Hank Johnson: Clarence Thomas 'Worse' Than Edward Snowden For Gutting Voting Rights Act

[onehandle]

Source: Huffington Post



WASHINGTON -- Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) said Wednesday that the fact that Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas voted this week to gut the Voting Rights Act -- the 1965 law aimed at protecting disenfranchised voters -- ranks him somewhere below the likes of Edward Snowden, the former National Security Agency contractor who leaked classified information about U.S. surveillance programs to the press. "Comparing it to Snowden, I'd say the offense is worse," Johnson told The Huffington Post.

Johnson, who is a member of the Congressional Black Caucus, said Snowden was wrong to leak top-secret materials to the media but was also "mistaken" in thinking that NSA's activities were illegal. By contrast, Thomas, who is black, is "legally aware of the consequences" to the black community of striking down a core piece of the Voting Rights Act, Johnson said, yet he did it anyway.

Members of the CBC are among those outraged by the Supreme Court's 5-4 ruling in the case. Several gave speeches on the House floor on Thursday to express their disapproval and to urge Congress to take action to restore the law. Civil rights hero and longtime congressman John Lewis (D-Ga.) said Wednesday that the court "put a dagger in the heart of the Voting Rights Act."

Johnson said caucus members have gotten used to Thomas casting conservative votes that may be harmful to the black community. "We don't waste time sitting around talking about Clarence Thomas," he said. "Everybody knows it's a deep tragedy."

Read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/27/hank-johnson-clarence-thomas_n_3512999.html

[graham4anything]

1. I agree 100% with Rep. Hank Johnson, a true American hero. nt.

[Berlum]

2. Clarence (R) is getting quite a spanking.

Deservedly so.

I bet he likes it.

Secretly.

[SharonAnn]

19. Is he trying to show an example of why Affirmative Action and Voting Rights for minorities

are a bad idea?

He certainly has benefited from both but he wants to deny those to others.

"You can pull up the ladder now, I've reached the top!"

[Botany]

4. enjoy your stay

[In_The_Wind]

5. Hope you had fun while you were here!

[Katashi_itto]

6. Sam Jackson talks Slavery

[greatlaurel]

7. Roberts is an intellectual pygmy.

Thomas's problem is his self loathing, that he needs serious treatment to overcome. Sadly, Chief Justice Roberts' problem is his lack of intelligence. His written opinions are full of shockingly juvenile reasoning. The failure of the media to point this out shows just how much the Washington media has been captured by corporate interests.

[tom_kelly]

8. Thomas

I couldn't help but notice the pain his face shows in the above picture. Its like there is someone inside him who is trapped and can't get out.

[heaven05]

11. I

think it shows his intellectual and physical constipation. I can't, never have, been able to stomach him.

[LynneSin]

9. Clarence Thomas is truly the poster child for Affirmative Action

This guy has absolutely no business sitting on the highest court of the country. Yet after the retirement of Thurgood Marshall, probably one of the greatest people to ever sit on the United States Supreme Court AND the first African American Justice in SCOTUS, George Bush Sr felt compelled that he had to replace Marshall with another African-American.

And Bush Sr found the absolutely WORST judge out there in the land. Clarence Thomas has got to be the worst ever, he has done absolutely nothing but vote party line and let Scalia do all the talking. What's worse is this guy shouldn't even BE a justice with his wife out there pushing the Tea Party movement.

[rhett o rick]

12. From you subject, it sounds like you are saying that Thomas is an example

of Affirmative Action working, while it is quite the opposite. Did I misunderstand?

[LynneSin]

16. I stand corrected - it's example of Affirmative Action GOP style

Thanks to you and the other poster!

[rhett o rick]

18. NP. nm

[Enthusiast]

28. Yes. Clarence Thomas is an example of extreme hypocrisy...nt

[Liberal_Stalwart71]

13. Absolutely not. Clarence Thomas is the poster children for affirmative action NOT working.

Affirmative action doesn't assume that one is not as qualified as someone else or unqualified. The problem with Uncle Thomas is that he's NOT qualified. That's not affirmative action. Quite the opposite.

[greatlaurel]

14. Affirmative action was co-opted about five seconds after it was created.

It was used by the powers that be to promote their cronies, sycophants and other assorted lackeys. There have to be places where it worked effectively, but in the backwater state where I worked it was a disaster. Thomas did the obvious move of turning into the sort of person that would be rewarded by the people in charge. He became something unique ( and really creepy), a black man who opposes equality. It worked and got him great material wealth.

However, he has destroyed himself in the process. He is a character straight out of a William Faulkner novel. His life is a great tragedy.

Roberts is the one that deserves complete and utter disdain and ridicule. He believes his own press releases. He is so stupid, he believes he is superior. He thinks he got where he is due to his abilities. He is so idiotic he cannot recognize his behavior as a corporate lickspittle is why he was chosen for this role. Thomas is tragic, because he at least understands he is a Judas. Roberts is too dense to get it.

[LynneSin]

17. He's the Samuel L Jackson part from Django Unchained

nuff said

[Politicub]

22. I believe Jackson's character was modeled after Thomas

Truly.

[SharonAnn]

20. He gutted EEOC when he was in charge of it. It's never recovered.

[heaven05]

10. I

just read the 'Bill of Rights.....again and number 15 says, "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by ANY(emp. mine)state by race, color or previous condition of servitude." sec 2:"the Congress shall have the power to enforce this legislation." So we the people still have teeth, am I correct in thinking this way? Clarence Thomas is Bush Sr's cynical appointment as a counter to the brilliance of Thurgood Marshall and the biggest joke I've seen on the high court in my life of 65 years.

[Stargleamer]

15. But he's even more worse. . .

for sexually harrassing Anita Hill, then lying about it.

[Politicub]

21. Agree - they're both pretty odious

But Thomas wins the prize by a long shot.

[Dawson Leery]

23. Thomas is much worse tha Snowden.

There is no comparison.

[blkmusclmachine]

24. Yessa, massa

[JeaneRaye]

25. What a waste

... of air and space. Why can't he just die?

[Ken Burch]

26. Clarence Thomas is the SCOTUS version of the Samuel L. Jackson character in DJANGO, UNCHAINED n/t.

[alp227]

27. What if Fat Tony capsized Guam?

Would Johnson find THAT worse?

http://motherjones.com/mojo/2010/04/rep-hank-johnson-thinks-guam-could-capsize