Clinton wins endorsement of civil rights leader John Lewis

[Tellurian]

NEW YORK (AP) — Democratic Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton has earned the endorsement of John Lewis, the longtime Georgia congressman and leader in the 1960s civil rights movement.

Clinton and Lewis were scheduled to hold a campaign event Friday in Atlanta to discuss the endorsement.

"I have looked at all the candidates, and I believe that Hillary Clinton is the best prepared to lead this country at a time when we are in desperate need of strong leadership. She will restore a greater sense of community in America, and reclaim our standing in the world," Lewis said in a statement released by the Clinton campaign.

The endorsement is a setback to Barack Obama, who is seeking to become the first black president and has counted on support from black leaders to spark his candidacy.

Obama spokesman Bill Burton said in response to Lewis' endorsement of Clinton.

"Barack Obama has great admiration for John Lewis and understands his long relationship with Bill Clinton. He looks forward to his support when Barack Obama is the nominee," Burton said.

http://www.gulflive.com/newsflash/regional/index.ssf?/base/politics-0/1192202989120720.xml&storylist=alabamanews

[ElizabethDC]

1. Excellent! n/t

[DemocratSinceBirth]

2. Another DLC Simp

:sarcasm:

[Tellurian]

3. Is this #67 or Hillary's 68th endorsement?

It seems the country is going ALL OUT Hillary!

[11cents]

4. Smooth move, Bill Burton

"Barack Obama has great admiration for John Lewis and understands his long relationship with Bill Clinton."

Attributing Lewis' endorsement to his relationship with the hubby is a nice way to piss women off.

[SaveElmer]

5. John Lewis is a genuine American hero...

This is a great endorsement!!!

[emilyg]

10. I admire Mr. Lewis. Great news.

[Dawgs]

6. Why is it always a slap to Obama when a black person supports someone else?

[ronnykmarshall]

20. Don't worry ...

Jasmine Guy is holding on to her endorsement of Obama.

[SaveElmer]

7. kick

[CreekDog]

8. I'm waiting for some dummy to come here and call Lewis a fool

Waiting, waiting...I know you are out there...

[SaveElmer]

13. It's happened before...

When Lewis endorsed Cynthia McKinney's primary challenger...

[CreekDog]

14. Wow, they called Lewis a fool for endorsing McKinney's challenger

The mind boggles!

[rinsd]

9. That is a nice endorsement.

A bit of snark from Burton but that's his job.

[Alamom]

11. Thank you. Great news. nm

[Peace Patriot]

12. Yeah, and Andy Young endorsed Condi Rice and Alberto Gonzales!

I saw him on C-Span during the nomination hearings. Andy Young was one of Martin Luther King's chief lieutenants, later mayor of Atlanta, then appointed by Carter as UN ambassador. He was the mentor that MLK appointed for all the young northern white students (me among them) who went south, in 1965, to join the black voting rights struggle.

Martin Luther King was surely turning over in his grave, at Andy Young accusing the Democrats of racism, for opposing Rice and Gonzales' nominations. I was appalled--and felt so sad.

Some of those old civil rights leaders have become corporatists. They have taken advantage of the civil rights movement--and all the suffering and struggle that went into it--for their own benefit, and have left the poor in the dust. They are no longer revolutionaries. They are now "power players." How else explain Andy Young kissing Bushite butt by echoing Orrin Hatch's arguments on the Senate floor, and shilling for Rice and Gonzales, the architects of torture and genocidal war, or Lewis endorsing Clinton, who has been complicit on these fascist policies?

It's human nature, I suppose--a human failure--but it is still very, very, very saddening.

[beaconess]

15. What does Andy Young have to do with John Lewis endorsing Hillary Clinton?

It is somewhat amusing to see John Lewis, who has done more for this country than most people could even think about doing, being attacked and lectured about integrity and honor, called a failure and told he is making Dr. King (whom I bet hardly anyone on DU ever saw in person, much less met, much less knew as well as Lewis did) roll in his grave by a bunch of folk who haven't given a fraction of the sacrifices that John Lewis did.

Amusing, but kind of sad, as well.

[Peace Patriot]

18. A civil rights leader who can't see through Hillary Clinton and her catastrophic

policies on "free trade" (global corporate predation), war (upwards of a million people slaughtered for their oil--genocide for greed), massive domestic Pentagon and corporate spying, detention without trial, torturing prisoners and shredding of the Constitution (being against these unconstitutional activities is now a LEFTIST position, thanks to DLC/"Blue Dog" votes and fascist Bushites), and who wants on board for the global corporate predator "made" candidate, is no longer a civil rights activist. I have no respect for this FORMER civil rights activist. His endorsement of Hillary for emperor puts him in the same category as Andy Young, endorsing Condi Rice and Alberto Gonzales--the architects of torture and genocidal war--BECAUSE they are minorities. You want me to bow my head in reverence. I will not. And I guarantee you that if Martin Luther King were alive today he would be marching against Hillary as well as Bush, and the war on Iraqis and Afghanis, and the "free trade" war on the poor in South America and other countries, that she has repeatedly voted for.

[beaconess]

21. First of all, you have no idea what MLK would be doing today if he were alive

So your "guarantee" doesn't mean squat and your apparent belief that you are so much more savvy and principled than John Lewis is laughable.

