August 31, 2011 1:57 PM

Rep. Andre Carson says Tea Party wants blacks "hanging on a tree"

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Congress

Updated at 4:15 p.m. ET

Democratic Rep. Andre Carson said at Congressional Black Caucus event last week that some Tea Party-backed members of Congress would love to see African Americans "hanging on a tree." He accused the Tea Party movement of using "Jim Crow" tactics to stop economic progress, particularly among minorities.

"Some of these folks in Congress right now would love to see us as second-class citizens," Carson said at an Aug. 22 event in Miami, during a CBC jobs tour. "Some of them in Congress right now with this tea party movement would love to see you and me... hanging on a tree."

A video of Carson's remarks and other clips from CBC events was posted online this week by The Blaze, a website founded by conservative personality Glenn Beck.

Carson's office told the Washington Post the congressman stands by the comments and made them in response to the frustration he's heard from voters in Miami and his home district with Congress' inability to improve the economy.

"The Tea Party is protecting its millionaire and oil company friends while gutting critical services that they know protect the livelihood of African Americans, as well as Latinos and other disadvantaged minorities," Carson spokesman Jason Tomcsi told the Post. "We are talking about child nutrition, job creation, job training, housing assistance, and Head Start, and that is just the beginning."

The Tea Party has a history of butting heads with African-American leaders in Washington. The CBC's one Tea Party-Republican member, Rep. Allen West of Florida, said in response to Carson's remarks that he's reconsidering his membership in the group.

"I don't think they're moving toward the right manner in which we're going to solve the problems, not just in the black community, but all across the United States of America," he said on Fox News.

West noted that the black unemployment rate is 16 percent and among black teens is close to 40 percent, but he said that the conservative movement to which he belongs isn't to blame. "To try to all of a sudden have a scapegoat called the Tea Party... that's just a distraction," he said.

At an event in California last week, Democratic Rep. Maxine Waters said the Tea Party "can go straight to hell," echoing Carson's critique that Tea Party lawmakers are blocking legislation that would help minorities and the economy in general. Last year, the NAACP passed a resolution condemning racism in the Tea Party movement.

Update: In a letter sent today to CBC Chairman Emanuel Cleaver, West called Carson's remarks "unconscionable" and Waters' remarks "appalling." He asked Cleaver to condemn the remarks and disassociate the CBC from them.

West said the remarks amounted to race-baiting.

"As a member of the CBC, I look forward to working with you to help end this practice," he wrote. "All of us, especially Congressman Carson, Congresswoman Waters and others who have engaged in racially-motivated rhetoric, should follow the example of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., not the example of Reverend Jeremiah Wright."


Add a Comment See all 69 Comments
by Dgunner September 3, 2011 7:15 AM EDT
As a native american all i can say is this. Until the general population of all colors band together and boycott the industries that control most of or all of a single product ownrd partially by or in whole by those who seek to push pull one race before another this country will remain in its'current state of affairs.We have casinos all across this Nation that eat up social security checks and food stamps bought sold and traded in parking lots and smoke shops . Are we guilty of supportimg a sin ? Depends on the religion . I know this is fact because I see it evryday and collect roll money profits from your grandparents and neighbors who throw thier benefits into our pots every minute 24/365. We as a Nation within a Nation exploit YOUR laws as a payback system for nearly wiping out entire tribes and a people of peace until the whiteman wanted for themselves and all for themselves.IF THIS SITUATION IS NOT CHANGED? THE WHITE AMERICAN TAXPAYER AND WELFARE RECIPENTS WILL CONTINUE TO MAKE US RICHER AND RICHER AS WE STAND ON OUR STUMP AND SCREAN DISCRIMINATION UNTIL ONCE AGAIN YOU GIVE IN AND CONTINUE TO BEND OVER EVERY MONTH ON THE THIRD WEDNEDAYS OF EVRY MONTH AND THE THIRD AND FIFTEENTH.
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by Patrickdh10 September 2, 2011 12:15 PM EDT
Why is this so hard to believe since the Tea Party is trying to resuscitate the confederate flag.
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by erasmus111 September 1, 2011 2:45 PM EDT
by skithebumps September 1, 2011 10:57 AM EDT
Grow up and learn something about real politics.


