Jesse Jackson Jr. Praises Dean on Bringing Economic Agenda to the South

[pruner]

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood."-- Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., March on Washington, August 28, 1963

"White folks in the South who drive pick-up trucks with Confederate flag decals on the back ought to be voting with us because their kids don't have health insurance either, and their kids need better schools too."-- Dr. Howard Dean, DNC Winter meeting, February 21, 2003

Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr., today said, "This year we celebrated the 40th anniversary of Dr. King's famous speech in front of the Lincoln Memorial in 1963. Forty years later, Dr. Howard Dean is reminding us that the great task of uniting the northern black and white urban poor and working class, with the southern black and white rural poor and working class around common economic issues good health care, high quality schools, and affordable housing is the key to wrestling our democracy away from the race-oriented Republican right-wing.

"Democrats were not competitive in the South in 2000, and we have struggled to thrive, and in some instances survive, since Richard Nixon and the Republican Party began using their race-based 'southern strategy' in 1968. The use of race, cultural and social issues have served to distract voters by keeping the focus off of economic issues has been the basic strategy of Bush and the Republicans in the South. That's why they make wedge issues out of prayer in school, the Ten Commandments on public buildings, civil unions, the false allegation that Democrats will take away hunters' gun rights, choice for women, the controversy of having the words 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Confederate Flag. Lest we forget, the Confederate Flag is the Democratic Party's historic contribution to the South, and current Democratic candidates have not been able to figure out how to come to grips with their own historic symbol.

"Normally, rather than directly confronting poor and working class white southerners with a strong economic agenda, Democrats have tried to imitate Republicans on many of these social issues. It is good that we have a candidate offering hope to the South with an economic agenda. It is Dr. Dean who is reminding us that the combination of poor and working class blacks and whites, north and south, united in coalition around a common economic agenda of jobs, health care, education and housing will constitute a winning strategy in 2004," concluded Cong. Jackson.

http://www.blogforamerica.com

[killbotfactory]

1. Edwards Kerry and Geppy need to call Jackson Jr. a racist.

If they want to be consistant.

[mzmolly]

16. Damn straight!!!

:thumbsup:

[LizW]

2. Wow.

Good stuff.

[wryter2000]

3. I'm flabbergasted

I guess if it's good enough for Jesse Jackson, Jr., I'm okay with it. I guess.

Still a Deanie

[madfloridian]

4. This part is quite true, and very powerful. Time to take it back from GOP

SNIP...."The use of race, cultural and social issues have served to distract voters by keeping the focus off of economic issues has been the basic strategy of Bush and the Republicans in the South. That's why they make wedge issues out of prayer in school, the Ten Commandments on public buildings, civil unions, the false allegation that Democrats will take away hunters' gun rights, choice for women, the controversy of having the words 'under God' in the Pledge of Allegiance, and the Confederate Flag. Lest we forget, the Confederate Flag is the Democratic Party's historic contribution to the South, and current Democratic candidates have not been able to figure out how to come to grips with their own historic symbol.
..."

Let us make it the issue. Last year no one did, and no one stepped to speak up in Georgia. Everyone has shied away from it.

Let Dean handle it this way. It is better than anyone else is doing.

[Cha]

5. Really? I didn't know that...

"the Confederate Flag is the Democratic Party's historic contribution to the South, and current Democratic candidates have not been able to figure out how to come to grips with their own historic symbol."


How did that happen? :)

[w13rd0]

7. I think it's a reference to the Dixiecrats...

...who were, after all, Democrats when they did many of the things they did. Some became Republicans. Zell Miller stayed in the Democratic Party.

[madfloridian]

14. Probably refers to the States' Rights Party or Dixiecrats.

http://www.pbs.org/now/politics/dixiecrats.html
This centers on the 1948 era, when the Dixiecrats walked out on Humphrey's civil rights speech.

A portion of his speech:
"To those who say, my friends, to those who say, that we are rushing this issue of civil rights. I say to them we are 172 years late! To those who say, to those who say this civil-rights program is an infringement on states’ rights, I say this: the time has arrived in America for the Democratic party to get out of the shadow of state’s rights and walk forthrightly into the bright sunshine of human rights!"

Here is more detail on why they walked out and caused a rift that hurt the party.
SNIP..."Democratic and Republican 1948 Platforms

Part of what the future Dixiecrats objected to was the new plank in the Democratic Party platform on civil rights.
The Democratic Platform stated:
Civil Rights: Against poll tax and segregation of the armed forces. Federal laws should be made to end discrimination in hiring for jobs.
The Republican Platform stated:
Civil Rights: Against poll tax. Right to work should not be stopped by race, color or religion......"

A lot of people make fun of me because I have not seen a lot of the flag flying, and trucks with rebel flags. The reason is that most of Florida is not really like the real deep South. It really is not. Sure some places are, but Florida is not as much in the tradition of the old South as other states in the South.

Guess I am leaving myself open to all kinds of blasts today. But this is probably the truth about why the Democrats are mentioned by him as accountable in part.

[Code_Name_D]

6. Uncommonly powerfule words from J. Jackson

Its good that he is not running for the nomination. But he still needs to be in the mix. And its good to see that he is still out there, while so many other Dems have abbandoned us.

:thumbsup:

[w13rd0]

8. Jr. This is from Rep Jackson...

...not his father, I think.

[pruner]

9. uncommonly powerful words?

what does that mean?

are you saying the Jackson is not usually an impassioned speaker?

[Code_Name_D]

18. No. That this clip stands out.

I am not saying that he isn't an pashonit speaker at all. Only that the clip you chose to share carries an uncommon power that rises above his normal dialog. But more than that, it speaks directly across the raceal devide.

Reading it, made me think their may be true hope to find healing for the spiret of the south, so bitterly torn by race, poverty and strife for an age. That hope is what I felt. And it is indeed most uncommon.

It was ment as a complemnt.

[mandyky]

10. Wonder if Dean has put Jesse Jr.

on his shortlist for VP??

[Uzybone]

11. Ill say anything for Dean

Lest we forget, the Confederate Flag is the Democratic Party's historic contribution to the South, and current Democratic candidates have not been able to figure out how to come to grips with their own historic symbol.


What is this man drinking? So this flag is a historical symbol of the Democratic Party. I cant agree on this. To me this is just like asking germans to be proud of thier historical swastika. The stars and bars represents treason and racism above all else. I dont want it banned, but Im sure as hell not gonna be revelling in its glory.

[JohnKleeb]

12. Still netural but I dont like that quote

and for the doctor's information when Jefferson Davis and them were doing that, well my people were in the old country :D, that time period I would probably be a hybrid of a democrat and a republican I would fight for the blue collar as a yankee dem but be an abolitionist like many republicans. Not sure but I bet if I had lived through out the ages, FDR would have been my first democrat vote.

[Cha]

13. Jesse Jackson Jr. is an articulate, eloquent , passionate

person in Congress whom I am so proud to have as a fellow supporter of Govenor Howard Dean!

[Kahuna]

17. That was a stupid remark. Nobody knows what..

the hell he's saying. He's just trying to save face. Isn't Jesse Jr. one of the CBC members who is boycotting SC because of the confederate flag?

[DannyRed]

19. No, it was a historically accurate remark.

The Democrats in the early 1800s, up to the 1870s (and beyond) were the party of state's rights and slavery.

The bulk of the confederate legislators and office holders were Democrats.

The majority of the secessionists were democrats.

That is what JJJr. was talking about.

[mzmolly]

15. Thanks...

:toast:

Keep this kicked Dean supporters. :kick: