TPMDC John Lewis
Health Care
Dem Rep Calls On GOP To Condemn Slurs Hurled At Frank, Lewis (VIDEO)
Rep. Tim Ryan (D-OH) took to the House floor tonight to call on Republicans to "distance" themselves from the ugly epithets allegedly yelled at minority members of Congress by anti-health care reform protesters gathered on Capitol Hill today.
Ryan called on Republican pols who addressed today's anti-reform rally to "come out and condemn" the protesters for their alleged slurs against black members and Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA), who is openly gay.
"This behavior is irresponsible it does not belong in a civilized society," Ryan said of the protests. Video after the jump.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (5)Topics: Barney Frank, Health Care, John Lewis, Tim Ryan
Barney Frank
Tea Partiers Call Lewis 'N****r', Frank 'F****t', At Capitol Hill Protest
Reps. John Lewis (D-GA) and Barney Frank (D-MA); tea part activists (inset)
Tea partiers and other anti-health care activists are known to get rowdy, but today's protest on Capitol Hill--the day before the House is set to vote on historic health care legislation--went beyond the usual chanting and controversial signs, and veered into ugly bigotry and intimidation.
Civil rights hero Rep. John Lewis (D-GA) and fellow Congressional Black Caucus member Andre Carson (D-IN) related a particularly jarring encounter with a large crowd of protesters screaming "kill the bill"... and punctuating their chants with the word "nigger."
Standing next to Lewis, emerging from a Democratic caucus meeting with President Obama, Carson said people in the crowd yelled, "kill the bill and then the N-word" several times, while he and Lewis were exiting the Cannon House office building.
PERMALINK | COMMENTS | RECOMMEND RECOMMEND (6)Topics: Barney Frank, Democrats, Health Care, House of Representatives, James Clyburn, John Lewis, Tea Party
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