David Scott on a racial undertone in the debate over health care reform
Just got off the phone a few minutes ago with U.S. Rep. David Scott of metro Atlanta, who underlined what he said are some worrisome racial undertones in the current health care debate.
U.S. Rep. David Scott of metro Atlanta/Associated Press
As noted this morning, Scott was the topic of a WXIA TV report over the weekend, which detailed an Aug. 1 confrontation with opponents of health care reform at a town hall meeting in Douglasville.
Scott angrily accused protestors of attempting to “hijack” the meeting.
On Monday, the congressman said he stood by those comments, which were recorded by the city’s cable TV outlet — then truncated into the WXIA report.
The edited video hit the airwaves only this weekend, but in fact was one of the first of many such clashes over health care reported around the country.
U.S. Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Decatur) will host a town hall meeting on health care this evening. His staff says 20 law enforcement officers will be on hand to maintain order.
What the WXIA report failed to capture, the 13th District congressman said, was the fact that the health care protestors intruded on a delicate, local discussion.
“That was not my town hall meeting. It was the city of Douglasville. They had worked months to put a town hall meeting together, for me to come and to explain and to give comfort and assurance [to] the community that would be impacted,” Scott said.
The topic was the $70 million reconstruction of Ga. 92 in the community. Sixty-eight homes and businesses will be destroyed in the process.
“It would go right through the heart of the African-American community,” Scott said. “These people don’t know — they’re willing to try to trust here, but they want some comfort. They want to know how their homes will be appraised. How will the neighborhood be impacted? The whole future of Douglasville rests on this road. That’s what that meeting was about. It was not about health care.”
Scott said it was the fact that the meeting wasn’t his, and dealt with a sensitive topic, that made him use the sharp tone.
“I was going to stand up and get the respect of the constituents of mine that had worked hard to put a meeting together. And I was not going to let [health care protestors] hijack this meeting. We were discussing the life-and-death issues of their future and their homes and their way of life,” Scott said. “It was very disrespectful and selfish. I had to speak up for the respect of the people of Douglasville.”
Scott said he’ll be the sponsor of a health fair in Jonesboro on Saturday. “I’m willing to take questions. But that’s mine. This meeting was not mine,” Scott said.
City Manager William Osborne, who moderated the Douglasville event, confirmed that health care protestors had to be called to order “four or five times” during a meeting that lasted nearly four hours.
The city manager said the demonstrators weren’t a surprise — Herman Cain, the WSB Radio talk show host and former Republican candidate for senator, had urged those opposed to current health care proposals to show up.
But Osborne also disputed descriptions of Scott as “ranting.”
“He was angry and he showed that anger. But he was totally under control,” Osborne said.
Scott said he understands why he was the target of confrontation. As the only member of Congress who is a member of the Blue Dog and New Democrat caucuses, plus the Congressional Black Caucus, Scott says he has begun to fill the role of go-between on the health care issue.
“I think members of Congress have to stand firm, and they have to be able to realize that we’re in a fight — that this is a serious issue, it is a deliberative issue. But we’re being hanged in effigy,” he said.
Scott said he has no problem with protestors exercising their freedom of speech.
“This is a different thing here. We’re dealing a concerted effort to use these town hall meetings to bum rush Democratic congressmen about this issue,” Scott said.
While Scott acknowledged the legitimate concerns that many Americans have when it comes to overhauling health care, the congressman also expressed worry about the debate’s undertone. Scott e-mailed me a sampling of some of the rougher health care mail he’s received — the ones with variations of the n-word.
“You were, you are, and you shall forever be but a ———-,” one fax to his office reads. The missive includes a mug of President Barack Obama with a hammer-and-sickle stamped on his forehead.
“The folks are not going to stand for socialized medicine even though most Negroes refuse to stand on their own two feet,” says another.
“These people are bringing [in] race — and ‘Negro’ and ‘colored’ and Obama,” Scott said. “We should applaud the fact that we have an African-American president and he is working on this. This is a great thing. But it should not be a racial situation. What have we done except look at the problem and move on it?”
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514 comments Add your comment
Keith
August 10th, 2009
5:43 pm
Hey Scott, SHUT UP. Better yet, go meet one of those thugs that like to shoot people and let them shoot you. They are good at that.
