Statement By Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.

[Sean Reynolds]

Statement By Congressman Jesse L. Jackson, Jr.
"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://blogforamerica.com/

[Tom Yossarian Joad]

1. I don't know if this is LBN, but it sure is a good thing to come out

after his Flag comments that can be taken so many different ways.

[Sean Reynolds]

3. Not sure either.

BUT this needs to be read and of course thought this would be the best place to post it. If not, I can re-port it in GD.

[Cha]

2. See! I knew this was all good!

I was telling someone at our Co-op today who saw my Dean Pin that Jesse Jackson Jr had endorsed Dean and the California Teachers Association, and Major Owen!

This customer was pointing to my Pin and saying .."Yeah" Keep up the Good Work!"

[wndycty]

4. Now this bothers me. . .

. . .I am not all that concerned with Dean's statement. But I am wondering why he feels the need to trot out my Congressman for cover. I hope to God that Congressman Jackson's role is not to put out racial fires for Howard Dean. I am concerned but not outraged. I am still more bothered by those who feel its wrong to attack Dean on this, when Dean would have led the charge against someone else. I just think its hypocritical.

[Sean Reynolds]

5. Could it be that maybe Jackson did it himself?

Where does it state Dean asked him for this statement?

[wndycty]

7. Its amazing it made it to Dean's website. . .

. . .before it made it to http://www.jessejacksonjr.com/

[Sean Reynolds]

8. How many times does he update his own website?

The last press release I could see was from September of this year. So I doubt it would have made his website before Dean's.

Nice try, though.

[w13rd0]

6. No, that isn't his "role"...

...but he's supporting the candidate he thinks best able to forward an agenda he cares about. Many of us in this forum have also been active today in debating this "issue" (that wasn't an issue the other dozen times Dean said the same) because we care about the future of our country. Heck, the Dean Team posts all KINDS of stuff all the time, why wouldn't they post what Jackson had to say about it?

[wndycty]

9. Dean made his statement, Jackson made his. . .

. . .and all of the candidates have or will chime in. But lets see how this plays in the African American community. Afterall that is where it will have the most impact. We can speculate and spin all we want, but it will be interesting to see how this plays out, none of us know.

[pruner]

12. something tells me African Americans will side w/ Jackson over Kerry et al

n/t

[wndycty]

14. I am so glad you know us better than we know ourselves

. . .most people will not hear of either Jackson's or Kerry's comments, they will just hear that Howard Dean is reaching out to those who like the Confederate flag. You know how the press will spin it.

[pruner]

15. yes… god forbid we reach out to people who share different views

:eyes:

[wndycty]

17. I am not arguing with you...

. . .however many people will not understand the complexity of the issue. The story will be that Dean wants people who fly the Confederate flag, which will in many peoples minds will translates to Howard Dean wants racists. Often times perception trumps reality. Its a sad fact of life.

[pruner]

18. Dean did not say he wants people to fly the confederate flag

only a fool (read: Kerry, Gephardt, Edwards) would get that impression from his comments.

the fact of the matter is, Dean stated "I want people with confederate flags on their trucks to put down those flags and vote Democratic…"

[wndycty]

19. Again you just don;t get it. . .

. . .he did not have to. Its called spin. By the time this hits the street it will be so far from the truth. Sort of like Clark's alleged flip/flop on the war. If you pay any attention to the way the media spins things you would know that this will be twisted. Dean's actual comments may actually be important to you, but most people will not know what he actually said. Clark had a similar thing with his comments on the war that were twisted into a flip flop.

[tsipple]

10. And Another Shoe Drops!

Way to go, Jesse! Two American statesmen: Howard Dean and Jesse Jackson, Jr.

By the way, talk about backfiring on Kerry and Gephardt! I think they single handedly turned (Vermont Yankee) Dean into something of a southern Democrat with this nonsense of theirs. It sure seems like Kerry and Gephardt are running against the South. Folks are now having a field day with John Kerry's "I don't need the South to win" rhetoric.

[pruner]

11. Gephardt doesn't need the South either

"I don't want to be the candidate for guys with Confederate flags in their pickup trucks," Gephardt said in a statement.

http://www.newsday.com/news/politics/wire/sns-ap-democrats-2004,0,1055729.story?coll=sns-ap-politics-headlines

[VolcanoJen]

13. Official Campaign Press Releases do count as LBN...

... but the jury is still out when it comes to Official Blogs. This post is better suited for the GD Forum.

Please continue this discussion in its new General Discussion Forum location.

Thanks!
VolcanoJen
DU Moderator

[Sean Reynolds]

16. Thanks!

:)