Daschle on Defensive Over Kennedy's 'Neanderthal' Outburst

NewsMax ^ | 11/15/03 | Limbacher

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Senate Minority Leader Tom Daschle said Sunday that his Democratic colleague, Sen. Ted Kennedy, didn't mean to use racially offensive language when he called President Bush's judicial nominees - including two minority candidates - "Neanderthals."

Asked about Kennedy's racially charged outburst, Daschle insisted to "Fox News Sunday" he was talking about politics and not ethnicity.

"I think that there are a lot of nominees who are on the far, far right of the political and philosophical spectrum," he told FNS host Tony Snow. "I think that's what Sen. Kennedy was referring to."

But when Snow pressed, "Then why did he use the term Neanderthal?" Daschle turned defensive, telling the FNS host, "Invite him on the show and ask him. That's a question for him and not me."

Noting that Bush nominees Janice Rogers Brown and Miguel Estrada are African-American and Hispanic respectively, Republicans have seized on Kennedy's "Neanderthal" remark, complaining that he was getting a pass for using words that would have been career-ending for a member of their party.

After Democrats prevailed in their judicial filibuster standoff against Republican Senators on Friday, Kennedy boasted, "What has not ended is the resolution and the determination of the members of the United States Senate to continue to resist any Neanderthal that is nominated by this president of the United States for any court, federal court in the United States."

Though controversy over Kennedy's outburst continued to swirl on Capitol Hill throughout the weekend, press coverage of the incident has been sparse.

A Lexis-Nexis search on Sunday showed that Kennedy's remark has been covered by just three newspapers nationwide.

[demkicker]

Sounds like the only controversy about Kennedy's offensive remark will be amongst the conservative media. The lame stream press won't even address it, I bet.

[pfflier]

I want Kennedy held as accountable as the demoncrats held Trent Lott.

[SICSEMPERTYRANNUS]

What did race have to do with it?

[areafiftyone]

[F.J. Mitchell]

And the double standard continues. I don't believe our founding Fathers gave us a free press to cover the butts of the Demongobblincrats.

[pfflier]

I never mentioned race, neither did Trent Lott when they nailed him. The demoncrats sure can link anything they want to race though if it suits their needs.

Nail Kennedy on this one using the same tactic.

[bethelgrad]

I hear ya. It needs to be pushed and pushed until everyone hears about it. THing is, I don't think it was a big deal, like I wasn't a big deal for Lott ( or shouldn't have been). I mean it is insulting, but I never thought of it as racial.

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

“I want to say this about Strom Thurmond: When Strom Thurmond ran for president, we voted for him. We’re proud of it. And if the rest of the country had followed our lead, we wouldn’t have had all these problems over all these years, either.”

How does this even remotely compare to the Neanderthal remark for which Kennedy's getting a free pass?

[JimVT]

"Invite him on the show and ask him

Yeah, right....bet he'd jump at the chance to explain himself!

[jwalsh07]

I hear ya. It needs to be pushed and pushed until everyone hears about it. THing is, I don't think it was a big deal, like I wasn't a big deal for Lott ( or shouldn't have been). I mean it is insulting, but I never thought of it as racial.

Pretty good analyisis, I'm with you with one small caveat.

Kennedy is indeed a bigot but his bigotry extends to social and economic conservatives pure ans simple. The sooner people become cognizant of that the better.

To borrow a phrase used about Kennedy's ancestoral tree:

Conservatives Need Not Apply!

[hillary's_fat_a**]

I suggest everybody visit www.ytedk.com and read the excerpts from Leo Damore's "Senatorial Privilege" - when I read excerpts from this book, I was spellbound. Even though that book is now out of print, I ordered a used copy.

Fat Teddy's actions are inexcusable. This bloated whale does not deserve to be a US Senator - why the citizens of Taxachusetts keep on sending him back is beyond me!