PappyHappy
August 10th, 2009
5:46 pm
Oh– for Pete’s sake Congressman. Surely you can do better than ‘playing a race card’. Start reading the bills you can support, and start serving your constituents!! If the job is too difficult, RESIGN!!
YOU NEED TO REMEMBER THAT YOU WORK FOR THE PEOPLE — NOT THE OTHER WAY AROUND!
Anthony
August 10th, 2009
5:53 pm
You can always tell what side of the political fence the response originates. One side discusses the question posed and states a fact/opinion. The other side does: 1) Tries to change the subject or 2) Challenges the source of the facts or 3) Blames it on someone else or 4) Throws in the race card. Facts 1: Everyone can get health CARE in America, not everyone has health INSURANCE. Walk into any hospital emergency room and they will treat you. Fact 2: Yes, there may be 50M people in America that do not have health INSURANCE. Included in that number are those that CHOOSE not to buy insurance (healthy young people, older folks eligible for Medicare/Medicaid that CHOOSE not to enroll in the plan because of the income/care limitations). Also included in the number are NON-AMERICAN citizens inside the borders, illegal aliens, approx 8-12 million. Spin meisters try to gloss over the FACT that the illegals are counted in the 40-50M. The remining group, 8-10M are the real folks that need some options for greater health care beyond the emergency room visits. That is the root of the uninsured problem and there are many solutions beyond a $1.6Trillion complete dismanteling of the current system.
scott
August 10th, 2009
5:54 pm
keith you sound ignorant and toothless…i hope your rich cause keith if your not dont go knocking on INSANE HANNITY(sean hannity) and dope pushing limbaugh for help ..they are rich guys determined to keep you poor and ignorant while hannity making 8 mill a year and limbaugh making 15 continue to get richer and richer..knock on thier door if life throws you for a hoop health wise..bet they want help..wise up keith!!ignorance is offensive as a toliet that hasnt been flushed in 6 days in 95 degree heat..educate your self keith!!!
Dr. Keith
August 10th, 2009
5:56 pm
I live in Mr. Scott’s district and I am a physician. If you are opposed to massive government spending and dislike patients are treated with Medicare/Medicaid… then you are racist? Mr. Scott needs to have a discussion with physicians in his district to get a grasp on healthcare. The House plan will bankrupt our government. It is bad business and bad healthcare.
Steve
August 10th, 2009
5:57 pm
Hey “mike” it’s a good thing you didn’t add “intelligent” to “white” and “wealthy” as a word to describe you . . . nationalized healthcare would be a disaster in this country. You end up providing a few million people with “subsidized” healthcare (or healthcare that you and I provide as a freebie to those who can’t “afford” it, assuming healthcare is a right, which it is NOT)at the risk of DRASTICALLY reducing the quality and availability of good healthcare of an entire nation. The bottom line is that healthcare IS NOT A RIGHT and should not be placed on the backs of the taxpayers. Why do I even work, Obama the Savoir will give me healthcare, housing, food stamps and unemployment benefits, a Government cell phone and mo’ mony for every baby I have . . .
luckydog
August 10th, 2009
5:58 pm
wHAT WILL THE LIBERALS SAY IF THE PROTESTORS BEGIN TO RIOT LIKE THE LIBERALS DO WHEN THEY DISAGREE WITH A POLITICAL POSITION? DEJA VU?
Halibut Maoir
August 10th, 2009
5:58 pm
Anthony-You are excused from this discussion.You make sense & provide facts to back up your statements. HOW DARE YOU!!! Yours truly, DNC
BILLY
August 10th, 2009
5:59 pm
Your life and Liberty??what about mine’s?? You people have tried to RULE THE WORLD.Now you whites are scared of the Taliban IN PRISONS??? You think if you give AMERICANS SUPPORT,IT DESTROYS YOUR LIFE AND LIBERTY.Those arabs,indians,and other middle eastern do not like white arrogant americans. when will you people understand that ,if you LEAVE THE MIDDLE EAST ALONE,THEY WILL LEAVE YOU ALONE.You can spend billions to kill people in other countries,BUT YOU WILL NOT SUPPORT A QUALITY OF LIFE IN AMERICA.THEN YOU TRY TO SAY,”I’M NOT RACIST”,but you see your black co-workers in the wal-mart,AND YOU BIGOTS TURN YOUR HEADS AND WILL NOT SPEAK.The meetings remind me of a KLAN RALLY with their hoods off….plus he stays in office…….LIKE BERNIE MAC WOULD SAY,” WE AIN’T SCARED OF YOU MUTHAS”.
