Every Top Republican Invited to MLK Anniversary Event Said No

Mediaite ^ | 08/30/2013 | by Matt Wilstein

[SeekAndFind]

Conservative commentators have had a lot to say over the last 24 hours about the fact that Sen. Tim Scott (R-SC), the only African-American in the Senate, was not invited to yesterday’s March on Washington 50th Anniversary celebration. According to Bill O’Reilly, it was strange that “no Republicans and no conservatives were invited” to the event. As it turns out, that’s just not true.

As the Washington Post’s Ed O’Keefe reported today, “not a single Republican elected official stood on the steps of the Lincoln Memorial on Wednesday.” But it’s not because they weren’t invited. While Scott’s office has confirmed that the senator was not invited, many of his senior colleagues were.

Here’s a run-down of the top Republicans who were invited to the March on Washington anniversary event, and why they reportedly decided not to show.

• Former Presidents George H.W. Bush and George W. Bush: It was notable that the two former presidents, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, who spoke at the event were both Democrats, with the Bushes nowhere to be seen. The 41st and 43rd president were both invited, but chose to decline because of health reasons. In a statement, George W. Bush said, “There on the National Mall our President, whose story reflects the promise of America, will help us honor the man who inspired millions to redeem that promise.”
• House Speaker John Boehner (R-OH): The top Republican in the House declined his invitation because of a scheduling conflict. He is currently in Jackson Hole, Wyoming and had no public events scheduled for Wednesday. Boehner did attend an official congressional commemoration of King’s “I Have a Dream” speech on July 31st.
• House Majority Leader Eric Cantor (R-VA): According to the Grand Forks Herald, Cantor spent Wednesday touring oilfields in North Dakota with Rep. Kevin Cramer (R-ND) and meeting with the North Dakota Petroleum Council lobbying group.
• Senator John McCain (R-AZ): Despite having voted against making Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day a federal holiday in 1983, the event committee did invite McCain to speak, but he declined due to unspecified “scheduling conflicts.”

The Rev. Leah D. Daughtry, who served as executive producer of the commemoration, told the Washington Post’s O’Keefe that her committee began inviting members of Congress to attend four or five weeks before the event.

“We had a very concerted effort, because this is not a political moment. This was about us coming together as a community, so we wanted to be sure that we had all political representations,” Daughtry said. “We attempted very vigorously to have someone from the GOP participate and unfortunately they were unable to find someone who was able to participate.”

[photos via House.gov, Senate.gov]

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[Perdogg]

They were invited at the last second.

[Responsibility2nd]

Truth be known, they all had better things to do.

That sock drawer ain’t just gonna organize itself, now is it.

[Slyfox]

Four or five weeks before an event? It takes much longer than that to get on busy people's schedules.

I bet the dems got a save-the-date way ahead of time.

[cripplecreek]

All their presence would have done is provided targets for Obama and the rest of the rabid left to ridicule, lecture, and reprimand.

[chris37]

I wouldn’t have gone either, evenif invited a year in advance.

Why would I want to watch dishonorable people dishonor an honorable man?

Not that the republicans are honorable, because they are not.

[LeonardFMason]

wow. More than 9 out of 10 blacks will surely vote for a Democrat now.

[SeekAndFind]

RE: They were invited at the last second.

Really? Someone should tell Bill O’ Reilly that then because he apologized for his mistake yesterday when he said that Republicans were not invited.

If what you say is true, then this is almost the same as not being invited. He ought to un-apologize.

[xp38]

Exactly. Exhibit A Coretta King’s funeral was attended by then President Bush and the First Lady. They got an earful of criticism over the Iraq war etc at a funeral no less.

[zeebee]

They were invited at the last second.

Not only that, they were invited only to watch, not to speak.

Another media hit piece.

[jagusafr]

This had to be a concerted effort by the pubbies - maybe they heard about some sort of plan to sabotage or attack them (politically) and wanted no part of it? I know, I know - these are eGOP we’re talking about here. So what’s the real reason?

[cripplecreek]

Alveda King is openly upset and angry that this was nothing more than a pure political rally for the democrats. She and some of the other family members were basically told to shut up and let the “organizers” run things.

[PapaNew]

Why is it so hard to stand against and speak against the big government interference and entitlements MLK stood for? The stuff MLK stood for has a lot to do with the continuation of dependency, poverty, and entitlement/dysfunctional thinking in the black community.

It is fine to "have a dream" but it is not fine to use government to force that dream on me. I do not have the right to interfere with another's life, freedom, and peaceable pursuits but I DO have the God-given right to discriminate and choose who I will and won't associate with, do business with, etc.

[henkster]

I would have gone. My speech would be short.

They would not have liked it.

[nanetteclaret]

I think you mean “watch dishonorable people honor an DIShonorable man,” since MLK Jr. was a communist, plagerizer, and womanizer.

[SeekAndFind]

Granted that Blacks vote Democrats by a huge margin, but by not going, the Republicans might be re-enforcing the message already ingrained in the heads of many Americans — THEY DON’T CARE ABOUT BLACK PEOPLE.

[Uncle Chip]

They were invited at the last second.

They needed props and warm bodies to pump up the numbers.

[RedMDer]

Only Two Days Until
September.

Less than $3.5k to go!!
We can do this!!

[Albion Wilde]

The Rev. Leah D. Daughtry, who served as executive producer of the commemoration, told the Washington Post’s O’Keefe that her committee began inviting members of Congress to attend four or five weeks before the event.

Are you kidding me, Reverend?

[Forrestfire]

What they fail to mention is, they were invited to attend, not speak