George's Bottom Line

Reporting and analysis from ABC News Chief Washington Correspondent and "This Week" Host George Stephanopoulos

George Stephanopoulos reports on events in politics, Congress and the White House for ABCNews, on the air and online. He interviews top newsmakers, discusses the events of the week and looks to the week ahead each Sunday on 'This Week.'

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Lugar: 'There Will Be Questions Raised' About Bill Clinton's Foreign Work

November 30, 2008 10:16 AM

Sen. Richard Lugar, R-Ind., the top Republican on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee told me today that while he believes he will vote to confirm Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., as President-elect Barack Obama's Secretary of State, questions linger about former President Bill Clinton's foreign work.

As part of a deal worked out between lawyers for the former president and Obama's transition team looking to clear obstacles to Hillary Clinton's nomination as Secretary of State, Bill Clinton has agreed to a number of concessions, including disclosing all contributors to his foundation, separating his Clinton Global Initiative from his foundation, and end any Clinton Global Initiative meetings outside of the United States, and submit any future speeches, projects and contracts to the State Department ethics czar for approval.

"I think it's a big step," but, Lugar said, "I think the wide-ranging activities of President Clinton are very substantial on this earth, they will continue to be."

Lugar said it's been suggested that Bill Clinton could be a diplomatic emissary to India and Pakistan to try to work out their dispute over Kashmir.

"I don't know how given all of our ethics standards now, anyone quite measures up to this who has such cosmic ties," Lugar said. "But I think the Obama campaign people have done a good job in trying to pin down the most important elements."

When I pressed Sen. Lugar on whether the package of restrictions on the former president was sufficient for him to vote for Clinton for Secretary of State, he said, "I would vote in favor of Sen. Clinton knowing what we have here on this program today."

"I suspect, however, that I'm not alone in suggesting there will be questions raised and will probably be legitimate," Lugar said.

Given all of the ties, all of the influence that he has, all of the relationships, that he is a major player in foreign policy," Lugar said. "Now Mrs. Clinton is going to be the Secretary of State. They are married."

Sen.  Jack Reed, D-R.I., a member of the Senate Armed Services Committee and top adviser to Obama said on "This Week," "I think this arrangement sets up a framework of transparency and disclosure."

"As it goes forward I think that the presumption will be that both Secretary of State and the former president will be very judicious about what they take on because of the new dimension here," Reed said.

--George Stephanopoulos

November 30, 2008 in This Week with George Stephanopoulos | Permalink | User Comments (37)

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I think they all should be more concerned about Obamas foreign money donations than Bill Clintons connections !!! We know most of Clintons connections but we dont know anything about those millions that poured into Obamas campaigns from the list of weird names and fake addresses used.

Posted by: jimbo | Nov 30, 2008 11:46:59 AM

George Stephanopoulos the election is over. You can quit getting down on your hands and knees and quit giving Obama his daily rim job and BL0W JOB.

Posted by: Hammer GIRL | Nov 30, 2008 11:59:41 AM

The rest of the media lost all credibility since this election and the disgraceful love affair they all had for Obama. It was disgusting. George Stephanopoulos go home already you also have a disgusting COMB OVER hair doo.

Posted by: slicer dee | Nov 30, 2008 12:01:28 PM

wow. ok. so this is the "change" that obama led you all to believe? lugar is absolutely right. THEY ARE MARRIED!!! regardless of whatever "steps" that are put into place by lawyers (good start by the way obama) the secretary of state WILL BE A JOINT POSITION WITH HILLARY CLINTON. there is absolutely no disputing this. so, all of you democrats that have been running at the mouth about "how much better things were with clinton in office", you got your wish. this is turning out to be a third term for bill clinton. oh the "change".....

Posted by: tim | Nov 30, 2008 12:01:48 PM

The press has been speculating for weeks about the vetting of and deals with Bill Clinton in order for Hilary to acceptable as Secrety of State.

This whole issue is absurd.

If Mrs Clinton had won the nomination and, subsequently the election, would there have been a similar process?

