Rep. Poe Quotes Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard On House Floor

[babylonsister]

http://thinkprogress.org/2007/05/08/poe-kkk/

Rep. Poe Quotes Ku Klux Klan Grand Wizard On House Floor

Yesterday on the House floor, Rep. Ted Poe (R-TX) argued that the United States needs to immediately authorize funds for the war in Iraq. “Congress needs to quit talking about supporting the troops and put money where our mouths seem to be,” said Poe.

To make his case, he quoted “successful Confederate general” Nathan Bedford Forrest, but left out the fact that Forrest was also one of the original Grand Wizards of the Ku Klux Klan. Watch it at link~

Poe’s spokeswoman tried to justify the reference to Forrest, stating, that it “was used in an historical context comparing the request to Congress for support of the Confederate troops to the request that is being made today by our Generals in Iraq.” (Roll Call adds that it’s actually a misquote of Forrest as well.)

So remember, it’s perfectly fine to quote KKK Grand Wizards to make your argument, as long as it’s in a “historical context.”

Carpetbagger Report has more.

Transcript:

POE: Mr. Speaker, does anybody realize there’s a war going out there in the desert sands of Iraq and the rough mountains of Afghanistan? Apparently not or Congress would be taking care of our troops. Mr. Speaker, the troops will be out of funds to carry the fight to the enemy by the end of June. So where’s the money? Spending money is what Congress does. Why hasn’t this body provided the funds for our troops and equipment and more personnel?

This is an emergency. Delay will put our troops at risk. We should authorize the funds now. Send equipment now. And if needed send more troops. The American people expect our military to do their duty. Well the American people expect us to do ours as well. Congress needs to quit talking about supporting the troops and put money where our mouths seem to be. Nathan Bedford Forrest, successful Confederate general, said it best about winning and victory and the means to do so. He said, “Git thar fustest with the mostest.”

[Greeby]

1. Anyone suprised by that?

I ain't :eyes:

[wicket]

5. Sadly, no

n/t

[liberaldemocrat7]

6. Delay did put our troops in jeopardy.

When the REPUBLIKLAN Party controlled congress Tom Delay allowed the lies of George W Bush to send the troops to Iraq and Delay also did not give the troops enough body armor and armor for trucks and jeeps and HMVees.

[mile18blister]

17. Funny, I read it the same way.

It took me a moment to realize it wasn't a reference to Hot Tub Tom.

[pnwmom]

2. I suppose he thinks it strengthens his case to compare the US traitors in the

confederate leadership to our current "allies" in Iraq.

:shrug:

[unpossibles]

3. on an unrelated note, I have noticed several Republicons refer to a "Mr." speaker

is this proper way to address a woman in power, to pretend she's a he, or am I missing something? I assumed he was addressing Pelosi, but perhaps there is someone I am missing.

Or is this the new slur, akin to using "Democrat?"

[IA_Seth]

7. I believe that would be...

Mr (Acting) Speaker... as Ms Pelosi is not there (on CSPAN now). I don't know if that was the case during this quote, but I suspect it.

[unpossibles]

8. ok - that explains it

I wondered if that may be the case, but as I only saw a short clip on the news the other night, then this, I wasn't sure.

[TechBear_Seattle]

4. Is he calling calling the general in Iraq traitors?

I'm a bit confused. "An historical context comparing the request to Congress for support of the Confederate troops to the request that is being made today by our Generals in Iraq" makes it sound like he is likening the generals in Iraq with Confederate troops. Confederate troops were rebels: traitors to the United States, its legal government, and the Constitution. Many of the Confederate generals had taken oaths as US military officers to protect and defend the Constitution, adding oathbreaker to their list of crimes.

Am I missing something here, or do I have Poe pegged correctly?

[underpants]

9. There is the other side too-using a Confederate anything in the same breath as "Iraq"

Were the Confederates really "successful"??

Is he equating the insurgents in Iraq to Johnny Reb????

:eyes:

[robbyrob79]

10. I think its funny to quote

a general who was on the losing side of the war talking about victory. I would have laughed just because of the irony of it.

[AtomicKitten]

11. Hey, Repubs: Keep bringing on the crazy!! ... n/t

[quiet.american]

12. Sheesh -- a double-assclown!

What was he thinking?

"...successful Confederate general...." WTF.

And then quoting and (apparently misquoting) a founder of one the most violent, twisted, hateful organizations ever known to man... on the floor of the senate, a senate supported by our tax dollars?!

And as a special bonus -- why did Poe not make such an impassioned speech when $8 billion went missing in Iraq and the troops had filthy food and no body armor?

This guy is a disgrace.

[NobleCynic]

13. There were successful confederate generals?

They won many battles yes, but the lost the war.

Maybe there is a parallel there actually...

[IronLionZion]

14. He was successful in spreading racism and hatred

after sorely losing a civil war. Maybe the parallel is that Iraq is in a civil war fueled by bigoted sectarian hatred, which is a good thing if you're Republican.

[aikoaiko]

15. It is a good quote.

regardless of Forrest's infamous associations.


eta: wiki says Forrest didn't actually say it, but who can trust wiki.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nathan_Bedford_Forrest

[Recursion]

16. I have to admit I don't get what's wrong here

Why can't a Congressman quote a Confederate general when making a point? Particularly when making a point about military funding?

[last_texas_dem]

18. Poe sucks

He wouldn't even be a Rep. w/o that criminal Tom Delay gerrymandering him a white Republican district to dilute the heavily black Jefferson County (one of the only Texas counties to vote for both Gore and Kerry) from having a Democratic Rep., which had virtually always been the tradition in that part of Southeast Texas. I figure he's always known it's the white racists who keep him in office, but he's getting a little careless about revealing who some of his "heroes" are.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

19. Poe has always been a right wing anus.

He was a law and order jerk when he was a Criminal District Judge for many years (felony cases) -- and he had some creative punishments he meted out that made him look like a publicity hound.

In one case he made a bunch of convicts repaint the Battleship Texas (which has been a rustbucket for decades, it served in both World Wars).

[MrSlayer]

20. I'm failing to see why this matters.

It's not like he said "In the immortal words of Grand Wizard Nathan Bedford Forrest 'Take him to the tree!'" Poe was quoting him as the general making a point about being victorious in war, I don't where his Grand Wizardship enters into it or why he should mention it. Because the guy was otherwise an asshole doesn't mean he can't make a good point on a non-racist subject he was familiar with. Poe is also an asshole but I think they're reaching for something that isn't there on this one.

[maxrandb]

21. He's comparing our brave troops to the Confederate Rebels?

or maybe he's saying; "if only Jefferson Davis had given more money to the troops 'we wouldn't be having all these troubles we've been having (aka Trent Lott).

It's despicable! This man is comparing our troops to an Army of foreigners that declared war on the United States.