Nancy Pelosi shoots down Sheila Jackson Lee's proposed Michael Jackson resolution

[TeamJordan23]

Pelosi: Resolution on Michael Jackson unnecessary

WASHINGTON – House Speaker Nancy Pelosi says she sees no need for a House resolution in praise of Michael Jackson.

Pelosi, D-Calif., says Jackson was a great performer, but she thinks the resolution is unnecessary.

She said at a news conference Thursday that lawmakers could honor Jackson in speeches in the House. But she said a resolution would open up Jackson's life to "contrary views that are not necessary at this time."

Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, a Texas Democrat, has proposed the resolution in Jackson's honor.

Such a resolution is a nonbinding but symbolic expression from lawmakers.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090709/ap_on_go_co/us_pelosi_michael_jackson

[Uzybone]

1. No surprise. Nancy doesn't want to upset GOP/racists if she doesn't have to

[YDogg]

3. or the anti-pedophile lobby

:shrug:

[NatBurner]

41. or jerry lee lewis fans

[SpartanDem]

2. Thank you, that resolution was nothing more than shameless grandstanding

[Ken Burch]

5. Has any resolution honoring a dead white celebrity ever been blocked by any Speaker?

(It had to be asked).

[brendan120678]

7. I haven't seen a Billy Mays resolution yet!

Must be Congress has something against loud pitchmen.

[Ken Burch]

8. Did he actually COUNT as a celebrity?

(and it could just be that they haven't found a congressmember LOUD ENOUGH to introduce a Mays tribute resolution yet).

[spoony]

31. I guess it depends on your definition

I saw Billy Mays on TV about 1000x more often than Jackson. If being a celebrity means being in the public eye, I'd say he was. If it means being in the public eye because you've done something worth being in the public eye, then a lot of people who think they're celebrities are not and many others should be in our papers and on TV who never will be.

[Colobo]

55. Michael Jackson and Billy Mays are not even close in terms of who they were

and their impact on American culture and abroad. I mean, apart of OxyClean commercials, what the hell did Billy Mays do?

[Arkana]

39. BUT WAIT THERE'S MORE!

PASS A RESOLUTION HONORING BILLY MAYS' DEATH AND I'LL THROW IN A SHAMWOW! A $30 VALUE ABSOLUTELY FREE!

[whistler162]

44. From what I saw on the all dayathon after his death.....

that would likely bring him back from the dead to head slap you!

He wasn't a fan of the shamwow guy.

[SoCalDem]

61. WHAT?? No "camera-guy" tribute?

:)

[scheming daemons]

11. Don't know.... but the coronor said MJ was "pale white" all over anyway...

...so what does "white" mean in this case?

[Ken Burch]

15. What his complexion was at the end of his sad, twisted life is not the point.

n/t.

[TeamJordan23]

26. His doctor was on CNN last night and verified that MJ did suffer from extreme skin disease

That gave him white patches and that he had to cream his skin for it to all match.

[Colobo]

56. Exactly. This "Michael wanted to be white BS" is just nonsense.

[cali]

66. I thought that was not his Dr. but an expert on lupus who was speculating.

[mkultra]

12. wayne brady?

[Ken Burch]

17. Uh...Wayne's not actually DEAD yet(as far as I know).

n/t.

[mkultra]

20. lol. you are the most unintentionally funny person i know.

[Ken Burch]

22. I did get the other part of your joke

Anyone who read or watched "The Boondocks" would.

[mkultra]

29. oh, lol my bad. you ARE funny

:toast:

[Ken Burch]

30. You're welcome.

n/t.

[trekbiker]

46. yes. this one..

[scheming daemons]

4. Good for Nancy.....

Our representatives should not be praising pedophiles.

[iamjoy]

10. He Wasn't Convicted

In case you forgot, Michael Jackson was acquitted of those charges. Of course, if I had kids, I wouldn't have wanted him to babysit, but repeating charges not proven to be true really isn't fair when the man can't defend himself.

I don't know if a resolution is appropriate or not, because I'm not familiar with the precedent on this, but I'm not sure we need to be making resolutions honoring entertainers, no matter how popular they were. And, the accusations and gossip about his personal life - even if they were completely wrong and malicious have created enough controversy that a resolution would not be the consensus building feel-good move that these otherwise pointless Congressional motions are meant to be (not that they always achieve that goal).

Still, let's not call him names like that.

[JimGinPA]

43. OJ Wasn't Convicted Either - It Doesn't Mean He Didn't Do It

[Colobo]

58. Yes, but it doesn't mean he did it either.

[WonderGrunion]

76. OJ was, however, found criminally liable in a court of law

So to say that no legal determination was made in the OJ case is being intellectually dishonest. Furthermore, I watched the OJ and MJ cases. The prosecution in the OJ case was inept, leading to acquittal. In the MJ case, the accusers perjured themselves repeatedly leading to acquittal. Apples and oranges.

[TankLV]

82. actually, it DOES...