If Hilary Clinton was President-Elect, no one would have to approve her husband. What's the logic here?

Posted by: Mark Rand | Nov 30, 2008 12:05:10 PM

good point mark rand. bottom line is that, if hillary would have won the presidential election, obviously, anyone with a lick of common sense would assume that bill would have ENORMOUS amounts of influence on the presidency. so why should it be any different with the secretary of state? this is getting off to a GREAT start... lol

Posted by: tim | Nov 30, 2008 12:12:15 PM

Wow, I'm not surprised at the comments, but can't say that I'm inclined to pay much attention to them, given that most of you probably voted for Bush ... twice! Yes, that's right ... you have such good judgment that even after he had proven himself to one of the worst presidents in US history, YOU STILL VOTED FOR HIM. Now that there's the prospect of having a competent non-corrupt administration, it's just too much for you. If Jesus Christ himself was the Democratic nominee, you wouldn't vote for him. I can't think of anything more un-American than the way the Republican base has acted over the past several years ... the permanent-majority-minded-there-is-no-global-warming-we're-American-so-we-can-bomb-anyone-we-like-including-civilians-and-other-nations-will-still-like-us-who-needs-the-rest-of-the-world-mexicans-are-taking-our-minimum-wage-jobs-the-economy-is-in-great-shape-our-healthcare-system-is-the-best-in-the-world, oh please. The reality is that the neo-cons are a bunch of degenerates that couldn't care less about the future of our children or this country, and that when push comes to shove, the only thing that moves the needle for those folks is the weight of their pocketbook. Where's the morality in having to experience suffering before one can empathize? Where's the family values in screwing up the environment so much for future generations that it may be beyond repair? The reality is that if the Republican party doesn't get rid of the regurgitated bile that has defined their agenda (and that is evidenced in the comments above) they're doomed forever, a wrecked and sinking ship. Just a piece of advice, pull your head out of Rush's A$$, turn of Fox Noise and start thinking about who you are and why you're here. It's funny, how when the best of humanity is revealed, the worst of humanity reveals itself.

Posted by: oysterboy | Nov 30, 2008 12:43:18 PM

I should qualify that the above rant is directed to the first few posts, not all of them.

Posted by: oyst | Nov 30, 2008 12:46:19 PM

I am so tried of everyone looking on the surface and seeing who Obama is appointing and asking about "what about change?" Change come by the policies he initate and how Obama work within a stagnate government. The people Obama appoint works his agenda, and his policies. So give Obama time to come into office and then, look behind the surface of his appointments and you will see change.

Posted by: J MCGhee | Nov 30, 2008 12:49:50 PM

The President using his brain? Appointing people based on merits not ideology alone? That's a nice change already...

Posted by: MIguy | Nov 30, 2008 1:06:44 PM

Oysterboy hit it right on the head. You Babbling Bobs of Nothingness never worried or said anything about ethics for eight years, and now want to talk as if though you have an ethical compass ... can you say 'No Credibility'. As for those 'love affair with Obama' comments ... grow up! If any President placed this country in the position GWB is leaving us in, that party's nominee would have a Mt Olympus hurdle to climb. Obama's a good man, a very intelligent man (remember Harvard ... one of this nation's best schools ... I know you think being average at Iowa State as Palin was for 1 1/2 years of attendance was better (no offense ISU!), and Obama will do well for this nation given the mess we are in ... WHEN HE ACTUALLY TAKES OFFICE. In other words babblers ... if you want credibility, let's talk in about 2.5 years after the President-Elect and his direction have had a chance to take us somewhere. Darn Babbling Bobs ....

Posted by: CharlesDaButler | Nov 30, 2008 1:26:42 PM

I think Lugar is right you cannot have ethics rules for general Americans and special complex deals for subverting ethics rules for some politicians. Very few will disagree that Bill Clinton was a better president than George Bush has been and that Bill Clinton is doing very well for himself and for some of his humanitarian causes but the complexities and the strict, but sometimes ambiguous ethics rules being enforced for government service have to be uniformly applied without exception and without precedence even for an ex president.

