Re: Dr. David Duke: Ambassador of Peace?
 

David Duke is a first class piece of dirt. When he ran for governor against Edwin Edwards, the bumper stickers supporting Edwards read, "Vote for the Crook. It's important." I very happily cast my vote for Edwin Edwards, although I was in the minority of white voters. Because of his strength with African-American voters who came out in droves to vote against Duke, Edwards won, of course, without support of the white majority. Ironically, of course, Duke and Edwards are both crooks who were guests of the fedeal penal system at the same time. Duke was also elected (as a Republican) to the Louisiana legislature respresenting Old Metairie (very upscale white neighborhood) and Bucktown (white working class fishing/shrimping area). He bilked his supporters (not that I feel sorry for them) by using their contributions to gamble. He hid out from the federal government in Russia where apparently he found a ready audience for his anti-Semitic views. While the voters of Louisiana saw him as primarily anti-African-American, the issue dearest to his heart is anti-Semitism/Nazism. Mike Foster, governor of Louisiana prior to the present incumbent, Mrs. Bunker, uh, Blanco, was embarrassed when it came to light that he had secretly purchased the list of Duke contributors for a tidy sum. And David Duke has a really bad nose job, not as bad as Michael Jackson's, but really bad nonetheless.

Re: Dr. David Duke: Ambassador of Peace?
 

I was stunned by the OP's article -

to the Middle East, America is the devil incarnate - but take an American who makes statements like "My country is also persecuted by the Jews" and apparently you're a good American who is welcome - ay carumba.

The fact of the matter is Germany got away with persecuting and killing a LOT of the jews because other countries refused to let them emigrate to their country - lots of anti-semitism still out there - No wonder they're fighting so damned hard for their homeland - 2000 years of persecution, and promises of "freedom for all" have to be taken with a grain of salt, even when it comes from us.

I'd be defending my rights with a gun too...but this is something for the Cyrus/MMMMMMMM thread - LOL.

David Duke - jeez - what a [censored] wanker....

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Interesting side note - When I watched Shanghai Ghetto, (a story about Jews that migrated to Shanghai during WWII) - the Japanese were better to them then you might expect.

the Japanese also bought the stereotypes that the Jews run all international banking, etc,etc that Hitler fired out, but instead of becoming racists, the Japanese felt that "Well, if their people do run the world economy, we better treat them right"

and so they never suffered the sort of Persecution under the Japanese they did under the Germans - not even close - they just had to hide out in the international community til the end of WWII - Japan may have been Hitler's ally, but their genocidal behavior was more targeted towards other Asians.

RB

Re: Dr. David Duke: Ambassador of Peace?
 

I don't refute your point that that a higher percentage of Republicans then Democrats signed the original act, (though not in greater numbers then the Democrats, seeing as how they were the minority party.) - but that fact alone doesn't establish the Republicans as the darlings of civil rights or anything.

Several Democrats, including Mike Mansfield, pulled some interesting parlimentary procedures to get that thing on the floor for an honest vote. The two leading drivers of this bill, Mansfield and Hubret Humphrey, were both Democrats and were LBJ's go-to guys in getting it passed.

In 1964, the Republicans nominamted Goldwater, who voted AGAINST the Civil Rights Act - so it wasn't of paramount importance to them. but after LBJ, the head Democrat signed it, a lot of them sure stopped singing Dixie and changed sides....there was a DEFINATE defection from the Democratic party in 1968 and one of the places they went was the Grand Ol' Party. - Trent Lott made his colors clear in Thurmond's goodbye speech and he lost his catbird seat because of it.

Some became Republicans - some voted for George Wallace - LBJ was right -signing that act gave the South to the Republicans - very very interesting how that worked.

But in the end, both sides have had some pretty dishonorable racists - Byrd was one - Sturm and Lott were others....at the end of the day, we can agree that Politicans will say whatever they can to get elected, including practicing racism...

But fortunately, a vast majority of Americans now think guys like David Duke are [censored] wankers.

The Voting Rights Act got a 25 year extention that will theoretically expire in 2007 - it'll be interesting to see how many Politicians and from what side will jump on the bandwagon to not renew it - LOL - they SAY it's not necessary anymore, but I say any right not written into law and protected is a right that can be taken away too easily.

The fact is, despite the voting record, the reason the Civil Rights and Voting Rights Acts passed when it did and not years later is because Democrats with a dedication to equality pushed it thru, sometimes with a sledgehammer, as I understand it.

Disclaimer - I grew up in MT where we rever Mike Mansfield as probably the finest politican who ever came out of Montana. I was reading where he was a target of McCarthy's smears, but he was so beloved in MT that no one really in his home state gave a rats ass what the drunken alkie Joseph McCarthy though. He was one of the few who survived the McCarthy BS parade with his reputation pretty much fully intact.

RB

People change
 

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And lets not forget good ol' Robert Byrd. I feel like throwing up whenever someone refers to him as the conscience of the Senate.

[/ QUOTE ]
People change. Byrd moved towards the mainstream and went on become a good Senator. Duke continued on his extremist ideas (which he barely managed to hide in his "legit" campaigns).