Peter
August 10th, 2009
6:01 pm
WOW the lack of education in this state shows it’s UGLY Color !
Nothing New
August 10th, 2009
6:01 pm
The Democrats didn’t call protesting against Bush unpatriotic or racist. Hillary called it a citizen’s duty to protest against policies they don’t like. But I guess this only when there is a Republican President. It’s funny the President was a community organizer but now he is against communities organizing. Please, don’t report me to the fishy Whitehouse website. The AJC strikes again from the far left and reporting only half the story.
Halibut Maoir
August 10th, 2009
6:03 pm
GetReal-See Billy @ 5:59 and you see what I mean from 5:39
SOJ ...
August 10th, 2009
6:04 pm
What a joke … Democrats, and that does include “Barrack The Terroist”, are goiong back on what they said a year ago. A year ago it was all about questioning the establishment. This is “Barrack The Terroist’s” way he has done things but now he walks a different walk! The “BTT(Barrack The Terroist)Democrats still placate to the ingnorant. Health care reform … anyone who is ill can go to just about any hospital and receive care. Oh yea, “BTT” doesn’t mention that!
joel
August 10th, 2009
6:05 pm
can you name one successful country run by blacks
Peter
August 10th, 2009
6:08 pm
Hey gatorboy ……..what a bunch of baloney………”The blame lies on the black communities lack of character, and ethics.”
I guess reading is tough…… did you not read the guy was getting e-mails and faxes with the N word in it ?
Where were the ethics when Cheney was gouging America with cost Plus contracts ?
Where is the ethics with this guy ?
COLUMBIA, S.C. – South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford used state aircraft for personal and political trips, often bringing along his wife and children — contrary to state law regarding official use, an Associated Press investigation has found.
Records reviewed by the AP show that since he took office in 2003, the two-term Republican has taken trips on state aircraft to locations of his children’s sporting events, hair and dentist appointments, political party gatherings and a birthday party for a campaign donor.
You are a Racist Period !
Sam
August 10th, 2009
6:09 pm
How does he know that the hate mail was from opponents? Maybe his own supporters sent them to make the opponents look bad. I have no proof that they were from supporters but he has no proof that they were from opponents. So let’s leave the hate mail out of this.
The Establishment
August 10th, 2009
6:11 pm
Joel, the country is The United States of America, and the President is Barack Obama. Like it or not, he won hands down and will do it again 2012. One thing about it, we don’t like everything and we don’t have to agree on everything but the democracy of voting is that opinion and majority wins.
SOJ ...
August 10th, 2009
6:11 pm
Billy (from 5:59pm) you are a racist. You are a RACIST! Your comments are meaningless and without merrit. You follow Barrack with out thinking or questioning. In your eyes, Barrack is black and that is the only thing that matters. You need to understand that, according to published reports, that your man Barrack is following more and more policies set out by “W” He will tax you no matter what since al this spending has to be repaid … or did you think that this is free money like you are more than likely receiving. Unemployment is the highest it has been since the great depression (BHO said it wouldn’t pass 8% – my math says that 10% is higher than 8%), deficit is higher than it ever has been (BHO stated that “W” was out of control and needed to stop and then he gets in office and sends it higher than ever!
sleestak
August 10th, 2009
6:14 pm
I live in the 13th and there is no way you can Vote scotty out of power. unless you cross over and do it in the democrat primary. The whole district was drawn up to have a black rep by Roy “boy” Barnes.
I will be at scotty’s town hall meeting august 15 but it wont do any good. He doesnt care what anybody
thinks his mind is already made up and he said that in his Rant in douglasville.
By way scotty doesnt even live in the 13th himself. He lives in Inman Park
Old Gold
August 10th, 2009
6:17 pm
Nice try. I think he’s probably the bigot here.