Posted by: gjkotw01 | Nov 30, 2008 1:38:30 PM

I am sick and tired of Obama and the Obama work shippers already. I can't wait for 2012.

Jindall 2012

Posted by: Enough | Nov 30, 2008 1:48:07 PM

The person who mentions that, if Clinton were President-Elect, there would be NO VETTING PROCESS of her conflicts of interest.
That person is absolutely correct and that is outrageous.
Anyone can run for President, but not everyone can have one of the two most visible and important Cabinet positions (Treasury and SOS) without being vetted.
Of course, there will be problems with vetting the Clintons.

Posted by: susan | Nov 30, 2008 2:15:10 PM

I'm sure this will provide a lot of cannon fodder for your Sunday get-together.

By the way, when do you think you'll get around to real and actual issues that matter to most of us instead of digging around in fluff and stuff that has no real bearing on the daily lives of those of us who are not lucky enough to live on your income level?

Posted by: jan | Nov 30, 2008 2:59:23 PM

Give me a break, the rupugnicant's still dont get it. Stop the bull and get to work. Nobody is buying your stupid fear mongering and old school dirty polotics. Go to bed an dlet the real people lead this country out of the mess you have all gotten us into in the past 8 years.

Most people get 15 minutes, you had 8 years, bye-bye

Posted by: chipo1965 | Nov 30, 2008 3:17:19 PM

Lo-o-o-s-e-r-s.

BO012

Posted by: 12_angry_men | Nov 30, 2008 3:30:42 PM

jimbo We could care less about what regurgated republican radio drival morons like you post. You and the rest of your type are now irrelevant. Get ready for the fairness doctrine and go to Faux news for other things to whine about.

Posted by: pieceof cake | Nov 30, 2008 4:05:16 PM

I think America is lucky to have Mr. Clinton to call upon for diplomatic assistance...he's well respected around the world as well as Mrs. Bush remaining to work on humanitarian aid in hot spots around the world, her credentials are impecible!

With representatives from former adiministrations, President Obama will create a needed and effective bipartisan team; a team we desperately need for our own security and the security of all other countries dedicated to world peace.

Posted by: Tangito | Nov 30, 2008 4:42:20 PM

To all the Republicans who voted for Bush 2 times and now complain about Obama, I say keep up the hate.

Hate, racism, and singlemindedness and eight years of GWB taking his hatched to the Constitution lost you the election.

Obama is a very intelligent kind man. He will make a fine President. Finally, I have my country back......but what a breathtaking mess to clean up.

Posted by: bye_bye_Righties | Nov 30, 2008 4:50:24 PM

Did anyone catch the name of the book "we should all go back and read" that was mentioned on the roundtable segment?

Posted by: katiplicity | Nov 30, 2008 6:11:21 PM

"I don't know how given all of our ethics standards now, anyone quite measures up to this who has such cosmic ties," Lugar said.

This statement jumped out at me; funny sh!t! A RepubTard speaking about "ethics"! lolololol

Has anybody bothered to let Bush/Cheney in on that little "standard"???

====================================
I am sick and tired of Obama and the Obama work shippers already. I can't wait for 2012.

Jindall 2012

Posted by: Enough | Nov 30, 2008 1:48:07 PM
----------------
Well, "Enough", I'm tired of UNEDUCATED RepubTards, suck as yourself, even being allowed to breathe!! What the hell is a "work shippers"???

Jindall in 2012?? HAHAHAHA
There is not ONE RepubTard who will beat President Obama in 2012. And in 2016...my guess is that Hillary will run again. The RepubTard Party is OVER!!! It's Indy's and Dem's from here on out.

A REAL Republican was in the running for this election, RON PAUL. But all of you FAKE RepubTards BLEW IT!! BIG TIME!!
Speaking as an Indy voter, I was backing Dr. Ron Paul. Then my choices were the INSANE John McShame with his pitbull in lipstick or an Harvard Educated man with a great vision for America's FUTURE. This was a NO BRAINER!!! HAIL TO THE CHIEF, PRESIDENT OBAMA!!


