Thousands of people gathered to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King’s “I Have a Dream” speech in Washington on Wednesday, but the historic event was missing the country’s only black senator.
Sen. Tim Scott, a South Carolina Republican appointed by Gov. Nikki Haley earlier this year to fill the seat vacated by former Sen. Jim DeMint, was not invited to participate in the historic event that included President Obama, former President Bill Clinton, Oprah Winfrey and MSNBC host Al Sharpton.
One CNN guest argued that there was no reason for Mr. Scott to be there.
“And he should have been invited why?” asked USA Today columnist DeWayne Wickham on CNN’s “The Lead.” “He should have been invited to speak for what reason?”
“He’s one of 50 senators,” he added. “And he’s appointed, not elected.”
There are 100 U.S. senators, and Mr. Scott was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2010 and served from 2011 to 2013.
National Public Radio host Michel Martin also wondered why “two other living presidents” were not in attendance, especially since former President George H.W. Bush “had a very strong record on civil rights,” she said.
Mediaite.com noted that both Mr. Bush and his son, former President George W. Bush, declined to attend because of the younger Mr. Bush’s recovery from recent surgery.
• Jessica Chasmar can be reached at jchasmar@washingtontimes.com.
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