Oh, I've learned all I need to know about YOUR politics. You all live, breathe, eat and sh*t politics. I've never seen so much bullcrap in my life. It takes 2 freaking years for a bloody election!

Now, as for the Tea Party, they are all racists. The Republicans are racists. There is no way that someone can be wrong 100% of the time. Yet, that seems to be the case with Obama. He just can't seem to do, or say anything right, EVER. When that happens, you know that there is way more going on. And that would be RACISM. No question about it.
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by Jeannie62 September 1, 2011 5:21 PM EDT
I am a white Disabled female. Regardless, I tend to AGREE with this 100% percent. The Citizens of the United States has ears to hear the nasty racial comments, and eyes to see who said them!All because a white person did not get the Presidency. This New Republican Tea Party, is full of B. S.! They are cruel, merciless and barbaric, merciless people!

For what it's worth. President Obama, got sabbataged with a multitude of undesirable challeges he did not have anything to do with, in his Administration! The Bush Administration started MUCH of the deficit! Starting wars they had no right to involve the citizens of the U. S. in and they don't care about the death toll, it caused! They filled up their own pockets with ill gotten gains. As did the Republican Party. Leaving ALL the AFTERMATH for the next President to get blamed for! In this particular case, it was President Obama!

At least President Obama has the Dignity and Integrity to try his level BEST to be concerned about the U. S. citizens as best as Congress will allow him to do! This is way more than I can say about the Republicans and The Republican Barbaric Tea Party, who doe not give a hoot about anything but their continued self-centered gain, to fill their own GREED FILLED BELLIES!
by myIife2live September 1, 2011 11:08 AM EDT
"There is a class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs, and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs. There is a certain class of race-problem solvers who don't want the patient to get well." Booker T. Washington, Black politician and educator, 1911
************************
B.T. Washington pegged Carson long before Carson decided to go the route of Jessie Jackson, Al Sharpton, Maxine Waters, Barrack Obama, and many, many others who use their color as a crutch, especially in the Southern States. Thank God there were others like Washington in the past and are a lot of others today that don't feed on racism. There are brilliant black doctors, nurses, educators, politicians, and others in all other walks of life who have done as other races in this great melting pot - they have made a contribution to society on their own merit and not on the crutch of racism. They are a lot smarter and more dedicated than I, and for that I applaud them and respect them. On the other hand however, I have no respect for the Maxine Waters, the Carsons, the Jessie Jacksons, and the Al Sharptons of this world.
It will be a better America when they are gone...and one day, they will all be gone. The sooner the better for our generations to come.
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by mempheel September 1, 2011 10:48 AM EDT
A sad consequence of the overheated rhetoric that poisons our political dialogue (I realize it's not a new phenomenon) is the extent to which the gullible are willing to become totally indoctrinated by it. This is of course characteristic of either end of the political spectrum, Rep Carson's silly & unfounded accusations being only the latest example from the Left. Some of you folks could really benefit from a real (face to face!) conversation with someone who doesn't share your political assumptions; it might temper your tendency to parrot the worst misconceptions that your particular strain of partisanship clings to about those who don't agree with you, and you might even discover you're not in quite as much danger as you've been led to believe...
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by ReckonedTruth September 1, 2011 9:12 AM EDT
I think the comment is out of place and not called for even if there's some restropect truth to the comment, so let's not PRETEND or think PEOPLE aren't aware there has been KKK memebers elected to congress. Senator Bryd & Senator Thrumond as examples, as well as others who have been known to impart with the KKK and still holding seats in Congress presently. It is what it is in America with regard to race relations as a socio-economic element. We can't deny this from all points involved.. thanks to the tea party movement who at the beginning of their rallies came out of the closet and brought the closet racist with them in High definition and AMERICA WILL NOT FORGET no matter how much they deny and LIE it never happened, the racist sign and racist comments throw out about the president and black congressman and congresswoman. What is new here for people of color? Nothing! Its America and we are the laughing stock of the world when it comes to our bladant **** poor race relations. And wehen we voted to elected president Obama the world was happy and proud for us as american as the western leaders we have become, then the TEA Party moevment happen.. and when we found that the racist element became a political foot-hold..basically these people TRASHED AMERICA back to the DARK racist lawlessly ages of the 1950-1960's.. the JIM CROW attitude..SHAME ON AMERICA in 2011!