Anthony
August 10th, 2009
6:19 pm
FACT : A government entity, by any definition is NOT a business and has no motive, desire or mandate to make a profit. Examples include the post office and Amtrak, both are subsidized by the taxpayers when they fall short. FACT, a public option to ‘compete with the insurance companies to keep them honest’, is not a level playing field. A ‘public option’, backed by the government debt/print money capability, has no incentive to even break even. It has the power and ability to dictate prices below cost, thus driving profit driven companies out of the market. FACT : A business that uses one source of income (profits from monopolistic business units) to allow expansion into new markets at below cost price points with the sole purpose to eliminate the competion, IS ILLEGAL according to SEC/DOJ rulings. And the government public option plan is different how?
joel
August 10th, 2009
6:19 pm
how do you starve a lberal? hide his food stamps in his work boots
joel
August 10th, 2009
6:21 pm
im not racist i love college football
SOJ ...
August 10th, 2009
6:26 pm
Anthony … you are a great American!
David
August 10th, 2009
6:26 pm
Yes, John Clavis, private companies maximize profit to shareholders. Why wouldn’ they? Profits drive competion and competion drives efficiencies that the government (as I see it) doesn’t give a hoot about. The system is flawed but this isn’t the solution. I am concerned that I won’t have the choice that I have now. And, if you read the bill, you should be concerned, too.
Anita
August 10th, 2009
6:30 pm
This is about racism. Here you have millions of Americans without insurance and The President is trying to help and all we hear is criticism.
Keith, This is not about individuals who do not have jobs. This is about individuals who are rejected by their insurance because of a serious illness. You can call whoever you like a thug but I will tell you this if you people want a riot you are asking for it because we will not stand for this. We will fight until the end like we did during the civil rights days.
I am fed up and so are millions of others. So you racist individuals just keep it up. You haven’t seen anything yet. This is from an educated black woman who is proud to be black.
Halibut Maoir
August 10th, 2009
6:32 pm
Anthony-Again facts & common sense, What are you trying to do, Give massive headaches to those so mis-informed? Mission accomplished!
OneFreeMan
August 10th, 2009
6:32 pm
If you Don’t want a public plan, then don’t sign up for the public plan. The cost for medical care is out of control. I know a dentist that made $400,000 in a month( 2500/ hr). I’m sure he earned every penny.
Blame the congress, they are the one’s that made it possible for medical providers to charge outrageous prices and then they can garnish your wages if you default. How many creditors can charge you unreal prices and garnish your wages?
Trailor Park Trash
August 10th, 2009
6:32 pm
Pass the eight grade first before you start making comments. The discussion was about HEALTHCARE IDIOTS. It hurts that a Rich White Boy in Bush screwed up for eight years, and the critics (mostly racist whites who hide behind the name “conservative republican” were SILENT THE WHOLE EIGHT YEARS” WHERE WERE YOU GUYS DURING THE EIGHT YEAR SCREW UP BY THAT DUMB REDNECK! NOW every critic from Politics & Journalists, to every Billy-Bob & Maryanne, has an opinion that needs to get heard. By the way I’m white and from the North, where the WAR WAS WON DAMIT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Anthony
August 10th, 2009
6:33 pm
FACT : Let’s say management of a company that makes bread, mandates that the employees pay into a retirement fund and took the money directly out of their paycheck. They take out more money than they giove out in benefits to build a reserve for the current workers that will retire in the future. Now if the management then decided to take that accumulated money to spend it on advertisements at football games, busines meetings, new equipment, bonus to themselves, etc and put attached an IOU of future earnings onto the acct, how long do you think it would take for this ILLEGAL act to be stopped and those responsible go to jail? FACT: Since 1983, the congress has manadated that every worker must pay into the social security fund more money than is currently being paid out in retirement benefits. Since 1983 they have been stealing and spending the excess and replacing it with IOUs, to be paid by future workers. How come these guys aren’t in orange jump suits?
Halibut Maoir
August 10th, 2009
6:37 pm
Anita-Bless you for having a big heart. Tweak Health Care maybe, but overhaul complete system for the few does not make sense. Please see Anthony post @5:53 he makes some valid points. Peace
dunwoodytruthsayer
August 10th, 2009
6:37 pm
So folks, how does it feel to know that you’re now in a permanent minority? (Demographics are destiny, as they say.) Part of what is going to become a regional party?