Posted by: MsRotten | Nov 30, 2008 11:41:58 PM

type-o "such* as yourself"

Posted by: MsRotten | Nov 30, 2008 11:44:14 PM

The names of the 208,000 donors to the Clinton Library will remain secret from the public. I fail to see how this is the transparency in government we were promised.

Obama was never the liberal that his detractors tried to make him out to be. His record has been staunchly right of center, and unfortunately the people get screwed again by politicians playing word games to portray themselves as what they are not.

Posted by: Jane C. | Dec 1, 2008 12:47:24 AM

If Lugar had bothered to listen and read he would know what Obama will have Bill Clintion do. A hint is repair the damage Bush/Cheney have done all over the World. Republicans reporters are either acting dumb or their just dumb. Obama has made his direct so clear a 5 year old could understand still reporters act like they never hear the information. Lugar and the rest of the loyal Bush followers need to get over the fact Obama won and McCain lost and nothing will change the history making 365 Electorial Votes. I know the kick back pay from the White House was good but the Crime Wave is over. Jan. 20th there's a new honest educated President who with the help of his Cabinet and the American people will restore our Country.

Posted by: Jackie Rawlings | Dec 1, 2008 3:09:12 AM

How ca the word "ethics" even be mentioned in the same sentence with politics/politicians? It never ceases to amaze me how anyone with a shred of intellect can believe anything will change. Politics is the dirtiest, filthiest, raunchiest, most despicable business there is. Integrity and honesty and a willingness to do what's best for all will NEVER be accomplished in any man-made political system. Anyone with a shred of intelligence knows this. Jesus Christ wasn't stupid enough to"run for office", he's already the King-Designate who will bring to ruin all those ruining the earth and, hey, it won't be long!

Posted by: Change Is Coming | Dec 1, 2008 9:10:35 AM

I wonder how many in the mainstream obamamania media will actually dig into bill's dealings and see what is going on now that the clintons have joined up with barry. My guess is they will protect him just like they protected barry O.

Posted by: liberalshateAmerica | Dec 1, 2008 12:27:38 PM

Ms Rotten,
if it wasn't for the
republican party (Abraham Lincoln, MLK) where would America be today? Democrats only picked up on actually supporting minorities once they realized that handing out entitlements=votes. The fact is that ever since the liberal, hippie, counter-culture, let it all hang out, party of the 60's began to dominate the black vote, black's #'s relative to whites have steadily fallen.

Posted by: liberalshateAmerica | Dec 1, 2008 12:32:46 PM

Anyone catch the name of the book mentioned on the ROUNDTABLE segment of the show?

Posted by: katiplicity | Dec 1, 2008 12:49:03 PM

Somehow these quotes never get old. Just because liberals write biased history books doesn't mean they are able to erase it completely(although I am sure they will eventually try)........

Blacks "are inferior to the whites in the endowments of both of body and mind."
--Thomas Jefferson, 1787
Co-founder of the Democratic Party (along with Andrew Jackson)
President, 1801-09


"I hold that the present state of civilization, where two races of different origin, and distinguished by color, and other physical differences, as well as intellectual, are brought together, the relation now existing in the slaveholding states between the two, is, instead of an evil, a good--a positive good."
--Sen. John C. Calhoun (D., S.C.), 1837
Vice President, 1825-32
His statue stands in the U.S. Capitol.


"If blacks were given the right to vote, that would "place every splay-footed, bandy-shanked, hump-backed, thick-lipped, flat-nosed, woolly-headed, ebon-colored Negro in the country upon an equality with the poor white man."
--Rep. Andrew Johnson, (D., Tenn.), 1844
President, 1865-69

"Resolved, That the Democratic Party will resist all attempts at renewing, in Congress or out of it, the agitation of the slavery question, under whatever shape or color the attempt may be made."
--Platform of the Democratic Party, 1852


