Another winner of a Republican from NC: Virginia Foxx

[BurtWorm]

http://www.washingtonmonthly.com/archives/individual/2009_09/019950.php

RACE'S RELEVANCE.... Comments like these really irk me.

Speaking on the House floor this morning, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.) told her colleagues, "In a recent article, conservative commentator Thomas Sowell, an African American, examined some of President Obama's claims about the health care reform legislation moving through the Congress. I wanted to quote some excerpts from his column that I found insightful...."

Now, there's obviously a problem with a lawmaker finding Thomas Sowell's analysis of reform proposals "insightful," but more importantly, why on earth did Foxx find it necessary to highlight Sowell's race? Since the policy matter at hand had nothing to do with racial, ethnic, or diversity issues, it seems as if Foxx believes the color of Sowell's skin matters because both Sowell and President Obama are black.

And that's crazy.

I'm trying to think of a way to explain this in a way Foxx would understand. Imagine if, in 2008, Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.) was speaking on the House floor about Bush's economic agenda, and said, "In a recent article, progressive columnist Paul Krugman, a white guy, examined...."

That seems ridiculous, right? It is, just as Foxx's comments were this morning.

It's worth noting that Foxx is positioning herself as one of Congress' nuttiest members. As Matt Finkelstein reminded us, "Over the past few months, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC) has offered some interesting reasons why she opposes health care reform. In July, she dismissed the idea of a health care crisis when she declared, 'There are no Americans who don't have health care.' Just days later, she suggested that the House reform bill will 'put seniors in a position of being put to death by their government.'"

She's not quite in the Bachmann/King/Broun league, but she's getting there.

[lamp_shade]

1. I was watching and picked that up immediately. Good to know it wasn't just me. n/t

[LuvNewcastle]

2. Great. A female Jesse Helms.

[Lucy Goosey]

3. I've been watching her for a while.

Specifically since 4/29/09, when she (figuratively) spat on Matthew Shepard's grave during a debate on the hate crimes bill, saying:

"The bill was named after a very unfortunate incident that happened, where a young man was killed, but we know that that young man was killed in the commitment of robbery. It wasn't because he was gay. The bill was named for him, the hate crimes bill was named for him, but it's, it's really a hoax, that that continues to be used as an excuse for passing these bills."

http://www.pamshouseblend.com/diary/10693/nc-congresswoman-virginia-foxx-evil-to-the-core

She's just a bad person, really.

[WorseBeforeBetter]

4. Oh, she's there...

the remarks she made about Matthew Shepard's murder put her there. She's also used "tar baby" on the House floor. I drove through her district last fall to get to some good hiking trails, and never wanted to get out of an area so fast in my life -- McCain/Palin signs EVERYWHERE. She knows exactly what she is doing to manipulate her very malleable constituents.

[struggle4progress]

5. Virginia Foxx: Story of Matthew Shepard's Murder A "Hoax" (April 09)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2009/04/29/virginia-foxx-story-of-ma_n_192971.html

:crazy: