Reform? The Health Reform Debate We Haven’t Had Yet
Quin Hillyer, American Spectator: Obama’s Self-Mythologizing
Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion: Shocking Lack of Respect
Liberty’s Army: Forecasting Death in the UK: Fasttrack to Death with the NHS Pathway Policy
William Tucker, The American Spectator: Solving Healthcare Through Verbosity
The American Pundit: Good News: Senate ObamaCare Punishes Families for Not Buying Gov’t Approved Health Care
NewsBusters: French Health Care Expert: France’s System Broken, Should Copy US; Media Yawn
Doug Bandow, American Spectator: Health Care Nationalization Still Behind
No More Change: Joe Wilson Was Right, Obama is a Liar
ReasonOnline: Obama’s Lies Matter, Too
Ace of Spades HQ: Congressman To Obama “You Lie” Bumped And Updated: Wilson Apologizes
Diary of a Mad Conservative: When did we become a cowardly, racist Nation? On November 9, 2008? and He IS a liar and You won’t be taxed – not one slim dime – but you WILL be fined!
Hot Air: Pelosi and Reid to Obama: We’ve got the votes to pass ObamaCare; Update: Snowe iffy?
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[...] Steele Slams Jimmy Carter about Democrats’ ‘Pathetic Distraction’: “This Isn’t about Race … [...]
“Dusting off and trotting out one of the worst former presidents of recent history”
ONE of?????? Oh, no: JC stands atop that medal podium alone.
I reckon the Dems will start calling Steele an Uncle Tom now.