Posted on 03/25/2015 2:11:44 PM PDT by jazusamo
Press secretary Josh Earnest was asked five times Wednesday whether Republicans are delaying a vote on Lynch because of her race. He dodged the question each time.
“I think that the delay we have seen from Senate Republicans is indefensible,” he told reporters. “I think you’d have to ask them about why they think this delay is somehow in the best interest in the country. I feel very confident in telling you that it is not.”
For a week, the contentious battle over Lynch’s nomination has become consumed by racial accusations.
Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-Mo.) became the latest lawmaker to inject race into the debate Wednesday, telling Bloomberg News that failing to confirm Lynch would be “yet another sign” that race relations have not improved.
Republicans have repeatedly said race is not a factor. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-Ky.) has he will not allow a vote on Lynch until the Senate can pass a human trafficking bill, which has been stalled over a dispute over abortion language.
“The only thing holding up that vote is the Democrats’ filibuster of a bill that would help prevent kids from being sold into sex slavery,” McConnell spokesman Don Stewart said in a statement.
The No. 2 Senate Democrat, Dick Durbin (Ill.), was the first to raise the issue of race last Wednesday when he compared Lynch’s nomination battle to Rosa Parks during a floor speech.
“Loretta Lynch, the first African-American woman nominated to be attorney general, is asked to sit in the back of the bus when it comes to the Senate calendar,” he said.
Sen. John McCain (R-Ariz.) called on Durbin to apologize for his remarks, but so far the Democrat has not taken them back.
Rep. Corrine Brown (Fla.) joined other Democrats in saying race is one reason for the holdup.
“If it looks like a duck, walks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it's a duck, and it is clear to me that there is hidden racism rampant in the House and the Senate," she said last week, according to CNN.
In an interview last Friday with the Huffington Post, Obama stopped short of saying race is a factor in Republicans’ decision to push back Lynch’s nomination.
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “What I do know is she is imminently qualified. Nobody denies it; even the Republicans acknowledge she has been a great prosecutor.”
Eric Holder, whom Lynch will replace as attorney general if confirmed, also said race has not played a major role.
“My guess is that there is probably not a huge racial component to this, that this is really just D.C. politics, Washington at its worst,” Holder said in an interview with MSNBC. “A battle about something that is not connected to this nominee — holding up this nominee. I think that’s the main driver here.”
On Monday, Earnest was determined not to be drawn into accusing Republicans of delaying Lynch’s confirmation for racial reasons.
“I know that there have been a number of people who have tried to figure out an explanation for this indefensible delay,” he said. “There are a lot of theories. I frankly don’t have a lot of clarity about why we would continue to delay the nomination of an individual who has strong bipartisan support and who is eminently qualified for this very important job.”
The Race Card: don’t leave the WH without it.
Was race a factor in her nomination?
Anyone who holds, as does Lynch, that illegal aliens have the right to work in the USA is NOT qualified to be the AG.
Has she ever revealed she’s a founding sorority sister of Holder’s wife. Not a sign she could be impartial concerning anything to do with her predecessor!
Yep, that and she’s all for illegal alien invaders, the same as Bammy and Eric the Red.
OK, if race were the reason for the delay, why did Eric Holder get confirmed? This doesn’t make any sense at all
Good point...That finally came out but it wasn’t her that said it.
Awesome! Thats perfect
It is a shame that her nomination is held up over abortion language in the human trafficking bill and has nothing to do with her views on the second amendment in particular and the US Constitution in general.
Of course nobody is calling out Durbin for his role in delaying a vote on the nomination of black woman judge Janice Rogers Brown to the federal courts. Or the fact that he voted against a black woman, Condoleeza Rice, to be Secretary of State. Will the media say anything about his opposition to other black women to high positions???
Every choice is racist.
Oatmeal for breakfast - racist
Read the newspaper - racist
Etc.
I think she did very well on “Law and Order.”
Agreed, not just the second amendment but illegal aliens.
No, but that doesn’t mean the libs won’t make it an issue.
>> In an interview last Friday with the Huffington Post, Obama stopped short of saying race is a factor in Republicans’ decision to push back Lynch’s nomination.
“I don’t know about that,” he said. “What I do know is she is imminently qualified. Nobody denies it; even the Republicans acknowledge she has been a great prosecutor.” <<
If she’s only “imminently qualified,” that means she’s presently unqualified.
Race is not a factor.
Her nomination is being held back because the Democrats are hell bent on killing babies.
Every time Republicans try to slow down the death toll the Democrats get all uppity about it.
It’s all ALL black group. Therefore it and/or she is racists. It wouldn’t be tolerated if the Tables were turned !
That about says it all, the Rats are afraid the wording might at least slow down the killing of those babies.
Her race was certainly a factor in her nomination. It is not a factor in her confirmation.
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