Blacks are "a subordinate and inferior class of beings who had been subjugated by the dominant race."
--Chief Justice Roger Taney, Dred Scott v. Sandford, 1856
Appointed Attorney General by Andrew Jackson in 1831
Appointed Secretary of the Treasury by Andrew Jackson in 1833
Appointed to the Supreme Court by Andrew Jackson in 1836

"Resolved, That claiming fellowship with, and desiring the co-operation of all who regard the preservation of the Union under the Constitution as the paramount issue--and repudiating all sectional parties and platforms concerning domestic slavery, which seek to embroil the States and incite to treason and armed resistance to law in the Territories; and whose avowed purposes, if consummated, must end in civil war and disunion, the American Democracy recognize and adopt the principles contained in the organic laws establishing the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska as embodying the only sound and safe solution of the 'slavery question' upon which the great national idea of the people of this whole country can repose in its determined conservatism of the Union--NON-INTERFERENCE BY CONGRESS WITH SLAVERY IN STATE AND TERRITORY, OR IN THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA" (emphasis in original).
--Platform of the Democratic Party, 1856

"I hold that a Negro is not and never ought to be a citizen of the United States. I hold that this government was made on the white basis; made by the white men, for the benefit of white men and their posterity forever, and should be administered by white men and none others."
--Sen. Stephen A. Douglas (D., Ill.), 1858
Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, 1860

"Resolved, That the enactments of the State Legislatures to defeat the faithful execution of the Fugitive Slave Law, are hostile in character, subversive of the Constitution, and revolutionary in their effect."
--Platform of the Democratic Party, 1860

"The Almighty has fixed the distinction of the races; the Almighty has made the black man inferior, and, sir, by no legislation, by no military power, can you wipe out this distinction."
--Rep. Fernando Wood (D., N.Y.), 1865
Mayor of New York City, 1855-58, 1860-62

"My fellow citizens, I have said that the contest before us was one for the restoration of our government; it is also one for the restoration of our race. It is to prevent the people of our race from being exiled from their homes--exiled from the government which they formed and created for themselves and for their children, and to prevent them from being driven out of the country or trodden under foot by an inferior and barbarous race."
--Francis P. Blair Jr., accepting the Democratic nomination for Vice President, 1868
Democratic Senator from Missouri, 1869-72
His statue stands in the U.S. Capitol.

"Instead of restoring the Union, it [the Republican Party] has, so far as in its power, dissolved it, and subjected ten states, in time of profound peace, to military despotism and Negro supremacy."
--Platform of the Democratic Party, 1868

"While the tendency of the white race is upward, the tendency of the colored race is downward."
--Sen. Thomas Hendricks (D., Ind.), 1869
Democratic nominee for Vice President, 1876
Vice President, 1885


"We, the delegates of the Democratic party of the United States . . . demand such modification of the treaty with the Chinese Empire, or such legislation within constitutional limitations, as shall prevent further importation or immigration of the Mongolian race."
--Platform of the Democratic Party, 1876

"No more Chinese immigration, except for travel, education, and foreign commerce, and that even carefully guarded."
--Platform of the Democratic Party, 1880

"American civilization demands that against the immigration or importation of Mongolians to these shores our gates be closed."
--Platform of the Democratic Party, 1884

"We favor the continuance and strict enforcement of the Chinese exclusion law, and its application to the same classes of all Asiatic races."
--Platform of the Democratic Party, 1900

"The repeal of the fifteenth amendment, one of the greatest blunders and therefore one of the greatest crimes in political history, is a consummation to be devoutly wished for."
--Rep. John Sharpe Williams (D., Miss.), 1903
House Minority Leader, 1903-08

"Republicanism means Negro equality, while the Democratic Party means that the white man is supreme. That is why we Southerners are all Democrats."
--Sen. Ben Tillman (D., S.C.), 1906
Chairman, Committee on Naval Affairs, 1913-19

"We are opposed to the admission of Asiatic immigrants who can not be amalgamated with our population, or whose presence among us would raise a race issue and involve us in diplomatic controversies with Oriental powers."
--Platform of the Democratic Party, 1908