Anthony
August 10th, 2009
6:38 pm
Halibut Maoir, LOL glad someone is paying attention.
Grit
August 10th, 2009
6:41 pm
Any time a black person get’s opposition to what they are doing they turns it into a racial issue. It’s their way of disarming white people.
Halibut Maoir
August 10th, 2009
6:42 pm
Anthony-Thank you for your post’s. You print what many of us think & say,
Cedric E. Arle
August 10th, 2009
6:44 pm
I am not part of any organized opposition to facist or socialist healthcare “reforms”, bailouts or other such nonsense like we’ve had in the last 8 months, but Congress and Presbo are on notice: be afraid. Continue in your current path and you’ll see a legal, electoral revolt on a scale not experienced since our American Revolution. That is not a threat, it is a promise. God bless America.
Halibut Maoir
August 10th, 2009
6:45 pm
People have a great evening-remember it’s not always about race. But it is for those who choose to make it such-PEACE
NA
August 10th, 2009
6:49 pm
HOPE———– guess they forgot the word no in front of hope
Change we can believe in —————Change we should fear
How do you get the attention of Nancy Pelosi, Harry Reid, Barney Frank——they are the ones ram rodding this.
Leigh
August 10th, 2009
6:51 pm
Where were all the cries for impeachment and voting out when Bush lied to America about the weapons of mass destruction! Obama is 7 months in office and still try to clean up another presidents mess. (FYI_- I voted for Bush twice!) We have a President fighting for healthcare for all Americans and the right wing is publishing and pushing propaganda that it will destroy our nation. WAKE UP! African Americans are no longer the majority of minorities in the US. They are no longer the top beneficiary of federal aid, food stamps, etc. This is the south, so all the narrow minded racist can see is a black man attempting to help the poor (african americans). The Honorable Louis Farrakhan predicted while white America is focusing their hatred on black America, the Asians, Hispanics and other immigrants secure funding and gain political ground. Vote however you heart leads you to vote. Men, women and children of all colors, ages and creed died for that right. Just remember, the person waiting in the wings for the seat may not look, talk or walk the way your grand pappy did! The times they are a changing!
eddie s
August 10th, 2009
6:58 pm
I believe the problem is Mr. Scott is a Racist…… and as a recognized Racist he is trying to turn the tables around because Mr. Scott cannot get what he wants, so therefore, anyone who does not agree with Mr. Scott is a Racist…. It is time for this Racist to be voted out of Office,,, He is totally useless to the average hard working taxpayer of his District… He is just another one of Pelosi’s Pimps…..Nothing more, nothing less… and lining his pockets at the Public Trough….He is Useless…
sam
August 10th, 2009
6:59 pm
What’s been happening at these town halls can hardly be characterized as “debate”. In fact, the protesters seem to be going out of their way to prevent an exchange of ideas. And sadly, the substance of their disagreement gets lost in all the screaming, so no one wins
20 year Republican
August 10th, 2009
7:10 pm
Halibut et al, good riddance. Your know it all attitude and total disregard for millions of suffering American is nauseating. Visit some of the food pantries across the metro area and the faces you see are not all African Americans. Everyone is impacted by this recession. If you have the answer to the healthcare crisis, run for office and submit your proposal/law. It is real easy to stand on side line and pass judgment. Get in the race and lets see how quickly you line your middle class pockets.
Chirs
August 10th, 2009
7:12 pm
I’m lost on how we are finding what Rep Scott said is racist. He simply pointed out that he was getting racist based letters for health care protest. And he is saying that race has no place in this debate. There is no race card being drawn here people. I feel like you guys did not read the same article I did.
Anyway, on the Health Care point. Just go read something. All this socialism talk is getting on my nerves. NO ONE in America wants socialism. NO ONE. So, lets all just draw out the points and counterpoints and have a reasonable debate about something. A reasonable educated debate. Its reasonable that someone would not want a certain provision in a bill because it would make their premium go up or down, or affect their coverage. It is unreasonable when people make an argument that the bill is out to kill old people, give minorities a free ride, and socialize our way of living. Those extremist views will never move us forward in any direction.
