At a Senate hearing Wednesday, Sen. Lindsey Graham confronted the president of the NAACP with accusations that the civil rights group has an anti-Republican bias.
NAACP President Cornell Brooks was testifying in opposition to President-elect Donald Trump’s nomination of Sen. Jeff Sessions for attorney general when Mr. Graham challenged his and the organization’s political motives.
Earlier, Mr. Brooks said that Mr. Sessions’ record “evinces a clear disregard, disrespect, and even disdain for the civil and human rights of racial and ethnic minorities, women, the disabled, and others who suffer from discrimination in this country.”
“Based on his record and his statements, the NAACP strongly believes that confirmation of Senator Sessions as attorney general would be bad for America and could exacerbate already deepening racial divisions in this country,” he told the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Mr. Graham, South Carolina Republican, later asked what was Mr. Sessions’ score on the NAACP legislative score card.
“The senator has received a low grade, a failing grade, for years on end,” Mr. Brooks said.
Mr. Graham notes that every Republican on the committee received a failing grade in the teens or 20s, while nearly every Democrat on the committee received a score of 100 percent.
Sen. Christopher Coons of Delaware was the only Democrat on the committee that didn’t get a 100 percent form the NAACP. He got a 96 percent.
“The report card is based on legislative record, not party,” Mr. Brooks said.
Mr. Graham said the huge disparity in NAACP scores between Republicans and Democrats was “really odd.”
“I think it speaks for itself,” said Mr. Graham. “I hope that doesn’t make us all racist and all of them perfect on the issue.”
He asked Mr. Brooks to name one person on the Republican side who would make a good attorney general.
Mr. Brooks did not respond.
Mr. Sessions has been labeled a racist, sexist and homophobe by Democrats and liberal groups attempting attempting to derail his nomination.
• S.A. Miller can be reached at smiller@washingtontimes.com.
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