[Rosa Luxemburg]

50. yes he was innocent

[Clintonista2]

60. Actually he was found "not guilty"

there's a pretty significant difference.

[KakistocracyHater]

52. He was highly eccentric but I seriously doubt pedophilia charges

they thought he was 'wacko' for using an oxygen chamber yet now it is de rigeur for healing skin burns, flesh-eating germs, etc. I recall him getting burned doing a commercial for either pepsi or coke & right after the oxygen chamber pics came out.
VERY ECCENTRIC-yes, yet watching him among children I didn't see a pedophile lurking beneath the surface, I saw a guy who wanted people to like him, not hangers-on. He never grew up, Neverland shows this, I think in his own mind he was still a kid.

[Colobo]

57. What pedophile?

[liberal N proud]

6. Thank you Nancy

[avaistheone1]

9. A Michael Jackson resolution is completely unimportant.

Doesn't Rep. Jackson have anything better to do - especially with the country being in such poor shape.

What's next a Brittany Spears resolution of some kind? I hate all this celebrity fawning especially when it starts spilling over into governing.

[polichick]

13. Jackson Lee was probably supported by the Jackson family and wanted to help...

...them with Michael's legacy ~ imo a Congressional resolution isn't necessary, for him or anyone else.

[Mike Daniels]

34. A resolution wouldn't have made a difference in his legacy

Those who want to see him as a troubled but brilliant entertainer will do so with or without a resolution from Congress.

Those who believe that Jackson was a freak who made sexual overtures to little boys will continue to do so regardless of a resolution.

[polichick]

35. Still, I think the family wanted it and she was trying to help. nt

[Paladin]

14. Sheila Jackson Lee, A Grandstanding Idiot. (n/t)

[bertman]

16. As if there aren't so many more important things to do than have our Congress spend time

praising Michael Jackson.

Good work, Mrs. Pelosi.

[Captain Hilts]

18. Well done, Nancy. nt

[lamp_shade]

19. Good.

[BluegrassDem]

21. Yeah this Michael Jackson resolution was holding up important stuff like DADT & EFCA

:sarcasm:

[Ken Burch]

24. So Pelosi's gonna get THOSE bills passed today?

:eyes:

[BluegrassDem]

32. The argument that this or any resolution is holding up Congress from other works is a joke

Lobbyists and money hold up the important work for this country, not resolutions, which typically are only a voice vote with little debate. You can argue that philosphically, Congress shouldn't be in the business of honoring civilians for their accomplishments, but to argue that this is holding up more important work is a joke. We all know that lobbyists lining the pockets of politicians is what holds the nation back on such big issues like energy and health.

[zulchzulu]

23. Link to the resolution

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-srv/politics/documents/remarks_sheila_jackson_lee.pdf

Michael Jackson did some good works and should be praised... but a Congressional resolution seems a bit over the top. What precedent would it set in the future for those who pass away who also gave money to good causes?

If there is any money in his estate, perhaps setting up a foundation in his honor would be a better idea.

[beachmom]

25. Good. After watching the vid of King on O'Reilly, I think it would be best to put this issue to

rest.

No need to drag the Dem Party into what is a very controversial figure, and for which arguments between those who think he was guilty and those who think he was innocent will never be resolved.

[Forkboy]

27. There's a a war going on, an economy in shambles, climate change happening faster than predicted...

and we're worrying about honoring a fucking pop star? I don't care how much one likes the guy, that's just dumb.

[JI7]

70. but they took time out to put millions into some shit showing this country is religious

[Empowerer]

28. I love Michael Jackson and believe he deserves many honors

But I also think that this is little more than grandstanding on Sheila Jackson-Lee's part and the Speaker was right to shoot it down.

If an honor was to be paid, it should have been done quickly, shortly after Michael's death without a lot of fanfare. Doing it now will result in an extended debate that offers opportunities for Members, mostly Republican, but some conservative Democrats, to use Michael's death as a platform for their diatribes against all manner of things - and in doing so, drag through the mud a dead man who cannot defend himself. Of course, that would also allow Jackson-Lee to stand up on the floor of the House and loudly defend Michael's honor and claim to be a great champion of Michael, his family and truth justice and the American Way, which I suspect is really the point of this stunt.

I have no desire to watch Congress debate Michael Jackson's legacy, which need not be defined or validated by government imprimatur. It is inappropriate and would actually cause him to be smeared on a public stage in a way that will just cause pain to his family and those who love him - and would probably have absolutely mortified him if he were alive to witness it.

The man is dead. He was memorialized in one of the most touching and exquisite public funerals our country has seen in a long time. He will be the subject of rumor, innuendo and ugly realities over the coming weeks as the investigation into his death unfurls. But for now, let's just let this man rest in peace.

Please.

[Avalux]

33. Good. No reason for our govt to honor him.

Jackson was a great entertainer and has already been lauded by his peers and fans which is appropriate.

[pleah]

36. Hey Sheila, how about you do something important like trying to end

the wars for oil, help fight and pass a healthcare bill, help indict war criminals and on and on. What a waste of time. And no, I don't approve of any of these kind of resolutions.