I hope sensible reasonable Georgians show up for these debates. We can’t afford not to.
Michael
August 10th, 2009
7:17 pm
This guys is not smart enough to have this job.
ATL Guy
August 10th, 2009
7:19 pm
What I am seeing more from the South is a level of ignorance and stupidity that makes me marvel. It’s amazing the foolishness that you people grab onto and shout as fact. Hannity, O’Reilly, Mark Levin and Limbaugh are jerking your heart strings because they know how gullible you fools are. You buy into their spin and stupidness because you don’t think for yourselves although you think you do. The day you guys stop being a profitable product for these guys, they’ll switch to the other side at a moment’s heartbeat. In the meantime, they know you guys are like sheep being led to slaughter.
Karmaismf
August 10th, 2009
7:23 pm
I’m not surprised by this kind of hatred talk, regardless if you are a conservative, you can speak your peace without resorting to underlying and in your face racist jargon. It’s very sad that people don’t care about their fellow man, but being a resident of paulding county, I see this written in the blogs of Paulding county as well. You could care less about a road going through someone’s home unless it’s going through the wealthy area. LoL what a sad miserable bunch of people you are, spreading lies online without reading and trying to understand for yourselves. With so many seniors white and black being on medicare, what do you think that is? Something you’re entitled to? That’s a handout just the same. You don’t have to accept the gov sponsored insurance, you can keep your own, but let people decide for themselves without other’s resorting to scare tactics. See I’m a strong believer in KARMA, and what you give out you get back 10 fold! I hope you all settle down and actually ask questions, without resorting to screaming and threatening to get your point across. Sad Sad Truly Sad
JournalismSux
August 10th, 2009
7:23 pm
Another reason why journalism and reporting are garbage in 2009. Now let me do Mr. Galloway a favor and report what really happened.
What we all saw on the news was a hack job of sound and video clipped together to make it appear to the slant that it was. The exchange we saw was from over an hour of this jacka%&s Dr. and others who kept interrupting a meeting that had nothing to do with health care! These people are trying to find out how, when, etc their homes would be demolished for this new road GA 92 and we got some fools interrupting every 5 minutes.
Excuse me but how would you like it if that was your house and you went to that meeting trying to find out the details of the planning for GA 92 and you got this fool interrupting the speaker for over an hour?
That Dr. is worried that he will no longer get payments from drug companies for giving patients prescriptions to the drugs that his buddy drug companies tell him to.
If I were there I would have bounced him out myself!
Scott should be commended for taking charge. Vote him out I think NOT!
NoleRick
August 10th, 2009
7:23 pm
I just want to know when did our Constitution declare that we have the right to “Life, Liberty,Pursuit of Happiness and Health Care”?
I am black and I am sick and tired of the whole race card….its really old people.
Mike
August 10th, 2009
7:27 pm
The biggest evil ever practice in this country is beginning to rise to the top of the political heap. The pale faces of the previous administration essentially bankrupted this country. Now you have some more pale faces (the new nazis) are spreading fear among a group of people in this country who refuse to think for themselves. So now this group goes out and uses gestapo tactics at these town hall meetings to disrupt. Funny thing is if you or your family members use medicaid you are already using government health care, dummy. What is not surprising is the racial comments and overtones have started. Whenever pale faces are whipped into a frenzy, then those old racial feelings come out. Just look at most of the posts from this article. One things about it pale faces, this is not the 30s,40s,50s, or the 60s. Maybe what you folks have sowed for so long in this country is about to be reaped.
Bill
August 10th, 2009
7:27 pm
Please.
At least one fifth of our population has no regular access to health care, and we still spend nearly twice as much per person as any other developed nation. What do we get, outcomes that put us about 20th. Surely we can do better.
On the one hand, some republicans argue that we need to focus on cost rather than expanding coverage. Then, they suggest that a focus on cost would result in a “death council”.
This is not a choice between cost and coverage. We need to do both. They are not mutually exclusive.
Most of all, we need a civilized discussion about the issue. Ignore the fear mongers, and find out what is in the various healthcare bills. Then, let’s talk about solutions.
The townhall disruptors do not appear to be interested in voicing their opinions, only drowning out others. They remind me of nothing as much as a lynch mob.