Georgia Rep. Majette endorses John Kerry for president

[Feanorcurufinwe]

DECATUR, Ga. (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Denise Majette announced Wednesday she is endorsing John Kerry in his bid for the Democratic nomination for president.

In a news release, Majette praised Kerry, the current Democratic front-runner, as someone who could improve public education in the nation, balance the budget and create jobs.

"The bottom line is that Americans simply cannot afford another four years of the Bush administration's failed policies," said Majette, D-Ga. "John Kerry is the best man to take back the White House and I am pleased to support him."
http://www.firstcoastnews.com/news/georgia/news-article.aspx?storyid=14396

[Name removed]

1. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

4. You have a lot of facts wrong, you might want to

check out http://www.johnkerry.com and do some reading.

[Snivi Yllom]

10. I wonder what Cynthia McKinney will say about this

?

[IndianaGreen]

44. Nothing like getting the endorsement of a Zell Miller protege

I personally hope that Cynthia McKinney runs against Majette and whips her ass!

[Gringo]

2. Well that drops Kerry several points of esteem!

We all remember what APAC-funded Majette helped the republicans to do to poor Cynthia McKinney, who was railroaded out for being a black woman who told the truth back when EVERYONE, dems included was fellating the "president".

In the face of Majette's endorsement, I'll give Clark & Edwards a closer look.

[Forkboy]

3. lol...I'm with ya

this isn't a positive.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

5. What exactly are you accusing Rep. Majette of doing?

What is it that she did that has you upset?

[Gringo]

11. McKinney was a a democrat in a SOLID dem district...

Her seat was secure, allowing her to be critical of Bush's foreknowledge & inaction on 9-11.

So, the Israel lobby, who hated McKinney's pro-palestinian leanings, and the GOP teamed up to run "moderate" democrat Majette against her. There were not enough republicans to take her out with a republican, but by running a black female "democrat" against her, and having all the repugs vote for Majette, they were able to take her out.

Haven't you ever heard of this?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

15. So what Majette is accused of doing - is running for election?

This is considered a dirty trick now?

[Gringo]

18. She was set up by the GOP and APAC to take McKinney out

Yes, that is a dirty trick. Many of the voters in the area were unaware of what was being done, but Majette must have known. She should have had McKinney's back and commeded her for her courage.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

20. Running for office, and winning an election, is not a 'dirty trick'

even if your favored candidate lost.

And although I was a fan of McKinney and I know nothing about Majette, I find it silly to hold onto hostility towards her. They are both Democrats, there was a primary election, Majette won, and McKinney lost -- so now we should hate Majette for all time? :eyes:

[ulysses]

19. it's her right to run but Gringo's correct.

We replaced a Democratic thorn in Bush's side with a Democratic mime. This has not been good, unless you're Zell Miller.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

21. Hatred of Rep. Majette is not reasonable.

[goobergunch]

22. How about dislike? (n/t)

[ulysses]

24. never said I hated her.

I just don't want her as my representative. We did better for ten years with McKinney.

[Gringo]

27. She consciously helped the repugs "dixie-chick" McKinney

It was a sleazy, opportunistic thing to do. Believe it or not, some of us still believe there is a time for party loyalty. I never said that I hated her. I dislike her the same way I dislike other republicans.

[JackRiddler]

35. I don't hate her, madam/sir, she's just a political hack

Majette is a Republican judge who turned Democrat because when opportunity knocked. The money flooded in to unseat McKinney because Cynthia was brave, Cynthia was true, Cynthia finally said too much truth. The Republicans and AIPAC picked Majette to undo the best representative in Congress, the only one who had ever talked about the U.S. government's involvement in the MLK assassination, in the Central African wars, and yesiree, the 9/11 inside job, what undid her. What she said was not all that dramatic of course, she asked who knew what when and when will it be investigated? A few months later, it was no problem for Graham and a bunch of white guys to do the same. But McKinney was first. Her timing and her bravery broke the ice, at the cost of her seat. And now you want to put the old PC rhetorical hold on me so that I can't call Majette the two-bit political mercenary opportunist trash REPUBLICAN that she is?

This endorsement signifies the peaking of the Kerry campaign. The last rat has gone on board. Now the ship can sink!

And Cynthia will be back - bet on it!

[Freddie Stubbs]

37. She was never a Republican Judge

Unless of course you can back that up with some proof?

[charlie]

43. Maybe, maybe not

But her voting in the 2000 Republican primary for Alan Keyes makes her a kind of an odd duck for a Democrat.

[Freddie Stubbs]

53. By using that standard, all of the 'Republicans' who voted for her

in the primary must actually be Democrats.

