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Civil Rights Act Opponent Rand Paul Delivered A Speech At An Historically Black College Today

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U.S. Senator Rand Paul delivered a speech to students at Howard University, an historically African-American college — which was possibly brave, since the Kentucky Tea Party/Republican Party/Libertarian Party lawmaker is on record as stating he opposed sections of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

Which he today totally denied.

“I’ve never been against the Civil Rights Act, ever.”

“The speech, which included discussion of school choice and mandatory minimum sentencing laws, went over badly at times, like when Paul got former Senator Edward Brooke’s name wrong, and was even interrupted by two protesters holding a sign that said ‘Howard University does not support white supremacy,'” Buzzfeed reports:

Applause was scarce, and there were one or two instances of booing. Questioners in the question-and-answer session pressed Paul on voter I.D. laws and his past stated opposition to the Civil Rights Act, though some showed a kinship with him on other civil liberties issues like drug policy.

Sope Aluko, a sophomore from Maryland, said, “I thought it was really interesting that he was trying to appeal to us.”

“Maybe he didn’t really tell us anything new,” Aluko said, noting that she was “taken aback” when Paul asked the audience if they knew that the NAACP was founded by Republicans (the question was met with a resounding “Yes!”).

Here’s a selection of responses and news reports via Twitter:

[View the story “So, Civil Rights Act Opponent Rand Paul Delivered A Speech At An Historically Black College Today…” on Storify]

So, Civil Rights Act Opponent Rand Paul Delivered A Speech At An Historically Black College Today…

Storified by David Badash· Wed, Apr 10 2013 10:59:41

Unclear why Rand Paul thinks that his assignment today is to teach Howard students about the history of civil rights in America.Ari Melber
At Howard, Rand Paul takes the fateful leap from libertarian to bullshitarian #ideology #camps livewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/entry/rand-pau…Josh Marshall
5 ways Rand Paul whitesplained politics at Howard University: thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/…igorvolsky
Sen. Rand Paul speaking today on inclusion in the RNC #HU #picstitch @ Howard University instagram.com/p/X7s3PHLLdg/Alana Jones
@taysasser93 It was definitely an experienceAlana Jones
@BlackCanseco Rand Paul’s speech at Howard did not go, um, well. washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-pol…Kay Whitlock
Howard Students Didn’t Totally Hate Rand Paul bzfd.it/14bWXcYBuzzFeed Politics
Rand Paul: ‘Some in the Evangelical Christian movement I think have appeared too eager for war’ (VIDEO) bit.ly/16N35ptTalking Points Memo
Rand Paul’s Howard speech is the greatest moment in racial transcendance history since Accidental RacistGreg
Rand Paul on Civil Rights – from the horses mouth: maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2010/05/… #p2 #tlotliberalgranny50
“The Democrat promise is tangible and puts food on the table, but too often doesn’t lead to jobs or meaningful success.” Rand PaulAlton Drew
Here’s the transcript to Rand Paul’s speech at Howard today. reason.com/archives/2013/…Mr. Plunge
Rand Paul is not different from other GOPers in that his entire case for blacks voting Republican boils down to Lincoln, Dixiecrats & weed.Joy Reid
Rand Paul OBVIOUSLY thought he was speaking to a crowd of uneducated African Americans. This fool…September’s Very Own
Rand Paul, basically: I was NEVER against the Civil Rights Act. I just think the whole desegregating lunch counters went a bit far.LOLGOP
Thanks to the student activist who confronted Sen. rand Paul today. Thanks HU, GU & GW! @KinlowDC pic.twitter.com/BnWot9zAorDC Vote
Media swarm Rand Paul event at Howard University youtu.be/5KEY-rqJrR0Bruce Majors
This, GOP, is what we call outreach. “In Howard U Speech, Rand Paul Makes Pitch to African-American Community”: nationalreview.com/corner/345214/…Jedediah Bila
@donnabrazile @theGrio No, because what Rand Paul means by “a dialogue” is “I get to tell you where you’re wrong. The end.”Elizabeth Moon
Rand Paul: “My speach today was the same boilerplate bullshit Romney gave to the NAACP, but I’m guessing you won’t notice!”#HowardJ-S Poupart
I didn’t support Rand Paul in his primary, but when he got labeled a “racist” by the fringe, I became a defender, now a fan.Ali A. Akbar
#GOP sends Rand Paul to explain civil rights at #Howard. Next up, Phyllis Schlafly explains women’s lib at #Spellman. Nice #outreach, guys.US Dept. of Irony
Rand Paul says he’s ‘never wavered’ in his support for Civil Rights Act, but … dailykos.com/story/2013/04/… via @dailykosBarbara Morrill
Rand Paul to Howard Students: ‘Big Government Is Not A Friend To African Americans’ fb.me/EjHOLOM4Black Biz Brokers
Rand Paul truly insults Howard University students intelligence, as he disingenuously cherry-picks issues he thinks will help seduce them.SheSheGo
Value of Rand Paul in 2016 race: Forcing Dems to the left on civil liberties.Erik
At Howard University, Rand Paul Falsely Claims He Never Opposed 1964 Civil Rights Act motherjones.com/mojo/2013/04/h… via @motherjonesRonald Lewis
Hypocritical teabagger and liar. Rand Paul: ‘I’ve never been against the Civil Rights Act. Ever.’Justin Gallardo
Rand Paul: GOP faces ‘daunting task’ with black voters on.thegrio.com/ZNb0Nh via @theGrioJacqueline Mc.
Rand Paul clashes with HBCU crowd on.thegrio.com/ZNaYF3 via @theGrio #StandWithRand.Tish
So i’m reading Senator Rand Paul’s Howard University speech. It is wall-to-wall epic fail and falsehoods. reason.com/archives/2013/…Black Canseco
Rand Paul Pitches GOP Version of Minimalist Government to African-Americans: Rand Paul tries to woo black vote… bit.ly/ZFYeawManisha Roy
@TheReidReport just finished watching rand paul speech at howard & found it absurd the way he played on stereotypes of the blacks in americaDAVE FROST
Live tweeting the Rand Paul speech at Howard, @AfricanaCarr totally rules. I’m really impressed by the questions from the audience.Christopher Greer
Rand Paul makes his pitch to African-Americans, arguing ‘GOP is the party of civil rights, voting rights’ – ow.ly/jWbv4National Review
Oh, look! #RandPaul on the Rachel @Maddow show “wavering” in his supports for the Civil Rights Act of 1964: maddowblog.msnbc.com/_news/2010/05/… #HowardMary
@TheReidReport The students at Howard University are too smart for Rand Paul. He just doesn’t know that.Pat
Rand Paul thinks Howard U students are STUPID, that they DON’T know he’s on record saying businesses shouldn’t HAVE to serve Black people.SheSheGo
Sen. Rand Paul’s remarks at Howard University dlvr.it/3CczRY #tlot #amagi #tcotMercedForFreedom