[MHGinTN]

The duplicitous, seditious democrat leadership will quietly pat Ted'the swimmer'Kennedy on the back for sneaking that one in! Kennedy's remarks and the democRAT party defense of same is just more proof of their elitist societal engineering agenda ... as they hold the voting public in ridicule as 'easily herded'. To a Tom Daschle or a Patrick Leahy or a Jay 'Rockafellah', there is no such thing as a lie or a politically incorreect slur if it issues from a democrat.

[Mr. Mojo]

A Lexis-Nexis search on Sunday showed that Kennedy's remark has been covered by just three newspapers nationwide.

Would've been large-block, front page news all over the nation if a Pubbie had made the remark.

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

As long as Kennedy does the NAACP's bidding, no matter how adverse the consequences are for the same blacks that the NAACP gets paid to at least PRETEND to care about, Kennedy will have the NAACP's backing.

[jocon307]

"I mean it is insulting, but I never thought of it as racial."

I agree, it is not racial, but it is VERY insulting. As hubby pointed out a good synonym for Neandrathal is Knuckle-dragger. It implies "unevolved", "primative", "backward looking", etc.

But am I anti-Irish-American when I say that Ted Kennedy is a drunken mick? Because I am very proud to be Irish-American and that drunken lothario is a disgrace to my people.

[fish hawk]

Only three papers nation wide carried the quote!! What media BIAS???

[Tabi Katz]

"A Lexis-Nexis search on Sunday showed that Kennedy's remark has been covered by just three newspapers nationwide." Let me guess: The New York Times, Washington Post and Los Angeles Times? HA! When the shoe was on the other foot and it was inserted in Lott's mouth, it was in the news for weeks as I remember.

[Qwinn]

"Sounds like the only controversy about Kennedy's offensive remark will be amongst the conservative media. The lame stream press won't even address it, I bet."

Bingo. Zell Miller's "lynching" comment got coverage in EVERY media outlet. Yeah, he's nominally a democrat, but he's now more than fair game because he has allied with Republicans. He will soon find that his protection is utterly gone.

Qwinn

[BlessedBeGod]

A Lexis-Nexis search on Sunday showed that Kennedy's remark has been covered by just three newspapers nationwide.

From what I can find, it looks like those three newspapers were:

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Austin American-Statesman
The Washington Post.

[Analyzing Inconsistencies]

Massachusetts appears to have a thing for allowing for there to be political and legal impuntiy for leftists. Have you heard what Bill Clinton's NASA director just got away with up at Boston University, even as the state attorney general keeps looking the other way? Here's a brand new thread on the subject:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1022819/posts

[Allegra]

LOL - good work!

[Prime Choice]

Don't worry, little Tommy Daschle: you guys are Liberals. The press will *ALWAYS* give you a pass! You have no worries.

But if you'd been a Republican/Conservative, rest assured that there'd be news every 15 minutes on what a racist, bigoted minority-stomping troglodyte you are.

[PISANO]

The lame stream press won't even address it, I bet.

You can bet your HOME and your life savings on it and sleep well tonite knowing you will WIN!!

[Cobra64]

I don't get the racial connection. Most people thaink of a "neanderthal" as a sub-human creature with almost no IQ. Teddy most have been looking in the mirror when he made his neanderthal (pun intended) remark.

[Mystic]

And what about Hillary refering to them as "lemons" with her little show-and-tell chart. Have heard NOTHING about that since.

[river rat]

Dasshole could inhale a full face fart from Kennedy - and declare it was Channel No.5..

Semper Fi

[jmstein7]

BUMP!

[InvisibleChurch]

guess daschle doesn't have any control over his party .... tsk

[Bloody Sam Roberts]

Sen. Ted Kennedy, didn't mean to use racially offensive language when he called President Bush's judicial nominees - including two minority candidates - "Neanderthals."

Uhhh...whom exactly is it that is supposed to be offended by such racially charged language? The Neanderthals? News FLASH...they're all dead.

[Congressman Billybob]

Now let's see. The Neanderthals were ugly, fat, hairy, and treated their women like dirt. Sounds like a pretty good parallel to Teddy (the Swimmer) Kennedy, except for the fact that we don't know whether the Neanderthals drank like a fish. LOL.

