U.S. Rep. Steve King is no ordinary asshole......

[marmar]

.....He's an extraordinary one.



from ThinkProgress:



Rep. Steve King only one to vote against recognizing slave labor’s construction of U.S. Capitol.

Rep. Steve King (R-IA) was the only congressman to vote against a resolution yesterday that acknowledges the role that slaves played in the construction of the U.S. Capitol Building, reports Ryan Grim of the Huffington Post. According to the text of the resolution, which passed 399-1, its simple goal is to recognize those who constructed the Capitol with a marker:

“Whereas enslaved African-Americans performed the backbreaking work of quarrying the stone which comprised many of the floors, walls, and columns of the Capitol…

Whereas recognition of the contributions of enslaved African-Americans brings to all Americans an understanding of the continuing evolution of our representative democracy; and

Whereas a marker dedicated to the enslaved African-Americans who helped to build the Capitol will reflect the charge of the Capitol Visitor Center to teach visitors about Congress and its development…”

King has never been afraid to stand alone, particularly when it comes to his blatantly racist sentiments. He has referred to both the Congressional Black Caucus and the Congressional Hispanic Caucus as “separatist groups” and immigrants as “livestock” who are waging a “slow-moving terrorist attack.” This past election season, he used Obama’s Kenyan heritage and middle name to proclaim that terrorists would be “dancing in the streets” if “Hussein Obama” won. In 2008, King also said that apologizing for slavery wasn’t about contrition, rather “White Americans wallowing in guilt.”

.............................................................

Update: King has released a statement explaining why he opposed the anti-slavery measure:

Last night I opposed yet another bill to erect another monument to slavery because it was used as a bargaining chip to allow for the actual depiction of 'In God We Trust' in the CVC. The Architect of the Capitol and liberal activists opposed every reference to America's Christian heritage, even to the extent of scrubbing 'In God We Trust' from the depiction of the actual Speaker's chair in the U.S. House of Representatives.

http://thinkprogress.org/2009/07/08/steve-king-slavery-capitol/

[Sal Minella]

1. Apparently Steve King is afraid his Judaeo-Christian heritage will fade away to

nothing if he doesn't see big REMINDERS about IN GOD WE TRUST carved into the stonework of all the government buildings he walks through in an average day.

I would not like to be a Christian with a faith so vaporous that it needs visual propping up all the time, at taxpayer expense.

[ColbertWatcher]

4. He has no faith that it will, apparently. n/t

[eleny]

2. No worries for him given the demographics of his District

According to Wikipedia the Black population of the 5th District is 0.7% ---> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iowa%27s_5th_congressional_district

Edited to add - The book, "Black Men Built the Capitol" by Jesse J Holland, is really good. http://www.jessejholland.com/BlackMenBuiltTheCapitol/Black%20Men%20Built%20The%20Capitol.html A fast read and chock full of interesting facts. You don't think about D.C. the same after you read it. In fact, you feel smarter. :D

Oh, btw, f*%k Steve King.

[Sal Minella]

3. Yes -- and he's got the xenophobic vote pretty well sewed up,

and there's a lot of that going around, in this end of the state, unfortunately.

[eleny]

5. I expect his core racist contituency is cheering him today

[Sal Minella]

6. No doubt -- one brave man standing against the hordes of filthy libruls

who are trying to mongrelize the North American Aryan Race, of which SK is such a shining example.