In fact, you have yet to demonstrate any reason that anyone should give the least bit of credence to your lecturing and pontificating about John Lewis, a man who, as I earlier noted, has done more for cause of peace, civil rights, and justice than you (or I or most people) likely could ever even conceive of doing in several lifetimes.

So, you can rant and rave and namecall all you want, you can decree that John Lewis is no longer a civil rights activist (even if you're not the membership director of the civil rights activist club) but your sanctimonious yet anonymous fussing on an online message board will likely do nothing to diminish the reputation of John Lewis since I have a feeling that few people are relying on you to determine who they should and should not respect.

[Peace Patriot]

23. I notice you don't say anything about my substantive reasons for opposing Lewis

on this endorsement and calling his civil rights creds into question because of it. What of Hillary's avid support of Bush's unjust and heinous wars? What of her avid support for "free trade" which has devastated the lives of the poor here and abroad? If you think that Martin Luther King would support anyone with such policies--and wouldn't be out marching and preaching against them--you are clueless. You say I'm ranting and raving, but you are the one who is ranting and raving. Your two posts on this matter contain no substance. You insist that we all bow down to John Lewis, but you don't defend the record of the person he is endorsing, and you can't really defend it. Hillary's record on the war and on "free trade" is indefensible. Any true advocate of peace, and advocate of the poor, would condemn it. So I can only conclude that John Lewis is no longer an advocate of peace and an advocate of the poor. What could his reason be for endorsing someone who has done so much damage to world peace and to the poor? He wants to get on the good side of the corporate predators' candidate? I tend to see it that way. I see it as a human failing. It's understandable, but it is not admirable, and it certainly merits the phrase "former civil rights activist," in my view. You say that you "have a feeling that few people are relying on me to determine who they should and should not respect." Well, that's your view. I can't argue with that. It's probably true. I'm pretty much a nobody. But I object to your tone. You seem to want us to express reverence for John Lewis, for his PAST actions. Sorry, we're talking about his endorsement of the global corporate predators' candidate, Hillary. His past actions may be laudable. This action is not. It is reprehensible. And you also seem to have contempt for the opinion of an ordinary person like me. Your attitude seems authoritarian and undemocratic. It's like you are saying to me: 'Shut up, you nobody! Know your place! You're nothing, just a peon citizen! How dare you criticize the great John Lewis?!' I'm painfully aware that we no longer live in a democracy, and that only the opinions of the great and powerful matter, but I'm surprised to find such an attitude at DU.

[cali]

26. So you have no respect

for Lewis and call him a former civil rights activist? No one asked you to bow your head in reverence, but just ugh. I don't agree with his endorsement, but I have enough decency not to try and strip him of who he is. And I guarantee you, you can't communicate with the dead so you can't say what MLK would be doing re Clinton.

Arrogant much?

[MGKrebs]

17. Ah yes. Prejudice revealed?

Because one of MLK's lieutenants...

No evidence...

"How else explain.."???

I just don't really know what to say.

[Peace Patriot]

25. Prejudice? I'm talking about FACTS.

1. Andy Young, another of MLK's lieutenants, stood in the Senate corridor, in a C-Span interview, and said that the Democratic Senators inside who were opposing Condi Rice and Alberto Gonzales were racists! The same thing Orrin Hatch was saying! It was a pitiable and immensely saddening comedown for a once great civil rights worker--shilling for the Bush Junta.

2. John Lewis, MKL lieutenant, is doing a very similar thing, by endorsing Hillary Clinton, in my opinion. Hillary has fully supported this heinous war. She fully supports "free trade" (global corporate predation). She seems to have no qualms about torturing prisoners, indefinite detention, the "unitary executive," and massive Bushite looting, murder and treason. This, too, is a tragic comedown for a once great civil rights worker--shilling for the Bush Junta, Part II.

Is it "prejudice," in your opinion, to criticize former civil rights workers--now powerful people, on corporate boards (Young) and in congress (Lewis)--flipping over like this, and BECOMING part of the problem?

I would criticize them no matter what color they were. They could be WHITE peace activists (--say, if Tom Hayden or Fr. Dan Berrigan suddenly turned around and started kissing Bushite or Clintonite ass). It's not their color. It's what they once stood for, and what they're doing now. To me, it is a flip-over, and a shock. And, really and truly, I think MLK must be turning over in his grave.

[cali]

27. Learn the difference between opinion and fact.

Nevermind. I doubt you could.

[William769]

16. What a great endorsement!

[ronnykmarshall]

19. Another prawn of KKKarl.

:silly:

[beaconess]

22. I wonder how the rabid anti-Hillary crowd - the ones who would viciously turn on their own

mother if she had the gall to endorse Hillary Clinton would react if Hillary gets the nomination and their candidate endorses her.

Just look at how these people are attacking John Lewis . . . imagine what they'd do to the likes of Obama or Edwards or Richardon or Kucinich or Dodd or Biden or Gravel if they went over to the "darkside."

It won't be pretty.

[ShortnFiery]

24. Rah Rah ...

:eyes:

[Perry Logan]

28. Add Lewis to the anti-Hillarites' smear list.

[beaconess]

29. Nothing like seeing a bunch of so-called liberals, many of whom probably

never did anything more for the cause of civil rights than type "free Cynthia McKinney" on an internet blog, attack John Lewis for not being the "right" kind of civil rights activist because he supports a candidate THEY don't like.

Give me a break.