The Rev. Jesse Jackson said in a Tuesday interview with a national news outlet that there’s no question about it — Republicans are constantly pushing the race button on all matters of policy and politics, and tea party activists are akin to redneck racist throwbacks from the Civil War era.
“The tea party is the resurrection of the Confederacy,” he said, in an interview with Politico. “It’s the Fort Sumter tea party.”
He added: The GOP is “absolutely” using race as a reason to oppose President Obama and White House police proposals.
This is just the latest in a series of notable remarks the civil-rights activist has made lately, as captured by the press.
A week ago, he posted a Twitter statement about the murder of Australian Christopher Lane, in Oklahoma on a college baseball scholarship: “This senseless violence is frowned upon.” Readers reacted in outrage, calling his choice of words — “frowned upon” — a tactless understatement. Shortly after, Mr. Jackson took to Twitter again and commented on the same murder — only referred to the victim, Mr. Lane, by an incorrect name — as Christopher Lee.
Again, readers reacted with anger, calling on Mr. Jackson in responding tweets to “get it right.”
• Cheryl K. Chumley can be reached at cchumley@washingtontimes.com.
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