Posted on 08/03/2002 9:29:30 PM PDT by Libloather
Remarks by DNC Chair Terry McAuliffe National Association Of Black Journalists 27th Annual Convention
Saturday August 3, 7:00 am Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: Democratic National Committee
MILWAUKEE, Aug. 3 /PRNewswire/ -- The following is being issued by the Democratic National Committee:
"Good morning. It's an honor to be here, and I want to thank the NABJ for giving me this opportunity.
"For 70 years, the African-American community has been the most loyal of Democratic constituencies. Every Democratic President since FDR owes his election to overwhelming support from African-Americans. Without strong African-American mobilization, there would be only about 35 Democrats in the United States Senate instead of the 50 we have today.
"The Democratic Party is grateful for this incredible level of support. But we also know this support can never be assumed ... it must be earned 365 days a year. It must be earned through relentless political outreach programs. It must be earned through a consistent focus on the issues that matter to the African-American community.
"And that's exactly what the Democratic Party has done and continues to do. There was legitimate anger about African-American disenfranchisement during the 2000 presidential election. We have worked with the African-American community to channel that anger into a new program called the Voting Rights Institute, designed to ensure that racial profiling at the ballot box never happens again.
"In the 2001 elections, we implemented an unprecedented African-American outreach program, and African-American voters responded with record turnout in cities and states around the country. We partnered with African-American leaders -- as well as celebrities like Cicely Tyson and Chris Tucker -- to campaign in key communities. We invested in the African-American media and worked with them to educate voters on the issues. In Virginia, we increased the Party's visibility at HBCUs and focused on African-Americans for our statewide voter registration and absentee ballot drive. And our get-out-the vote effort was second-to-none, with mail pieces, canvassing, phone banks and a celebrity bus tour all specifically created for the African-American community.
"When it was all said and done, Mark Warner was elected Governor of Virginia on the strength of the highest African-American turnout in the state since 1989. The DNC also invested heavily in key city races that led to the elections of African-American mayors Lee Brown of Houston, Shirley Franklin of Atlanta, Rhine McLin of Dayton, Bill Bell of Durham, North Carolina and Harvey Johnson of Jackson, Mississippi.
"Working with our state Democratic parties, we are going to replicate this approach around the country this November. And that's going to help us take back the House of Representatives, increase our margin in the U.S. Senate, and seize a majority of the nation's governorships for the first time since 1994.
"But Democrats care about African-American lives ... not just about African-American votes. When the election is over, we deliver.
"Look no further than the Clinton Administration -- record low-level black unemployment ... unprecedented investment in minority entrepreneurs ... a focus on community development and empowerment ... and so much more. African-Americans were partners in the prosperity of the Clinton years.
"Now, I want to commend Governor Racicot for being here. I think he and some other members of his Party are sincere about wanting to open their Party's doors to African-Americans and other minorities.
"But good intentions can only get you so far. The Republican Party can't escape their agenda, which is hostile to African-American interests on issue after issue.
"George Bush has presided over a recession that has pushed black unemployment up near 11 percent, more than twice the rate for white Americans. And then he proposes cuts in the very training programs -- like Youth Opportunity Grants -- that can help young African-Americans start their careers.
"Two out of every five African-American seniors rely on Social Security as their only source of income, but Republicans want to privatize the program, cutting benefits and turning Social Security into a high-stakes investment gambit ...at a time when the stock market is more volatile than ever.
"The president likes to brag about his education record, but his proposed budget actually calls for education cuts totaling $1.7 billion, including cuts in dropout prevention, technology training and mentoring programs.
"And I'm sad to say that the Bush Administration record on civil rights has been nothing short of abysmal. We're talking about a Justice Department that played politics with the Voting Rights Act to secure a favorable redistricting map in Mississippi. We're talking about a Justice Department that has pushed aside career attorneys in favor of conservative ideologues in the Civil Rights Division. We're talking about an Administration that nominated Charles Pickering -- a man who has opposed interracial marriage; a man who secured a lenient sentence for a cross-burner -- to sit on the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. Only the conviction of the Democrats in the United States Senate blocked that disastrous nomination.
"I welcome this discussion with Chairman Racicot. I don't think any party should have a monopoly on African-American support. I think we should compete for that support with an open and vigorous debate.
"But at the end of the day, I think the records speak for themselves. The Democratic Party has consistently fought to empower African-American communities, diligently representing their interests and defending their values.
"Republicans may have an outreach program, but it amounts to little more than empty rhetoric fronting for a far-right agenda. The Republican attempt to peel off African-American support is good politics, but it's not guided by any genuine sense of shared values.
"We Democrats, on the other hand, see our bond with the African-American community as more than a calculated political strategy ... as more than just a way to grow our coalition. For us, it's a moral imperative; it's an extension of our values; it's part of our historic commitment to inclusion, diversity and racial justice. Thank you."
Good. The complaining is gone forever.
I can only stand before you today because the first black president in history gave me my chairmanship by giving me preference over a qualified black that was in line for this job. Oh, and we are so greatful for your support, we are going to railroad a black New Yorker in favor of an Italian running for governor........yup, we is really greatful.......
Attention Bill Moyers, Chris Matthews, Dan Rather..... channeling anger is not a good thing.... or is it just a temper tantrum?
Thats like asking the RNC to invest in Enron...
Enriching Jesse Jackson is a moral imperative? Racial division is justice? I think the African-American community would like more opportunity than empty promises.
These Clinton c***s***ers have no shame.
Does anyone of these bastards remember that the 1964 Civil Rights Act would not have passed, but for the REPUBLICAN senators who overcame "NO" votes from the very same democrats (Gore Sr. and the rest of the racist southern senators of the time) who McAuliffe praises in this quote?
Always nice to throw the D-word in there. Terry Sounds like an Afro-Centrist.
I'll look forward to it.
Help me out. I have a question that can only be asked one way. Some folks make mention of the "issues facing the African-American community," yet I have yet to hear one specifically named. What are they - and why are they any different from issues in any other community?
DNC Chairman Terry McAuliffe Statement on RNC Chairman Marc Racicot Pulling Out of Last Saturday's Debate at the National Association of Black Journalists Convention
Monday August 5, 12:30 pm Eastern Time
Press Release
SOURCE: Democratic National Committee
WASHINGTON, Aug. 5 /PRNewswire/ -- Democratic National Committee (DNC) Chairman Terry McAuliffe issued the following statement:
"This past Saturday, I was scheduled to debate Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Marc Racicot at the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) Convention in Milwaukee, WI. The day before, Mr. Racicot cancelled. Instead of sending another representative from the RNC or the White House, Wisconsin Republican State Chair Richard Graber became the fill- in. While I am glad Mr. Graber participated, his level of expertise was mostly relegated to Wisconsin politics. So we were not really able to have a vigorous exchange of ideas about the nation's agenda in this critical election year.
"I would like to challenge Chairman Racicot to a debate in the near future anywhere at anytime so that the American people can get a clearer understanding of where Democrats and Republicans stand on the issues and what their vision is for the future. I suspect Mr. Racicot's reluctance is based on a simple reality -- defending the Bush administration's handling of the economy, litany of broken campaign promises, and abysmal voting rights record is difficult, if not impossible.
"In addition, I must point out an important pattern that has been emerging in the Republican party. They claim to be reaching out to African Americans. However, the President's photo ops at inner city schools and churches cannot hide his harmful policy decisions. So whether it is the President turning down invitations to speak at the last two NAACP conventions, or Racicot being a no-show at the NABJ convention, the Republican party seems unwilling to answer the tough questions of why their actions don't match their rhetoric."
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