House Republicans bring resolution condemning Texas Dems for ignoring ‘oreo’ slur against Tim Scott

Democrats quick to accuse others of racism have been slow to decry the racial slur leveled last week by a Texas Democratic official against Republican Sen. Tim Scott, and now House Republicans are moving to force their hand.

A group of Texas House Republicans introduced Wednesday a resolution condemning the Democratic Party of Texas “for refusing to denounce racism” after the Lamar County Democratic Party rejected the resignation of chair Gary O’Connor for labeling Mr. Scott an “oreo.”

Rep. Pat Fallon, Texas Republican, who flagged Mr. O’Connor’s Facebook post last week, called the lack of response from Democrats “astounding.”

“The Democratic Party of Texas’s refusal to condemn a racist remark by their Lamar County Chair and the county party’s refusal to accept his resignation is astounding,” Mr. Fallon said. “Had a Republican chair made this remark, Democrats would be in the streets demanding his or her resignation.”

The resolution, co-sponsored by Reps. Michael Burgess, Roger Williams and Randy Weber, condemns “racism in any form” as well as Mr. O’Connor’s remark and the Texas Democratic Party for its lack of response.

The state Democratic Party has “refused to condemn or respond to the racist remark despite numerous opportunities and repeated calls to do so,” the resolution said.

In a Wednesday statement, Texas Democratic Party chair Gilberto Hinojosa did not address the resolution directly but blasted Texas Republican Party chairman Allen West for “massive hypocrisy.”

“After years of looking the other way while the GOP fueled a rise in hate and racism across the country, West and Republicans are playing politics and wasting legislative oxygen on a mistake made by a Democratic county party chair—a mistake for which Chair O’Connor has profusely apologized and taken responsibility for,” said Mr. Hinojosa.

Mr. O’Connor issued an apology Tuesday and tendered his resignation, saying he was “deeply and sincerely sorry for my inappropriate and hurtful use of [a] racist term,” but the Lamar County Democrats refused to accept it.

“After much discussion — especially among our local Black Democrats — we chose not to accept Mr. O’Connor’s resignation,” they said in a statement. “Mr. O’Connor has written a public letter of apology to Sen. Tim Scott, and Lamar County Democrats join him in this apology.”

BREAKING: I’m announcing a House Resolution condemning the entire Democratic Party of Texas.@texasdemocrats’ refusal to condemn a racist remark by their Lamar County Chair and the county party’s refusal to accept his resignation is astounding.https://t.co/C8Fudu0NiG

— Rep. Pat Fallon (@RepPatFallon) May 5, 2021

The resolution comes as critics accuse Democrats of downplaying or ignoring attacks on Black Republicans even as the party ramps up alarm about “systemic racism” to push an ambitious array of policy goals on issues such as voting rights, climate change and law enforcement.

“If the Democrats didn’t have double standards, they’d have no standards at all. They must be held accountable,” said Mr. Fallon.

The slur “Uncle Tim” trended on Twitter for hours after Mr. Scott delivered the GOP rebuttal to President Biden’s April 28 address to a joint session of Congress, while MSNBC host Tiffany Cross blasted the senator as a “token” and a “clown.”

Mr. Scott is hardly the only target. Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas, a conservative who is also Black, has been vilified for years by the left, including MSNBC’s Joy Reid, who called him “Uncle Clarence” during a November show.

Conservative radio talk-show host Larry Elder noted that Democratic Rep. Cedric Richmond, now a senior White House adviser, accused then-Attorney General William Barr last year of “systematic racism” for failing to bring a Black staffer to a congressional hearing.

“So, having no Black Republican senators would be systematic racism. Having a Black Republican senator, well, he’s a token,” said Mr. Elder on Twitter. “You can’t win. What a con!”

Mr. Fallon and other Republicans, including Texas Gov. Greg Abbott, called on Mr. O’Connor to resign over his “oreo” crack made in a now-deleted Facebook post.

“I had hoped Scott might show some common sense, but it seems clear he is little more than an oreo with no real principles,” Mr. O’Connor said in the post.

The “oreo” smear refers to a Black person who is seen as “Black on the outside, White on the inside,” according to the Urban Dictionary.

Mr. West announced Tuesday he would send a package of Oreos to the Texas Democratic Party, and encouraged others to do the same, saying, “because I’m sick and tired of the duplicitous hypocrisy of the true party of racism.”

In its statement, the Lamar County Democratic Party defended Mr. O’Connor’s record.

“Gary O’Connor has led Lamar County Democrats for seven years and his life of service, collaboration, and activism for racial justice is well known throughout this community. His recent remark is incompatible with his core values,” said the party.

Mr. O’Connor expressed gratitude to the party for its support.

“I am grateful that those who actually know me and the many years I have worked locally for racial and other forms of equality were able to forgive my insensitive and inappropriate remark on my personal Facebook page,” he said in an email.