November 19, 2009 2:59 PM

Jesse Jackson Slams Black Votes Against Health Care

By
Stephanie Condon
Topics
Health Care
(CBS)
Democratic Rep. Artur Davis is the the only African American in Congress representing Alabama, and he was the only member of the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC) to vote against the House Democratic health care bill earlier this month. And yesterday, civil rights leader Jesse Jackson apparently called him out for it.

"You can't vote against health care and call yourself a black man," Jackson said Wednesday night, the Hill newspaper reports. Jackson made the remarks at an event hosted by the CBC Foundation to celebrate the 25th anniversary of Jackson's presidential bid.

Jackson later told the Hill he "didn't call anybody by name," but he noted that the state of Alabama could benefit from health care reform because of its relatively high poverty levels. In a statement to the Hill, Davis avoided conflict with Jackson.

"One of the reasons that I like and admire Rev. Jesse Jackson is that 21 years ago he inspired the idea that a black politician would not be judged simply as a black leader," he said. "The best way to honor Rev. Jackson's legacy is to decline to engage in an argument with him that begins and ends with race."

Some CBC members defended Jackson's statement, but they also rationalized Davis' vote.

"Artur Davis has a more conservative constituency," Rep. Maxine Waters (D-Calif.) said, according to the Hill. "Since he's running for governor of Alabama, he reflects an even more conservative constituency."

While Davis may be catering to the interests of the entire state of Alabama to advance is gubernatorial race, his own congressional district voted overwhelminglyfor President Obama in the 2008 presidential race.

A handful of major minority and civil rights groups injected race into the health care debate last month when they launched a series of ads linking the decades-long push for health care reform to civil rights.

The NAACP National Voter Fund, National Council of La Raza, Campaign for Community Change, Leadership Conference on Civil Rights, PowerPAC.org and the United States Student Association said they were running the ads because "people of color have a special stake in health care reform." The coalition pointed out that minorities have higher rates of common problems like heart disease and cancer and also face higher insurance rates.

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Add a Comment
by tayarimo November 28, 2009 11:51 AM EST
Seems the comments here are so focused on Jesse that they miss the larger point. Davis represents one of the poorest and sickest districts IN THE ENTIRE COUNTRY. A recent CDC report found that of the top five counties in diabetes/obesity, THREE OF THEM are in his Alabama district. On top of that, his district lacks affordable options, partially since one insurance company dominates the state. You would think that given all of this, he might want to support health care reform.

It probably would have been better if Jesse would have phrased his critique: "you can't vote against health care and call yourself representing the 7th district"; nobody could have really argued against that.

But somehow i get the feeling that the posters on this thread still would have had a problem with that...
Reply to this comment
by seanpat50 November 19, 2009 8:34 PM EST
Jesse only wants you to be an independent black man when you side with him. He has taken money from everyone to further the cause of
Jesse Jackson , What have the democrats done for the black people of this country except to enslave them in servitude to the government. It is timr for blsck America to quit playing Jesses/democrat game.
Reply to this comment
by chitown639 November 19, 2009 5:42 PM EST
Well Jesse, face facts...the only reason the United States is the only industrialize country in the world not to have a universal health plan is because such a large percentage of the U.S. population are minorities. If the U.S. was an all white country, then the U.S. would have had a universal health care program decades ago. White taxpayers don't want to see their dollars put into programs that would help uplift poor struggling minorities, even if the programs would also benefit poor struggling whites. They see advancing minority interests as a disadvantage to them, they feel obligated to keep the second-class citizens...second-class.
Reply to this comment
by littleseizure November 19, 2009 4:44 PM EST
It shouldn't matter that I'm black, but here it is: For the last 40 years, this waste of skin has been using rhetoric like this to get blacks to follow him to hell while he gets rich. He carries water for far left dems, we get screwed, and blacks get screwed the worst. "You can't vote against health care and call yourself a black man..." This is the most overt pimpery I've ever seen him spout. If blacks knew what he really represented to them, they'd string him up by his intestines.
Reply to this comment
by gmarker3 November 19, 2009 4:32 PM EST
So now Jesse thinks he has the God given right to define who is black. I guess he is of the opinion that if you are black, you have to agree with everything he believes because you can't possibly think for yourself.
Reply to this comment
by pmparsons November 19, 2009 3:57 PM EST
What would happen if a white man was found voting on a bill simply because it mostly benefited white people. Isn't Congress supposed to represent all the people...not just a particular race? Jesse...get a grip
Reply to this comment
by ajvw November 19, 2009 3:48 PM EST
another democrat playing the race card. disgusting
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