U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown attacks top Bush administration official over Haiti(racist remarks)

AP ^ | 02/26/04 | KEN THOMAS

[Pikamax]

Posted on Wed, Feb. 25, 2004

Brown rips into Bush administration official

KEN THOMAS

Associated Press

MIAMI - U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown verbally attacked a top Bush administration official during a briefing on the Haiti crisis Wednesday, calling the President's policy on the beleaguered nation "racist" and his representatives "a bunch of white men."

Her outburst was directed at Assistant Secretary of State Roger Noriega during a closed-door meeting on Capitol Hill. Noriega, a Mexican-American, is the State Department's top official for Latin America.

"I think it was an emotional response of her frustration with the administration," said David Simon, a spokesman for the Jacksonville Democrat. He noted that Brown, who is black, is "very passionate about Haiti."

Brown sat directly across the table from Noriega and yelled into a microphone. Her comments sent a hush over the hourlong meeting, which was attended by about 30 people, including several members of Congress and Bush administration officials.

Noriega later told Brown: "As a Mexican-American, I deeply resent being called a racist and branded a white man," according to three participants.

Brown then told him "you all look alike to me," the participants said.

During the meeting, Brown criticized the administration's response to the escalating violence in Haiti, where rebels opposing President Jean-Bertrand Aristide's government have seized control of large parts of the country.

After her comments about white men, Noriega said he would "relay that to (Secretary of State) Colin Powell and (national security adviser) Condoleezza Rice the next time I run into them," participants said. Powell and Rice are black.

A State department spokesman did not return a phone message.

U.S. Rep. Mark Foley, R-West Palm Beach, who organized the meeting, called the comments "disappointing."

"To sit there and browbeat this man who is a Mexican-American and call him names, it was inappropriate," Foley said.

Brown has criticized the detention of Haitian migrants fleeing their country and the freezing of millions of dollars in aid over flawed 2000 legislative elections in the impoverished Caribbean nation. In a statement Wednesday, she made parallels to the disputed 2000 election in Florida.

"It simply mystifies me how President Bush, a president who was selected by the Supreme Court under more than questionable circumstances (in my district alone 27,000 votes were thrown out), is telling another country that their elections were not fair and that they are therefore undeserving of aid or international recognition," Brown said.

Participants at the meeting included eight members of Florida's congressional delegation, U.S. Reps. Christopher Cox, R-Calif., and Maxine Waters, D-Calif.; John Maisto, U.S. Ambassador to the Organization of American States, and Adolfo Franco, an assistant administrator with the U.S. Agency for International Development.

[lilylangtree]

When all else fails, just to get attention, a demonRAT calls a Pub a racist in the paper. Hey, Bobby "Sheets" Byrd, I'm frustrated too. Byrd, you're the worst kind of racist and the demonRATS of all colors, including this twit Corinne Brown, still love you. That's why they keep you in power. Hypocrisy, at its finest! (sarc)

[Eric in the Ozarks]

More heat than light.

[Enterprise]

I'm sorry, but I can't help but chortle when I seen this type of RAT meltdown.

[el_texicano]

"More heat than light."

Yeah, well...offensive, hateful, hot air is more like it.

[anniegetyourgun]

The prez needs to tell these folks that they must first get an approval from the U.N. to intervene in Haiti. Then they must enlist a large coalition to include France and Germany. Then they must pass it through Congress with the necessary funding. They must not be so arrogant as to think they can go it alone, like cowboys.

[Paleo Conservative]

This time the rebels should kill Aristide so no future DemocRAT president could put him back in power.

[highnoon]

Ain't it great when they implode?

[mass55th]

It's too bad these minority Demoncrats don't exhibit the same "passion" when it's Iraqi lives being destroyed.

[XBob]

1 - What a racist - Noriega - "Noriega later told Brown: "As a Mexican-American, I deeply resent being called a racist and branded a white man," according to three participants. "

Horrors, being "branded a white man" !!

[RippleFire]

bump

[Enterprise]

Two great comments from imploding Brown:

"calling the President's policy on the beleaguered nation "racist" and his representatives "a bunch of white men."

"Brown then told him "you all look alike to me,"

This is priceless!

[RippleFire]

Looks like a rocket scientist

[Enterprise]

BTW: Rod Paige said the NEA was a terrorist organization and he is being duly excoriated by the liberals and their allied media scum. Brown called Bush Administration personnel racist and a bunch of white guys and they all look alike. Which statement will get more coverage?? Do I really need to ask?

[hadaclueonce]

didn't someone get a peace prize for their work with Haiti?

[RippleFire]

Better news from her bio at http://www.house.gov/corrinebrown/biography.shtml :

Corrine Brown was elected to Congress from the Third District of Florida in 1992. She is a public servant who prides herself on delivering the goods and services of the federal government to her constituents.

[tutstar]

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1085552/posts

already posted

[Enterprise]

Oh man, do I EVER love your suggestion!

[HELLRAISER II]

This is what bothers me when it comes to Blacks whining like this *itch of a woman is doing. She claims racism while in the process of a racist statement herself, so I must conclude that it's only a racist act or statement when spoken by a White man. Which is B.S!

[Enterprise]

Imagine the rioting and killing that would erupt in this country if President Bush or Vice President Cheney went around saying things like "all blacks look alike," or the Administration of Washington D.C. is a bunch of black guys. Racist statements and behavior are acceptable as long as a white male is not involved.