[charlie]

57. Ah, so she was just using the same ju jitsu

tactics as the Republicans, voting to supplant Bush with the hyper-reactionary Keyes. Resourceful, intrepid Democrat, that Majette.

[NewJerseyDem]

52. How is Majette a republican?

She has a very strong liberal voting record. Just because she ran against McKinney doesn't make her a republican. She has a right to run and the people elected her. So, that's democracy. She won and apparently nobody believed McKinney's conspiracy theories so McKinney lost.

Also, why don't people have a problem with Artur Davis but don't like Majette? He got rid of Hilliard who was hardly shy about his distaste for the president.

[Freddie Stubbs]

49. Appernetly not that 'SOLID' of a Democratic district

If there are enough Republicans voting in the Democratic primary to outvote the Democrats. Perhaps there were many Democrats who were unhappy with Ms. McKinney's performance.

[RichV]

70. Bah. I live in her district

and it was far from just Republicans who voted her out. This district has a huge Jewish population that was furious at her, and a lot of the other Dems in the district were just plain embarrassed by her. The appearance with Farrakhan (sp?) a day or two before the primary didn't help either. Her disgusting negative ads against Majette weren't any help either. Yeah, it's a solid Dem district, but it's also very educated and very diverse. McKinney concentrated too much on her base without reaching out to the rest of the district. She lost. I'm a Dem and was pretty satisfied when both she and Bob Barr got beat.

[goobergunch]

8. Yeah

This isn't a good thing for Kerry among liberals like ourselves, IMHO.

But she is a superdelegate.

[oasis]

13. I don't like her, although she's not what I would call a "kiss-of-death"

endorsement.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

16. You have to wonder.

Which endorsement would be more useful to Kerry in Georgia - Majette's or McKinney's.

Of course, running for President is about assembling a broad coalition - that's the only way to win.

[oasis]

45. Majette may drag in a couple of disenchanted Republicans.

[TakebackAmerica]

6. Bad endorsement...

She's the lady who beat Cynthia McKinney.

[Gringo]

12. Beat her with ALL the republican voters' help.

APAC (the Israel lobby) pumped millions into Majette's campaign.

[NNN0LHI]

7. Well, thats the kiss of death. Zel must have put her up to it? n/t

[ibegurpard]

9. Bleah

I wouldn't trumpet that one. Quietly accept it and move along.

[ulysses]

14. oh yay.

:eyes:

Still hoping Cynthia runs again.

[goobergunch]

17. Same here

Hopefully at the 2008 convention Majette will be an ex-superdelegate.

[dolstein]

23. She's not Cynthia McKinney, therefore she must be a Republican

Apparently, the DU community cannot comprehend the possibility that African Americans would ever voluntarily choose to be represented in Congress by someone other than Cynthia McKinney.

[ulysses]

25. not at all, dolstein.

Apparently, the DU community cannot comprehend the possibility that African Americans would ever voluntarily choose to be represented in Congress by someone other than Cynthia McKinney.

I can easily comprehend the possibility. I just don't think that that was what happened.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

31. It wasn't voluntary?

if you don't think that's what happened, what do you think happened?

[ulysses]

34. reread dolstein's post.

I don't think that the *African-American community* in DeKalb voted McKinney out. I think that others - swayed by the her smearing in the press and by the ten four-color mailers sent out by the Majette campaign prior to the primary (edit: and by the fact that many of them are Republicans) - did.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

41. Yes, they voted -- what is it about democracy that you object to?

Is it only valid when you agree with the results?

[dolstein]

50. That's something many DU'ers and Republicans have in common

NT

[salin]

51. interesting... from the person advocating that some candidates

for president withdraw... from the debates if not from the races all together. Irony is always interesting to me.

[ulysses]

63. about democracy, nothing.

I don't define democracy as "open primaries".

[Name removed]

26. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Gringo]

29. Under normal circumstances it would have been different.

In that context, she was a GOP tool, and she knew it. Had she NOT been there to silence a controversial critic of Bush, she would not have gotten the APAC money or the lion's share of her district's GOP votes. Why is this so confusing to some people?

[dolstein]

38. Thanks to McKinney, there would never be normal circumstances

McKinney elected to play the role of agent provacateur to the Bush administration, rather than focusing on bread and butter issues. That was HER decision. But there's nothing in the Constitution that says her constituents have to live with that decision.

I know it's hard for many DU'ers to comprehen, but many ordinary folks simply want a representative, not a symbol.

[ulysses]

66. we elected her five times to the same seat.

Somehow, she must've done something right.

Besides, one man's "agent provacateur" is another's outspoken representative in an age of silence.

[edzontar]

28. As we can see, this is no boost at all for those like myself

Who consider Kerry a DINO.