"I am opposed to the practice of having colored policemen in the District [of Columbia]. It is a source of danger by constantly engendering racial friction, and is offensive to thousands of Southern white people who make their homes here."
--Sen. Hoke Smith (D., Ga.), 1912
Appointed Secretary of the Interior by Grover Cleveland in 1893

"The South is serious with regard to its attitude to the Negro in politics. The South understands this subject, and its policy is unalterable and uncompromising. We desire no concessions. We seek no sops. We grasp no shadows on this subject. We take no risks. We abhor a Northern policy of catering to the Negro in politics just as we abhor a Northern policy of social equality."
--Josephus Daniels, editor, Raleigh
News & Observer, 1912
Appointed Secretary of the Navy by Woodrow Wilson in 1913
Appointed Ambassador to Mexico by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1933
USS Josephus Daniels named for him by the Johnson Administration in 1965


"The Negro as a race, in all the ages of the world, has never shown sustained power of self-development. He is not endowed with the creative faculty. . . . He has never created for himself any civilization. . . . He has never had any civilization except that which has been inculcated by a superior race. And it is a lamentable fact that his civilization lasts only so long as he is in the hands of the white man who inculcates it. When left to himself he has universally gone back to the barbarism of the jungle."
--Sen. James Vardaman (D., Miss.), 1914
Chairman, Committee on Natural Resources, 1913-19


"This is a white man's country, and will always remain a white man's country."
--Rep. James F. Byrnes (D., S.C.), 1919
Appointed to the Supreme Court by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1941
Appointed Secretary of State by Harry S. Truman in 1945


"Slavery among the whites was an improvement over independence in Africa. The very progress that the blacks have made, when--and only when--brought into contact with the whites, ought to be a sufficient argument in support of white supremacy--it ought to be sufficient to convince even the blacks themselves."
--William Jennings Bryan, 1923
Presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, 1896, 1900 and 1908
Appointed Secretary of State by Woodrow Wilson in 1913
His statue stands in the U.S. Capitol.


"Anyone who has traveled to the Far East knows that the mingling of Asiatic blood with European or American blood produces, in nine cases out of ten, the most unfortunate results. . . . The argument works both ways. I know a great many cultivated, highly educated and delightful Japanese. They have all told me that they would feel the same repugnance and objection to have thousands of Americans settle in Japan and intermarry with the Japanese as I would feel in having large numbers of Japanese coming over here and intermarry with the American population. In this question, then, of Japanese exclusion from the United States it is necessary only to advance the true reason--the undesirability of mixing the blood of the two peoples. . . . The Japanese people and the American people are both opposed to intermarriage of the two races--there can be no quarrel there."
--Franklin D. Roosevelt, 1925
President, 1933-45

"This passport which you have given me is a symbol to me of the passport which you have given me before. I do not feel that it would be out of place to state to you here on this occasion that I know that without the support of the members of this organization I would not have been called, even by my enemies, the 'Junior Senator from Alabama.' "
--Hugo Black, accepting a life membership in the Ku Klux Klan upon his election to the U.S. Senate as a Democrat from Alabama, 1926
Appointed to the Supreme Court by Franklin D. Roosevelt in 1937


"Mr. President, the crime of lynching . . . is not of sufficient importance to justify this legislation."
--Sen. Claude Pepper (D., Fla.), 1938


Spoken while engaged in a six-hour speech against the antilynching bill
"I am a former Kleagle [recruiter] of the Ku Klux Klan in Raleigh County. . . . The Klan is needed today as never before and I am anxious to see its rebirth here in West Virginia. It is necessary that the order be promoted immediately and in every state in the union."
--Robert C. Byrd, 1946
Democratic Senator from West Virginia, 1959-present
Senate Majority Leader, 1977-80 and 1987-88
Senate President Pro Tempore, 1989-95, 2001-03, 2007-present
His portrait stands in the U.S. Capitol.


