Boggs Nomination Dividing Congressional Black Caucus Members, Scott lashes out at Lewis
President Barack Obama's nomination of Michael Boggs to serve on the federal bench is causing members of the Congressional Black Caucus to turn on each other and sparking rare criticism of Rep. John Lewis (D-Ga.), a revered civil rights icon.
Rep. David Scott (D-Ga.) unleashed on Lewis on Sunday night after Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-Calif.) indicated earlier in the day that she spoke to Lewis and he signaled support for Boggs' inclusion in a package deal of judicial nominees that Obama agreed to with Georgia's Republican senators. A former Georgia state legislator, Boggs has come under fire from progressive groups over his votes to pass a constitutional amendment banning same-sex marriage, to keep the Confederate insignia on the Georgia state flag and to require doctors who perform abortions to post online their names and the number of abortions they performed.
"John Lewis has betrayed Georgia if this is his new position," Scott told The Huffington Post in a statement. "He is speaking for the White House and not women, African-Americans or gays with this new position, and he has turned his back on his own supporters."
He also went after Lewis on Twitter, calling him a "turncoat" if he is now backing Boggs.
https://twitter.com/repdavidscott/status/468172464061968385
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/18/michael-boggs-judge_n_5348934.html?utm_hp_ref=tw