Congressman Billybob

Latest column, " 'Preserving' the Constitution by Spitting on It," discussion thread. IF YOU WANT A FREEPER IN CONGRESS, CLICK HERE.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Kennedy should resign from the Senate immediately for his insensitive remarks. Forget about race, he has insulted the majority of Americans since his remarks were directed at WOMEN nominees.

[HoustonCurmudgeon]

press coverage of the incident has been sparse.

[Paul Atreides]

I suggest that the Republicans begin referring to pro-abortion candidates as "barbarians."

I am more concerned that Tubby's labeling of anyone who isn't in lockstep with him is a neanderthal to be the more disturbing aspect of this episode.

[Bob Eimiller]

THE "SWIMMER" ACTUALLY CALLING LEGITIMATE JUDICIAL NOMINEES NEANDERTHALS?? WOW Not the SWIMMER....hmmm

Ask the waitress he threw onto a table and humped .. he was STUPID DRUNK at the time though... he had an excuse that time.

Hey ..there isn't any media bias...

[Bob Eimiller]

Billy Bob... you beat me to it..lol

[anniegetyourgun]

And just think how many were insulted by Byrd's "white nigger" comment? Oh wait, he got a pass from the press too. Never mind....

[linn37]

Tony shot back to Dashole'but your the leader' and Dashole changed subjects.

[Recovering_Democrat]

A Lexis-Nexis search on Sunday showed that Kennedy's remark has been covered by just three newspapers nationwide.

And probably none of the big 3 networks. The Republicans are to blame here, as well. They are not saying a damn word about this. I hope their consultants are using this for commercials.

[SICSEMPERTYRANNUS]

I never mentioned race, neither did Trent Lott when they nailed him. The demoncrats sure can link anything they want to race though if it suits their needs.


pfflier,

My stement wasn't aimed at you, I was just inquiring how a Kennedy's use of the word neanderthal, as offensive at it was, could be construed as a racial comment.

SIC

[pabianice]

What? A Liberal media double standard? I'm shocked! SHOCKED!!

[pabianice]

It's hardly an unexpectedly bitter response from Kennedy when you consider that the superior Neanderthals made extinct Kennedy's line, Homo erectus.

Joe Kennedy, Hyannis, 1948 (oil on canvas)

[governsleastgovernsbest]

Daschle said that Kennedy didn't mean to use racially offensive language when he called President Bush's judicial nominees - including two minority candidates - "Neanderthals."

[ImpBill]

"Though controversy over Kennedy's outburst continued to swirl on Capitol Hill throughout the weekend, press coverage of the incident has been sparse."

Sir-prize Sir-prize!

[sweetliberty]

"Asked about Kennedy's racially charged outburst, Daschle insisted to "Fox News Sunday" he was talking about politics and not ethnicity."

Oh, I see. So when a RAT says it, it can be explained away, but if a Republican does it it is proof of racism.

[The_Media_never_lie]

Did he really think these non-white guys are monkeys? Then why did he call them Neanderthals?

[pctech]

Good, lets keep the pressure on him. PErhaps this will come back and bite him. (we can only hope)

[Pharmer]

Ted Kennedy will never do a Sunday talk show. Answering tough question with hangover is a bitch.

It is amaizing to me to watch the Dems allow Ted to continue to make these over-the-top comments. From saying the War was cooked up in Texas to this lastest remark. It just shows that being a Kennedy or a Clinton makes you a saint to the left regardless of stupid or hypocritical. I just hope the Pubbies store this and use it when it counts, like 3 days before November 9th 2004 along with all of the other dumbass remarks made by the left.

[Tumbleweed_Connection]

Sounds like the only controversy about Kennedy's offensive remark will be amongst the conservative media. The lame stream press won't even address it, I bet.

As Rush just stated, "Good thing he didn't say it on ESPN".

[stevem]

Just out of idle curiosity, what race were the Neanderthals?

I think when you can go around drowning young women, Democrats think this is pretty small potatoes. Apparently, so does the press other than FOX.