Majette is practically the poster child for this concept.

I believe she was even a registered Republican until she decided to help the GOP and corporate Dems drive out MacKinney with AIPAC and other RW-Neo-Con money.


I don't like her, I don't like Kerry.


I'd say they deserve each other.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

30. So what? are you voting in Georgia? lol

[Forkboy]

33. There are DUers who will be

[ulysses]

36. yup.

:)

Honestly, although I have problems with Kerry, a Majette endorsement ranks pretty close to the bottom.

[Forkboy]

39. Yeah,I agree

endorsements,whether good or bad,rarely impress or worry me.

[salin]

48. Uly... if I am not mistaken... you have just had an "Indianan"

moment. As an honorary member... let me say - we Indianans (who just don't understand the dynamics of how Indianans vote) - embrace you with open arms. ;-) :hi:

[ulysses]

64. LOL! Does that mean that I'm a "George"?

:D

[salin]

67. Just think of it as kinship with

Letterman... :D (Not quite sure about the "George" reference...??)

[ulysses]

68. George, Georgian...

Ok, it was a reach. ;-)

[salin]

72. Have to admit

wouldn't have got it (though I should have now that I have seen it) if I had tried for an hour...

[nolabels]

32. Did some republican operative put her up to it ?

She says Americans simply cannot afford another four years of the Bush administration's failed policies

What our her statements on the last three?

[Feanorcurufinwe]

42. Do you agree with her (beat Bush) or disagree with her (re-select Bush)?

[salin]

47. did you see anyone state that on this thread?

funny, I didn't.

Lack of enthusiasm for the endorser - which seems to come from a particular set of events - does not equal rooting for bush. As this post seems to imply.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

54. State what?

I wasn't even directing my question at you, so I don't know why you went so far out of your way to not answer it.

[salin]

56. it wasn't a question. it was innuendo through a question.

otherwise known as... a taunt or a jab at those who are not thrilled with the Represenative. Seemed to beckon a challenge in terms of the premise of the "question."

[Feanorcurufinwe]

59. The poster took issue with the following statement from Majette:

"Americans simply cannot afford another four years of the Bush administration's failed policies "


I find that sentiment so correct, that I had trouble understanding what the poster's objection was. So I asked for clarification.


What your interest is in this, I do not understand.

[revcarol]

40. Another reason NOT to vote for Kerry in any primary

and NOT to send him money.

[salin]

46. While I understand the enthusiasm for another endorsement

this is not likely to be as much of a boost - at least in DU - and in some parts of her own district - as many others.

The period leading up to the primary in that district was pretty hairy around here - a number of folks living in that district were giving updates about the circumstances and conduct in that race. They may not have been her dirty tricks, but there seemed to be a number of dirty tricks going on and there was a flood of crossover voting (across parties) in the primary - a move that had been pumped up for weeks in the rw local media (esp, if I recall - radio).

So the grief being caught here is a reflection more of old wounds that are hard to heal, than of the endorsement itself. Just thought that the context mattered (and am just working from my memory of du at the time preceding and through that particular race.)

FYI at least one being disparaged on this board (ala 'oh you duers who don't live there dont the people who live there have the right to vote'... in a condescending tone ) lives in that district, worked hard on McKinney's race, and reported regularly on the unusual (for that area) going ons leading into the race - through election day. The condescending tone - because the enthusiasm is not perhaps shared - may be a bit lacking of empathy/context.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

55. FYI

"this is not likely to be as much of a boost - at least in DU"


I find the notion that people post things here in order to persuade DU members to vote for their candidate to be rather quaint.


I certainly don't post things here in the hope that it will help my candidate. There are an infinite number of more effective methods.

This is a news article about a Kerry endorsment. I didn't post it here because I thought a bunch of DUers would read and and suddenly abandon Dean or Clark or Edwards to back Kerry. I posted it because it is news.

It is absolutely false to accuse me of disparagement, condescension, or a lack of empathy.

[salin]

58. The disparagement wasn't in the thread starting post.

but it occurs (not pointing fingers at whom - that can be judged or not - based on the particular posts themselves) on the thread - in regards to those who express concerns about the circumstances of her election - and carry a tone that often appears at du as if folks are ivy towered folks who don't get that district (and other inneuendos about du elitism)... and when these posts are directed at those from the district who worked the race.. who reported the funky circumstances as they unfolded (not just after - as in "sour grapes")... well... my words paint my perception of that approach and how it reads on this thread.

[Feanorcurufinwe]

60. You are absolutely wrong to accuse me of disparagement.

If that is what you read in my posts, you misunderstood me.

[Shanty Oilish]

71. You forgot hostility

"It is absolutely false to accuse me of disparagement, condescension, or a lack of empathy."