President Truman's civil rights program "is a farce and a sham--an effort to set up a police state in the guise of liberty. I am opposed to that program. I have voted against the so-called poll tax repeal bill. . .. I have voted against the so-called anti-lynching bill."
--Rep. Lyndon B. Johnson (D., Texas), 1948
U.S. Senator, 1949-61
Senate Majority Leader, 1955-61
President, 1963-69

"There is no warrant for the curious notion that Christianity favors the involuntary commingling of the races in social institutions. Although He knew both Jews and Samaritans and the relations existing between them, Christ did not advocate that courts or legislative bodies should compel them to mix socially against their will."
--Sen. Sam Ervin (D., N.C.), 1955
Chairman, Committee on Government Operations, 1971-75

"The decline and fall of the Roman empire came after years of intermarriage with other races. Spain was toppled as a world power as a result of the amalgamation of the races. . . . Certainly history shows that nations composed of a mongrel race lose their strength and become weak, lazy and indifferent."
--Herman E. Talmadge, 1955
Democratic Senator from Georgia, 1957-81
Chairman, Committee on Agriculture, 1971-81


"These Negroes, they're getting pretty uppity these days and that's a problem for us since they've got something now they never had before, the political pull to back up their uppityness. Now we've got to do something about this, we've got to give them a little something, just enough to quiet them down, not enough to make a difference. For if we don't move at all, then their allies will line up against us and there'll be no way of stopping them, we'll lose the filibuster and there'll be no way of putting a brake on all sorts of wild legislation. It'll be Reconstruction all over again."
--Sen. Lyndon B. Johnson (D., Texas), 1957

"I have never seen very many white people who felt they were being imposed upon or being subjected to any second-class citizenship if they were directed to a waiting room or to any other public facility to wait or to eat with other white people. Only the Negroes, of all the races which are in this land, publicly proclaim they are being mistreated, imposed upon, and declared second-class citizens because they must go to public facilities with members of their own race."
--Sen. Richard B. Russell Jr. (D., Ga.), 1961
The Russell Senate Office Building is named for him.

"I did not lie awake at night worrying about the problems of Negroes."
--Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy, 1961
Kennedy later authorized wiretapping the phones and bugging the hotel rooms of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

"I'm not going to use the federal government's authority deliberately to circumvent the natural inclination of people to live in ethnically homogeneous neighborhoods. . . . I have nothing against a community that's made up of people who are Polish or Czechoslovakian or French-Canadian or blacks who are trying to maintain the ethnic purity of their neighborhoods."
--Jimmy Carter, 1976
President, 1977-81
Winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, 2002

"The Confederate Memorial has had a special place in my life for many years. . . . There were many, many times that I found myself drawn to this deeply inspiring memorial, to contemplate the sacrifices of others, several of whom were my ancestors, whose enormous suffering and collective gallantry are to this day still misunderstood by most Americans."
--James Webb, 1990
Now a Democratic Senator from Virginia


"Everybody likes to go to Geneva. I used to do it for the Law of the Sea conferences and you'd find these potentates from down in Africa, you know, rather than eating each other, they'd just come up and get a good square meal in Geneva."
--Sen. Ernest F. Hollings (D., S.C.) 1993
Chairman, Commerce Committee, 1987-95 and 2001-03
Candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, 1984


"I do not think it is an exaggeration at all to say to my friend from West Virginia [Sen. Robert C. Byrd, a former Ku Klux Klan recruiter] that he would have been a great senator at any moment. . . . He would have been right during the great conflict of civil war in this nation."
--Sen. Christopher Dodd (D., Conn.), 2004
Chairman, Committee on Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs
Candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, 2008

"You cannot go into a Dunkin' Donuts or a 7-Eleven unless you have a slight Indian accent."

"My state was a slave state. My state is a border state. My state has the eighth largest black population in the country. My state is anything [but] a Northeastern liberal state."

"I mean, you got the first mainstream African American [Barack Obama] who is articulate and bright and clean and a nice looking guy."