Image, top, by Alana Jones, via Twitter/Instagram

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Fox News Host Suggests Trump ‘Force’ Court to Throw Him in Jail – by Quoting Him

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The Fox News host who targeted a juror serving on Donald Trump’s criminal New York trial is now suggesting the ex-president should violate his gag order and “force” the court to throw him in jail, by quoting the Fox News host.

Jesse Watters came under fire earlier this week for profiling juror number two, sharing possibly identifying information published by a myriad of reporters but then using that information to pass judgment on her ability to serve.

“I’m not so sure about juror number two,” Watters concluded on Fox News.

Jurors, at the judge’s direction, were to remain anonymous, for their protection and the protection of the trial.

The judge excused her, after she said she felt she was not able to be impartial because friends and family were calling her asking if she had been chosen to serve on the Trump trial, after the media blitz.

New York Supreme Court Judge Juan Merchan admonished the press for reporting the information, but some news outlets appeared to ignore his warning.

Watters on Wednesday “did a segment with a jury consultant, revealing details about people who had been seated on the jury and questioning whether some were ‘stealth liberals’ who would be out to convict Trump,” the Associated Press reported.

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Trump later posted Watters’ quote on his Truth Social platform, leading some, including New York prosecutors, to ask the judge to cite him for allegedly breaking his gag order.

Judge Merchan ordered Trump to not mention witnesses, jurors, prosecutors, court staff, or the family members of prosecutors and court staff, CNN has reported.

New York prosecutors told Juge Merchan Trump has violated the gag order at least ten times.

“Prosecutor Christopher Conroy described the ‘most disturbing’ example as a social media message Trump posted on Wednesday evening quoting a Fox News host as saying, ‘They are catching undercover Liberal Activists lying to the Judge in order to get on the Trump Jury,'” Politico reports.

That host was Jesse Watters.

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Friday afternoon, Watters appeared to egg Trump on, urging the ex-president to violate the gag order.

“I would make them put me in jail,” Watters said on Fox News. “I would have a tweet about something perhaps I said on ‘The Five’ or ‘Jesse Watters Primetime,’ and I would force them to throw me in jail.”

Watch Watters’ remark below or at this link.

