Even though it doesn’t happen every day — 80 members of Congress walking out of the House chamber protesting a vote — the “mainstream” press barely covered the protest. Capitol Hill publications have it a mention — but go try to find a story in the Washington Post or the New York Times.
Here is the story:
About eighty House Democrats walked out of the House Chamber in protest when the contempt vote on Attorney General Eric Holder began this afternoon. Though the effort to protest the contempt vote on Holder was conceived by Congressional Black Caucus Chairman Emanuel Cleaver, it gained steam among non-CBC members.
The contempt vote against Holder was the first against any White House cabinet official in American history.
The vote passed easily in the GOP controlled House by 255 to 67. Many Democrats didn’t either vote “nay” before walking out of the chamber.
Eric Holder is the first African American to hold the position of Attorney General. He is the 82nd person to serve in the position. Holder also served briefly in the position in 2001 under President George W. Bush before John Ashcroft.
Democrats were very angry with the way the Republican controlled House proceeded on the matter of the investigation of a gun operation known as Fast and Furious. They were particularly unhappy with House Oversight Chairman Darrell Issa (R-CA).
The stakes were raised even higher when the House’s most senior member, Rep. John Dingell (D-MI), who is 85, offered a resolution to conduct a bi-partisan investigation. Dingell, who has served in the House since 1955, was critical of the Republican led investigation of Holder.
Democrats had very strong words on the matter.
“We’re doing what has never been done in 111 Congresses,” said Democratic Leader Steny Hoyer (D-MD). ”I believe the political motivations behind this motion present a clear and present danger to this country,” he strongly added.
“The vote should not be dignified with an answer… This is a cheap political stunt to bring disfavor to the President of the United States,” said Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA).
“It may just be a coincidence, I don’t know, that the Attorney General is fighting voter suppression… it may just be a coincidence. Or maybe it isn’t,” said former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA). ”Just when you think they couldn’t possibly go over the edge they come up with something like this,” she added. Pelosi announced she would join Democrats in protest and not appear on the House floor during the vote.
“This should be called fast and foolish or fast and fake,” said Rep. Jackie Speier (D-CA) on the House floor as she referred to the contempt vote on Holder. “What we are doing here is a travesty to this country and to this institution,” she added.
“This proceedure does violence to the Constitution. In the 223 years of this instutition there has never been a vote like this before,” said Rep. Rob Andrews (D-NJ). “This procedure diminishes the House. It should not go forward,” he added.
“The contempt resolution is disgraceful and should not be brought to the House… this is unheard of and it is disrespectful to this House,” said Rep. Donna Edwards (D-MD).
The Department of Justice has provided over 7,600 pages of documents to the House Oversight Committee. The Attorney General has appeared before Congress nine times on the matter of Fast and Furious.
“Republicans are not looking for a resolution or to compromise they are looking to embarrass the Attorney General… It is time for us to simply walk away from the nonsense,” Edwards added.
“What began as a legitimate investigation has degenerated into a partisan political attack,” said Rep. Adam Schiff (D-CA).
Many of the Republicans who argued in favor of the contempt vote were elected in 2010. The National Rifle Association is scoring the vote, which has compelled several Democrats to join the Republicans.
Republicans Darrell Issa (R-CA), Trey Gowdy (R-SC), Richard Nugent (R-FL) and Jason Chaffetz (R-UT) led the debate on the House floor for the Republicans. They made the point that it’s Congresses’ duty to investigate Fast and Furious and the matter of Agent Brian Terry’s death. Issa stood next to a photo of Agent Brian Terry, who was killed in 2010, as he spoke on the floor.
Many Democrats say Oversight Committee Chair Issa could have avoided the action in Committee and that Speaker John Boehner (R-OH) could have prevented the vote from being considered on the House floor.
The[80]Democrat Members of Congress Showed Great Leadership.The Exertion of Power and Representation is Exactly What is Needed…Also a Big Shout Out To Rep.Elijah Cummings,Great Leadership! The Media Can be Tea Party Biased…We Need More Black Owned Media!