[joeglow3]

37. Good for her

I did not elect my representatives to vote on shit like this.

[Arkana]

38. Hey, look, Nancy's actually right.

It's bullshit for a governing body to spend time wasting resolutions on praising entertainers.

[vaberella]

40. I don't understand the need for the resolution. n/t

[Inuca]

42. Good n/t

[berni_mccoy]

45. I support Speaker Pelosi on this. I don't believe honoring pop-icons is the best way

to spend taxpayer money.

I like MJ too. But this is a little too far.

[Mz Pip]

53. I'm with you on this

WHen Sheila Jackson Lee put this out there I was really surprised. Why bring MJ into the political arena? He was an contoversial entertainer beloved my many, vilified by some but again, why bring him into the polical arena. OUr Congress has better things to do.

[Raineyb]

65. Probably because she didn't think it would be such a stink

Certainly one wasn't made when Paul Newman was honored with a congressional resolution. There wasn't a peep in this place either. Now we have people tripping over themselves to pipe in about the inappropriateness of a resolution and coming out to insult Rep. Jackson-Lee to boot. I suspect there is something working behind the scenes that has nothing to do with concern over how Congress spends its time.

[Vinca]

47. Good. Next they can stop with the resolutions honoring sports teams, too.

It boggles the mind what these people waste their energy on.

[rocktivity]

48. I agree--he's had enough "fame" to last a lifetime

If you'll pardon the expression.

:headbang:
rocktivity

[nilram]

49. Oh, please, I was so hoping they'd rename Ronald Reagan National Airport

to Michael Jackson National Airport! That would so make my day!

[mgcgulfcoast]

51. i agree with pelosi on this

[burning rain]

54. I agree with Pelosi. Not a proper function of government.

*

[Raineyb]

67. What are you talking about? They pass these type of resolutions all the time?

Suddenly now it must stop? Really? Where was this blowback when they passed a resolution for Paul Newman?

[burning rain]

69. & I oppose such resolutions all the time.

From the fact that government does something, it does not follow that it's a proper function of government.

[Raineyb]

75. Really? Then where the hell was the uproar at the end of last year?

It certainly wasn't here.

[burning rain]

80. True.

But from the fact that government acts insensibly in some cases, it doesn't follow that it must do so in all cases. I suspect what's decisive here is Pelosi's and others' desire not to run afoul of the anti-ped lobby, which if anything is more ferocious than MADD. It would be a needless entanglement.

[Colobo]

59. The only thing I don't understand is all the hatred Michael Jackson gets around here.

He gets more hate than your average Republican congressmen.

[scheming daemons]

62. He gets the same hate as a republican congressman who was a pedophile (Foley)

[Colobo]

64. And when was it proven that MJ was a pedophile?

[RBInMaine]

78. He was a great entertainer, but napping with children was WEIRD and NEEDLESS !!

[Iwillnevergiveup]

63. The presence of Jackson-Lee, Sharpton and MLK's kids

was just plain dumb, and it made the service waaaaay too long. It's all about the $$$$.

[Empowerer]

68. Waaay too long for whom? Apparently, you've never attended a black funeral .

They often last much longer than Michael's did.

And I think it's a bit presumptuous to decide that a family's choices about who speaks at their loved one's funeral "was just plain dumb." Michael's family had the right to have anyone they wanted speak at his funeral and even if the service lasted all day, that's really not up to any of us to judge.

[davidpdx]

71. I also support Pelosi on this

The idea of a resolution is not a bad idea, but if there is going to be a nasty fight over it it's better left alone. Clearly the resolution was going to be an uphill battle and one that was going to cause things to be said which would have harmed MJ's legacy. In short, it may have done more harm then good.

[and-justice-for-all]

72. Michael we aquited...

and why are they wasting time on a "MJ resolution"? REALLY? WTF.

[jazzjunkysue]

73. Both houses vote for alot of these symbolic ego-gratification statements.

It's one thing when the person has done something heroic and is still living.
I agree with Nancy on this. Michael was able to speak for himself for decades. He's much more popular than they will ever be.

[rollingrock]

74. What's with this creepy obsession with Michael Jackson?

I think this one takes the cake as far as creepy obsessions go.

[RBInMaine]

77. Nancy is 100% correct. Can't do this for every entertainer, let alone one so controversial.

[Honeycombe8]

79. Good. That was a silly idea and a waste of our Congress' time.

I thought MJ was one of the greatest entertainers of all time. One of. But that doesn't mean we need to get Congress involved.

Did they honor Sammy Davis, Jr., who was also one of the greatest entertainers of all time? How 'bout Fred Astaire? Or Frank Sinatra? They might have. I really don't know. But I doubt it. If they did, that was a waste of time and resources, too.

[TankLV]

81. That's really a SHAME - I'd do it solely for all the "saint ray-gun" crap...

and you get to see all the repuke heads explode, too!!!

I call it a two-fer...!!!

[question everything]

83. I don't remember: was there a resolution when Elvis died? (nt)