And so when this nation's economic status continues to down turn because of the accessive spending over the last 10 years.. two wars we CAN'T WIN and out-sourced jobs..look for more white males putting bullets in each other heads. In fact if you do research with regard to the demographics of pre-dominate white populus regions of this nation, you will find the prisons are filled with white males not black males which makes logical sense outside of the ideal of race based exploitation-- that all american prisons are filled with black males, not true.

BTW there is also a CONGRESSIONAL HISPANIC CAUCUS.. so we need to ask ourselves WHY is there a need for a Hispanic and Black Caucus in congress? Its obvisous there's a WHITE CAUCUS in congress, who are NOT trying to implement laws to EQUAL a LEVEL PLAYING FIELD FOR ALL AMERICANS.. otherwise we would not NEED a Black or Hispanic Caucus in congress... as a means for these caucus to FIGHT for a level playing field for minorities.
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by bugwhips September 1, 2011 9:57 AM EDT
I see a lot of red herrings but little substance to the current question at hand. Your mother did tell you "two wrongs don't make a right", didn't she?

Bottom line what he said was unfounded and wrong.


About six months ago a man I worked with sent out a political cartoon about Obama, one that was published in major newspapers. It was unflattering but wasn't anything to the level we are talking about today. Well he mistakenly forwarded it to a black man who had the same last name of a person he wanted to send it to. Well the black man filed a complaint and two days later they let go a white man who had worked for the company for 18 years. That's the reality white people face everyday where there is a zero tolerance policy and those who decide are what's appropriate are those who like this man have no tolerance for white people.
by credibility2 September 1, 2011 9:09 AM EDT
I read Booker T. Washington's "Autobiography" when I was thirteen, fifty years ago. It is a wonderful book written by a great man, in my estimation. This was a man of vision and purpose and who loved his freedom, his nation and its opportunities. In his book he asserts that with all of the programs and opportunities available to the "freed", there isn't any reason for failure, only success. Even to this day, many blacks consider Mr. Washington to be an "Uncle Tom". Sadly, many of today's blacks have convinced themselves of their inability to succeed and use as their scapegoat charges of racism from whites. It is utter nonsense and deplorable. With that prevailing mentality and attitude, some will continue to keep themselves enslaved by their own devices. Rep. Carson, the Black Caucus and the so-called leaders and "keepers" of the race further the racial chasm, not because they need to, but because they want to. Had a white member of Congress made such outrageous and racist remarks against blacks, immediate censure on the floor would have resulted. But, blacks in Congress relish this type of theater and are reprehensibly racist and refuse to accept the fact.
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by taxedmore September 1, 2011 9:00 AM EDT
Were all the people at that meeting racists like the clowns speaking? These idiots actually got elected to something?
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by bugwhips September 1, 2011 8:44 AM EDT
"There is [a] class of colored people who make a business of keeping the troubles, the wrongs and the hardships of the Negro race before the public. Having learned that they are able to make a living out of their troubles, they have grown into the settled habit of advertising their wrongs -- partly because they want sympathy, and partly because it pays. Some of these people do not want the Negro to lose his grievances, because they do not want to lose their jobs. ... There is a certain class of race-problem solvers who don't want the patient to get well, because as long as the disease holds out they have not only an easy means of making a living, but also an easy
medium through which to make themselves prominent before the public."

from Booker T. Washington's 1911 book, My Larger Education


So true still today.
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by cherrybrown September 1, 2011 9:32 AM EDT
The more things change, the more they stay the same. Pathetic that after all this time it is themselves that they are still battling. Quite telling.

Sadly, 100 years from now this quote will still be relevant.
by SeeBSnews4u September 1, 2011 8:36 AM EDT
I remember at a town hall meeting a man was shown on MSNBC carrying an AR-15 riffle while Obama spoke and how that network and in particular the black commentator on that network were raging how racist the tea partiers were. They would not show the man just the gun. Fox News was there too and low and behold that was a black man holding the riffle. It is this kinda crap and twisted logic that causes RACE BAITING. All the garbage on the left fell for it hook line and sinker and still believe it. An the players in the CBC and MSM just spoon feed the masses this kinda trash and ya eat it with a smile.
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