"There's less than 1% of the population of Iowa that is African American. There is probably less than 4% or 5% that is, are minorities. What is it in Washington? So look, it goes back to what you start off with, what you're dealing with."
Sen. Joseph Biden Jr., (D., Del.), 2006-07
Chairman, Committee on the Judiciary, 1987-95
Chairman, Committee on Foreign Relations
Candidate for the Democratic presidential nomination, 2008
vice president,2009

Bonus quote:
"It has of late become the custom of the men of the South to speak with entire candor of the settled and deliberate policy of suppressing the negro vote. They have been forced to choose between a policy of manifest injustice toward the blacks and the horrors of negro rule. They chose to disfranchise the negroes. That was manifestly the lesser of two evils. . . . The Republican Party committed a great public crime when it gave the right of suffrage to the blacks. . . . So long as the Fifteenth Amendment stands, the menace of the rule of the blacks will impend, and the safeguards against it must be maintained."


Posted by: liberalshateAmerica | Dec 1, 2008 12:52:52 PM

"liberalshateAmerica"---the KKK said they'll leave the light on for you. why don't you not try to speak for liberals or tell us we hate our country? i don't think conservatives hate their country. i think people like you want a country based on hate and racism. and if america evey espouses your views, i will be truly ashamed to be an american. i have no worries about that happening. lay off the hate, seriously, it's making you ill.

Posted by: Paul Wall | Dec 2, 2008 9:57:47 PM

PaulWall

Actually dude, look at the history books... the KKK was started by democrats.. MLK and Abe Lincoln were on my side. Democrats didn't start in on civil rights all the way until the 60's when they realized that entitlements=votes. That is how the democrats operate today, through their modern form of slavery, they keep the black man down and his hand open for one of their entitlements.
I am not being hateful, just truthful.

Posted by: liberalshateAmerica | Dec 4, 2008 2:56:43 PM

jimbo SAID "think they all should be more concerned about Obamas foreign money donations than Bill Clintons connections. ...we dont know anything about those millions that poured into Obamas campaigns from the list of weird names and fake addresses used.
---------------------------------------
Where do you get this stuff? The names are all public and available on the internet. When you throw around words like fake, weird, foreign - you are just venting your own frustrations and not stating anything concrete. I donated to Obama's campaign - the first time I ever donated to anybody's campaign. I'm just an average American but I, like millions of others, thought it was imperative that he win and we helped out by donating. If you have something CONCRETE post it...if it is just more of these innuendo's ---do us all a favor and keep it to yourself. We don't need any more of the negative. It's time that we all come together as Americans to get this country moving again.

Posted by: Olivia | Dec 5, 2008 8:44:35 AM

jimbo SAID "think they all should be more concerned about Obamas foreign money donations than Bill Clintons connections. ...we dont know anything about those millions that poured into Obamas campaigns from the list of weird names and fake addresses used.
---------------------------------------
Where do you get this stuff? The names are all public and available on the internet. When you throw around words like fake, weird, foreign - you are just venting your own frustrations and not stating anything concrete. I donated to Obama's campaign - the first time I ever donated to anybody's campaign. I'm just an average American but I, like millions of others, thought it was imperative that he win and we helped out by donating. If you have something CONCRETE post it...if it is just more of these innuendo's ---do us all a favor and keep it to yourself. We don't need any more of the negative. It's time that we all come together as Americans to get this country moving again.

Posted by: Olivia | Dec 5, 2008 8:44:37 AM

i am sick and tired of Obama haters. Get a life,

Posted by: bernard c amadi | Dec 8, 2008 7:12:40 AM

If the replublicans dissapprove Barack Obama presidency, they should tell me their prefence .
McCain ? Palin ? pls give me a break. If the republicans want a perfect president, why did the they vote for George Bush twice ?

Posted by: solomon | Dec 10, 2008 7:06:57 PM

gee I guess nobody caught the name of the book the guest on the Roundtable segment suggested we all go back and read? Also please let us all move forward rather than dredging up the past to blame this or that group for the divisive political and social realities facing us. We are now in control, all of us, and we had best seize this time get off our complacent and complaining asses and back our new president, joining TOGETHER to make improvements in our country and the world. The book, anyone?

Posted by: katiplicity | Dec 13, 2008 3:54:23 AM

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