I'm sure you've noticed the DU poll that indicates about 1/3 of respondents deplore Kerry's popularity and prospects. I'm sure you've noticed the numerous Kerry-bashing threads. You've read the rules and how we're not supposed to gloat but be gracious that our candidate is ahead. Graciousness means you have to lie back and enjoy it while others post rants, smears and mockery. If you don't like it, go find another site where agreeing with the clear majority of Dem voters won't betray your condescension and lack of empathy, and don't let the door smack you...
Rant off. Now really, why bother? Kerry won. He'll win a lot more, which he deserves as the clearly most qualified candidate. Grin with glee and come back when they're over it.

[Melinda]

61. Well there ya go; proof positive the GOP wants Kerry

Those of us who actually lived in DeKalb County GA while the GOP pulled every underhanded trick in the book to unseat McKinney and replace her with the GOP puppet Majette - from financing her run to crossover voting to smear campaigns to outright lies - saw this coming 18+ months ago and we screamed it right here on DU.

This is the face of the Zell Miller democrat - the corporate whore democrat, the republican-light wing of the Democratic party.

And for me personally, it's all I needed to finally determine that I will not, under any circumstances, cast my vote for John Forbes Kerry.

[salin]

62. Mind you - I was very disturbed by reports at the time from

duers on the ground - and from an analysis of the primary vote after the election that I believe appeared in the Atlanta Constitution.

However, before the holiday break - on one of the huge gop power play votes - I checked to see where she voted (can't remember if it was medicare or the omnibus spending bill) - she stayed with the party. I asked then if folks in the district had paid attention to her voting patterns - and it seemed that in general - she has stayed with the party.

At the time it wasn't clear whether she was a "stooge" (so to speak), or just a safer alternative (to the GOP - as there WAS intervention in that primary) to McKinney. At this point I think it was the latter. That isn't to say that I wouldn't support a rematch if McKinney does indeed run again in the primary.

[KFC]

65. Big deal

http://www.ajc.com/metro/content/metro/0803/12mckinney.html

McKinney was soundly defeated by Democrats. Crossover Republican influence was minor - 16% of her margin of defeat.

I'm sure Kerry will be devastated to hear you won't vote for him.

[Melinda]

69. Do you admit ignorance of the facts?

I was there in the thick of it. My now ex-husband was one of the operatives within the local GOP who targetted McKinney. He helped raise money for Majette. He made cold calls to other GOP voters on behalf of Majette. He attended local strategums on behalf of Majette. He provided transportation to the polls that day for other cross over voters who didn't wish to brave the elements - we had one hell of a rain that day.

I was actually there and I know what happened. Where were you?

[Gringo]

77. OMG- you were married to one of THEM?

My condolences, really.


I guess I should be thankful my wife is a big lib like me.

I could NOT have lived with a repug over the last 3 years - impossible.

[HalfManHalfBiscuit]

78. Face reality

McKinney's lawsuit was thrown out because there was no evidence that Republican crossover defeated her. Think "law", "courts", "proof".

It has been proven that Democrats defeated McKinney and that any Republican crossover had no effect on the final results.

Apparently, your ex-husband's efforts were irrelevant.

[Gringo]

75. The Majette endorsement isnt enough to put me off Kerry

but it's tantamount to an endorsement from Alan Colmes or Zell Miller - NOT a positive thing.

[ecstatic]

73. Kerry just lost my vote, for the THIRD TIME!!

Anyone who Majette praises must be bad news.

[Freddie Stubbs]

74. You get to vote three times?

You must be from Louisanna. ;)

[WhoCountsTheVotes]

76. My sig

is becoming more appropriate every day.

[Gringo]

79. Defending Majette against McKinney is like being against "Mr. Smith"

McKinney was our Mr. Smith back when NOBODY in the congress would stand up and tell the truth. She said what we all knew back then - that Bush was a fraud and had foreknowledge of the attacks. Saying you are cool with Majette means that you are okay with complete silence from all democrats during the next wave of fascistic insanity. That you are okay with people being stamped out SIMPLY FOR TELLING THE TRUTH.

Hell, McKinney didn't even accuse Dumbya, she just raised questions. If I were a politician, I wouldn't mind getting elected with the help of moderate republicans, but it was HARD-RIGHT repubs that voted with uninformed democrats to get rid of her. That would bother me, because I have a conscience. Majette apparently does not.

[Tinoire]

80. Ouch! Majette? She's a negative endorsement

This is a woman who voted for Alan Keyes for President. Ouch! Kerry can do better than that. This is an endorsement I'd save for Republicans to show them how even right-wingers can support a Democratic candidate.