Claim;President Obama Continues To Disrespect Black Press…A panel discussion at the National Newspaper Publishers Association Annual Convention Titled,”Get Out The Vote”should have been renamed,”Get Out The Anger”as Black Newspaper Owners expressed their strong displeasure over the Obama Administration failure to accomodate the needs of The Black Press…”We don’t think the President has ever spoken to us…He’s spoken to the Latino Community and he’s been specific,”said Robert W. Bogle,publisher of The Philadelphia Tribune and a former NNPA president.”This is the First President since Franklin Roosevelt that has not Invited the Black Press to The White House[for an interview]…Other Black Media Outlets have had similar experiences…Heart & Soul Magazine, A Health and Fitness Magazine for Women of Color,offered to place Michelle Obama on the Cover but they too, were denied an interview with The First Lady…Black Media Executives,many of them Strong Supporters of President Obama,are Puzzled by President and Mrs.Obama’s frequent appearances on Late-Night Comedy Shows yet his Staff can’t-or won’t- find time for interviews with The Black Press…President Obama will Certainly Lose if he does not Maintain a Firm Grip on The Black Vote…”They feel that they’re being taken for Granted,they don’t feel Included,”said Jaime Cain publisher of The Times Weekly Newspaper in Joliet,Il.”I’m hearing,”so when President Obama”Loses”This is what I’m hearing in the community.
Maybe This Will Help Shed Light on no Media Coverage from The Washington Post or The New York Times:….”The Effect of Jewish Controll of The Media;in America…Should any Minority be Allowed to Wield Such Awesome Power?” Certainly,not and allowing a people with beliefs such as expressed in the Talmud,to Determine what we get to Read or Watch in effect gives this Small Minority the Power to Mold our Minds to Suit Their own Talmudic Interests…”By permitting The Jews to Controll our News and Entertainment Media,we are giving them a Decisive Influence on our Political System and Virtual Controll of our Government.”…”We are giving them Controll of the Minds and Souls of our Children,whose Attitudes and Ideas are Shaped More by Jewish Television and Jewish Films than by Their Parents,Their Schools,or any other Influence.” In January[2001] one of the Largest Mergers in Corporate History made America Online[AOL] and Time Warner the Worlds Biggest Media Company….Six Jewish Companies Control[96%] of The World’s Media:…Time,Disney,Viacom,Bertelsmann,News Corporation and Vivendi…[22%] share of The Global Music Market;with Labels like Polygram and Motown, Bertelsmann Music Group[BMG].”News Corp uses its Global Reach to Localize its Tax Calculations,getting its Accounts done in Countries with Low Tax Rates…”As a Result it Paid only[6.1%] tax Worldwide in the[4] years to June[1998]…”Owner Rupert Murdock; Reserves[$13.5] billion…Viacom[$12.86]billion…Bertelsmann AG[$16.3]billion…Time[$31.8]billion…Disney[$23.4]billion…Global Zionism and The New World Order…”The Dangers of Not Addressing a Key Issue.”
”The Effect of Jewish Controll of The Media;in America:…How Jews Controll American Media…[NBC-Bronfman]…[Newsweek-Graham]…[Fox-Murdoch]…[ABC-Eisner]…[CBS-Rothstein/Redstone]…[US News Report-Zuckerman]…”The Power of Lies,Deceptions and Disinformation as America pay the Price of Collective Stupidity…”You Know Very Well and The Stupid Americans Know Equally Well,that We Controll Their Government,irrespective of Who Sits in The White House.”You see,I know it and you know it that no American President can be in a Position to Challenge us even if we do The Unthinkable.”What can They[Americans] do to us?…”We Controll Congress, We Controll the Media,We Controll Show Biz,…And We Controll Everything in America.”In America you can Critize God,but you can’t Critize Israel…”Israeli spokeswoman;Tzipora Menache, stated.”
Artist Against Israeli Apartheid Movement Grows:…Alice Walker,Author and Activist,joins a growing group of Artist and Entertainers who are Boycotting Israel for it’s Treatment of Palestinians in what many are calling Apartheid Practices…Ms.Walker has Refused to Allow Yediot Books to Publish in Hebrew her Pulitzer Prize Winning Novel Turned Novel Turned Broadway Musical Color Purple…”The testimony we heard,both from Israelis and Palestinians[I was a jurist]was devastating…”I grew up under American Apartheid and this was far worse.”Indeed,many South Africans who attended,including Desmond Tutu,felt the Israeli Version of these Crimes is Worse even than what they Suffered under The White Supremacist Regimes that Dominated South Africa for so long.”Said Alice Walker…She added,”it is My Hope that the Non-Violent BDS[Boycott,Divestment,Sanctions]movement of which I am part,will have enough of an impact on Israeli Civilian Society to change the situation…”We are devoted to the promotion of Just Peace and True Democracy in this Region.”We are particularly opposed to Western Government’s decision to boycott The Palestinians in The Occupied Palestinian Territories,most especially in besieged Gaza”…This is particularly outrageous given the same Western Governments prolonged support of Israel’s Apartheid and other Daily Violations of International Law.