TPM LiveWire
Hatch: 'Extremely Offensive' For Reid To Compare Health Care To Civil Rights, Slavery
Sens. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) and Harry Reid (D-NV)
Share
Send to a friend!
This morning, Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid took to the Senate floor to make a plea for passing health care reform, comparing it to the fight for civil rights, women's suffrage and an end to slavery. Sen. Orrin Hatch (R-UT) took offense.
Here's what Reid said:
Instead of joining us on the right side of history, all the Republicans can come up with is this:, 'slow down, stop everything, let's start over.' If you think you've heard these same excuses before, you're right. When this country belatedly recognized the wrongs of slavery, there were those who dug in their heels and said, 'Slow down, it's too early, let's wait, things aren't bad enough.' When women spoke up for the right to speak up, they wanted to vote, some insisted they simply, slow down, there will be a better day to do that, today isn't quite right. When this body was on the verge of guaranteeing equal civil rights to everyone regardless of the color of their skin, some senators resorted to the same filibuster threats we hear today.
Hatch, later on Fox News, said the speech was "extremely offensive."
"If you go back into the civil rights debate, it was the Republicans who helped get it through. If you go back to women's rights, Republicans have always been there," Hatch said. "I could go on and on."
"Harry's a friend, but he shouldn't have used that language," he said, adding that it was a "slap in the face" to both Republicans and Democrats.
Comments (10) | Join the Conversation!
Leave a comment
Follow us!
Most Popular
TPM Stories Now Surging on Digg.com
TPM Top News
© 2010 TPM Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
cinesimon
December 7, 2009 1:46 PM
That really is ironic, coming from the the most overtly racist fear-monger in Washington.
I find it so bizarre that these hypocritcal republ;icans like to compare themselves to the pre-dixe republican party. Does he really not think that his nonsense is so transparent?
As for Reid: right on.
The lack of health care has kept minorities at a distinct disadvantage - and if there can be no way Hatch is not aware of that.
If the poor and minorities(much of the time the same people) have more access to health care, the legacy of slavery will be that much more distant.
I'm sure Hatch is well aware of that, also.
He really is the ultimate Dixie anti-human.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Pilotshark
December 7, 2009 1:53 PM
Gee Hatch could you show me were you repubcanots voted for civil rights and care for women. I would take one each if you could show it.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
Dorn76
December 7, 2009 2:11 PM
Just more solid evidence that Hatch and the GOP just don't get it, and have stood in the way of "we, the people" for far too long.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
threegoal
December 7, 2009 2:40 PM
The bottom line is this: a higher percentage of the Republicans in Congress voted for the 1964 Civil Rights Act than Democrats. But it needs to be pointed out that the kind of Democrats that voted against it became Republicans, and to a great extent the heart of the party.
I think the better comparisons would have been to Social Security and Medicare, and he could then have cited the crazy things opponents like Reagan said about them at the time.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
cinesimon
December 7, 2009 3:58 PM in reply to threegoal
The bottom line with regards to Hatch's argument: once again he's being completely - and obviously - disengenuous, and as usual, using false equivalencies.
The Dixie Democrats are now mainstays of the republcian party. They welcomed with open arms the racist wing of the Democratic party, and still do. Thank goodness.
For him to suggest the parties are the same as back then, is to say that a watermellon is the same as a mandarin.
But then, that is Hatch's style: complete dishonesty and hugely obvious false equivalencies. And his base gobbles it up, as they're too lazt to look outside of the right wing echo chamber in order to see if there are any actual facts to suggest he's being dishonest. Of course to these people, any facts which show their politial leaders are being dishonest are simply waved away as being written by marxist historians and liberal journalists.
If he weren't a politican, Hatch would be one of the many lazy right wing commenters doing same: using lies and lies only to justify their arguments.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
ericf
December 7, 2009 4:51 PM
How dare Reid compare the opponents of health care for everyone to people who opposed doing anything about slavery and women's suffrage. He should have learned from the Republicans: opponents should be compared to nazis and stalinists!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
roxsteady
December 7, 2009 5:07 PM
Each Republican response is what I find most offensive. As an African American, their feigned outrage is way over the top. The Republicans don't give a damn about minorities.
They don't give a damn about women. Just look at their party.
And they sure as hell don't give a damn about civil right. See Jeff Sessions remarks ad others regarding Judge Sotomayor. Spare us the phony outrage and put you're sheets back on. They're also my interested in my uterus than any guy I ever dated. Womb Chasers!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
roxsteady
December 7, 2009 5:17 PM
I read an article on TPM about Hatch's suggestion that for the economy. "Put the country back into conservative Republican hands." Well, according to the writer Zaid Jilani that idea doesn't sound good at all.
While the country continues to face enormous economic problems —like a double-digit unemployment rate and the number of Americans on food stamps hitting an all-time high — there is little evidence that a return to the policies pursued by conservatives that Hatch favors would do anything to improve the situation.
During the last year of President Bush’s term, the median household income in the United States dropped 3.6 percent to $50,303, the sharpest drop since the government began keeping records in 1947. During Bush’s tenure, the number of Americans in poverty increased 26.1 percent, while child poverty jumped 21.4 percent. In total, the Bush years saw 8.3 million people fall into poverty.
There was one group, however, that did well under the Bush years Hatch seems to yearn for. The Congressional Budget Office found in 2007 that families “earning more than $1 million a year saw their federal tax rates drop more sharply than any group in the country as a result of President Bush’s tax cuts,” prompting the New York Times to conclude that “rich families were the undisputed winners from President Bush’s tax."
I don't think so Orin. Go back to Utah where people are stupid enough to swallow your BS!
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
roxsteady
December 7, 2009 5:18 PM
Sorry, that was actually Think Progress not, TPM.
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?
June 17, 2010 7:54 AM
For him to suggest the parties are the same as back then, is to say that a watermellon is the same as a mandarin.
But then, that is Hatch's style: complete dishonesty and hugely obvious false equivalencies. And his base gobbles it up, as they're too lazt to look outside of the right wing echo chamber in order to see if there are any actual facts to suggest he's being dishonest. Of course to these people, any facts which show their politial leaders are being dishonest are simply waved away as being written by marxist historians and liberal journalists.
m65 kamagra
Reply | Flag Abuse
Are you sure this comment violates TPM's Terms of Service?