If ANY Republicans deserved to speak at the Dream anniversary, they're no longer with us

[alp227]

So the right wing media has been demanding affirmative action for conservatives to speak at the "I Have a Dream" 50th anniversary celebration. Too bad the top House Republicans and the two living former Republican presidents (sadly, both named Bush) declined. Right wingers have been whining about Senator Tim Scott, the only current black member of the US Senate, not being invited, despite the senator's staff showing more class. (Never mind the fact that none of the current US Senators were invited at all.)

I guess there's some selective memory on the part of the right wingers - after all, they're the same fools with that elementary school taunt "Democrats built the Klan and slavery and segregation! Neener neener!" Guess what? It's true that Republicans largely supported the Civil Rights Act, the Voting Rights Act, and even the Equal Rights Amendment (but that support fizzled once the anti-feminist Phyllis Schlafly/Moral Majority coalition took over the Republican Party). Guess what? The Republicans who were very influential in passing the 1960s civil rights legislation? They're gone.
- Everett Dirksen (R-IL), the Senate Minority Leader in 1964? Died in 1969.
- Thomas Kuchel (R-CA), the Minority Whip who was "co-manager on the floor for the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965"? Died in 1994.
- Charles Halleck (R-IN), the House Minority Leader who was "one of the strongest advocates in Congress for the enactment of the Civil Rights Act"? Died in 1986.
- Quick! Can you name ANY Republican Senator or Representative who voted for the CRA and is still living?


Hell, when we've got Republicans nowadays like Rand Paul pimping the "right to discriminate", Ron Paul dissing the basis of the CRA, and other republicans OPPOSING ANYTHING suggesting equality for people who aren't white and male (filibustering the Equal Pay Act, the Hyde Amendment repeatedly being attached to budget bills, the state-level anti-Roe v Wade bills...) the right wing media just won't admit it: the right was on the wrong side of history then, still wrong now.

[rurallib]

1. One of my many thoughts yesterday turned to Edward Brooke

late senator from Massachusetts and a black Republican. But if I remember a very liberal republican. Doubt we will ever see the likes of him again. I think he, Carol Mosely Braun and Barack Obama are the only AA senators elected since 1900.

My thought was simply how ashamed he would be of his party today.