 

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U.S. Rep. Matt Gaetz (R-FL) says some of his fellow House Republicans would “take a bribe” to throw the razor-thin GOP majority to the Democrats if a far-right faction calls up a motion to oust Speaker of the House Mike Johnson, allowing Democrats to hand the gavel to the Minority Leader, Hakeem Jeffries. he warned if that happens, Democrats would immediately declare Trump ineligible to be President, pack the U.S. Supreme Court, and pass numerous laws like the American Rescue Plan.

“I do believe in a one seat majority there could be one or two or three of my colleagues who would take a bribe in one form or another in order to deprive the Republicans of a majority at all,” Gaetz said Friday on his podcast (video below.)

He added, “the risk that one or two of my corrupt Republican colleagues might take a bribe, take a walk, feign an ailment and flip this thing to the Democrats is a risk that is too high for me at this time.”

Gaetz’s fellow far-right Florida Republican member of Congress, Anna Paulina Luna, told listeners, “I heard that when, if and when the motion vacate is introduced, that there will be immediate resignations of a couple of more moderate members of Congress. And in the event that that happens, that ultimately means it does go to a Democrat speaker.”

RELATED: Jeffries Vows Democrats Will Ensure Ukraine Aid Passes as Johnson Defectors Grow

U.S. Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA) last month filed a “motion to vacate,” which she can use at any time to force a vote to oust the GOP Speaker, Mike Johnson. U.S. Rep. Tim Massie (R-KY) and just today, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar (R-AZ) has signed on as co-sponsors.

Congressman Gaetz told listeners if Democrats do take the House through a force vote to remove Johnson, Democrats would “be declaring Donald Trump an insurrectionist and setting up a barrier to him being able to become the president United States.”

“That’ll be their leadoff hitter, and then the chaser to that shot will be a massive spending package that looks a lot more like the American Rescue Plan. They will blow past every concept of every cap ever imagined. You’ll be looking at Universal Basic Income, you could be looking at packing the Supreme Court.”

Watch a short clip of Gaetz’s remarks below or at this link.

READ MORE: ‘Stop Bringing Up Nazis and Hitler’: Marjorie Taylor Greene Smacked Down by Democrats

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Jeffries Vows Democrats Will Ensure Ukraine Aid Passes as Johnson Defectors Grow

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Democratic House Minority Leader Hakeem Jeffries vowed Friday the majority of Democrats will support Republicans’ Ukraine, Israel, Taiwan, and Gaza foreign aid legislation as Republican Speaker Mike Johnson lost support of another member of his conference to a faction determined to oust him.

“Democrats will provide a majority of our majority as it relates to funding Israel, humanitarian assistance, Ukraine, and our allies in the Indo Pacific,” Minority Leader Jeffries said. “It remains to be seen what Republicans will do in terms of meeting the national security needs of the American people, but it was important for House Democrats to ensure that the national security bills are going to be considered.”

Despite Republicans having a one-vote majority, more Democrats on Friday voted to move the critical and long-awaited foreign aid bills forward than did Republicans.

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The 316-94 vote included 165 Democrats and 151 Republicans voting yes, and 55 Republicans and 39 Democrats voting no.

Axios’ Juliegrace Brufke posted the list of Republicans voting against their party’s legislation.

Calling it a “rare” moment in modern congressional history to have to rely on opposition party votes to pass legislation, BBC News reports Speaker Johnson’s “hold on power is tenuous, and the legislators who oppose him – and his bid to provide aid to Ukraine – occupy some key positions within the House’s power structure.”

Amid the procedural vote to move the foreign aid funding bills forward, U.S. Rep. Paul Gosar, a far-right Republican of Arizona, announced he is joining Congresswoman Marjorie Taylor Greene (R-GA), and Congressman Tim Massie (R-KY) in formally announcing their will vote to oust Speaker Johnson.

Gosar, like Greene, is reportedly a Christian nationalist. In 2022 CNN reported his “lengthy ties to White nationalists, [a] pro-Nazi blogger and far-right fringe received little pushback for years.”

RELATED: ‘Repercussions’: Democrats and Republicans Stand Against ‘Pro-Putin’ House GOP Faction

“We’ve been very honest in our assessment of the situation from the beginning,” Jeffries on Friday also declared. “At the appropriate time as House Democrats, we will have a conversation about how to deal with any hypothetical motion to vacate.”

“Moscow Marjorie Taylor Greene, Massie, and Gosar are quite a group. But central to our conversation is to make sure that the national security legislation in totality is passed by the House of Representatives.”

Watch the videos above or at this link.

 

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