"I still like Dr. Seuss": Kevin McCarthy releases video of himself reading "Green Eggs and Ham"
House Minority Leader Kevin McCarthy has seemingly weighed in on Dr. Seuss Enterprises' decision to stop publishing six Dr. Seuss books because they contain racist and insensitive imagery. On Friday night, the Republican from California tweeted a five-minute video of himself reading "Green Eggs and Ham."
"I still like Dr. Seuss," McCarthy tweeted. "RT if you still like him too!"
"Green Eggs and Ham" is not one of the books that will no longer be published.
Dr. Seuss Enterprises, which handles the beloved children's book author's legacy, said on Tuesday they will no longer publish six books because they "portray people in ways that are hurtful and wrong." The books are: "And to Think That I Saw It on Mulberry Street," "If I Ran the Zoo," "McElligot's Pool," "On Beyond Zebra!," "Scrambled Eggs Super!," and "The Cat's Quizzer."
"Dr. Seuss Enterprises celebrates reading and also our mission of supporting all children and families with messages of hope, inspiration, inclusion, and friendship," the company said. "...Ceasing sales of these books is only part of our commitment and our broader plan to ensure Dr. Seuss Enterprises's catalog represents and supports all communities and families."
Senator Ted Cruz retweeted the video, calling it "inspired leadership." Others criticized McCarthy's Dr. Seuss story time.
California Representative Ted Lieu slammed the minority leader for focusing on reading the book while, at the same time, the Senate was engaged in an overnight "vote-a-rama" on amendments to a $1.9 trillion coronavirus relief package.
"Dems are focused on getting stimulus checks, unemployment benefits & small business loans to the American people," Lieu tweeted. "@GOPLeader is focused on Green Eggs and Ham, a book that continues to be published and accepted by the free market."
Eric Garcia, who is running for the U.S. House of Representatives in California, tweeted, "I'm sure this will be a comfort to the 1 in 4 children facing hunger in the US."
Filmmaker Dylan Reeve tweeted, "If you're going to protest Dr. Seuss books being discontinued you could at least read one of the six books in question."
