OPINION
‘Tom Cotton Is Racist’: Internet Slams ‘Constitutional-Ignoramus’ and ‘Racist’ Senator’s Argument Against DC Statehood
U.S. Republican Senator Tom Cotton of Arkansas is under fire after delivering what many are calling a “racist” argument against granting statehood to the nation’s capital, Washington, D.C.
“Would you trust Mayor [Muriel] Bowser to keep Washington safe if she were given the powers of a governor? Would you trust Marion Barry?” Senator Cotton asked, after noting that most of D.C. is under the control of “left wing politician” Muriel Bowser. Listen to Cotton as he says her name with deep disdain:
Sen. Tom Cotton on #DCstatehood: “Would you trust Mayor Bowser to keep Washington safe if she were given the powers of a governor? Would you trust Marion Barry?” pic.twitter.com/e2PDM5IySQ
— The Hill (@thehill) June 25, 2020
For those too young to know or remember, Marion Barry was the mayor of D.C. from 1979 to 1991 and then from 1995 to 1999. But in 1990 he was arrested by the FBI after a sting operation caught him smoking “crack” cocaine. He died nearly six years ago in 2014.
Mayor Bowser, who has stood up solidly against President Donald Trump, has a 67% approval rating. She’s been rumored to be under consideration to become Joe Biden’s vice presidential running mate.
Both Bowser and Barry are Black.
That wasn’t the only racist attack Cotton made.
“Yes, Wyoming is smaller than Washington by population, but it has three times as many workers in mining, logging and construction, and ten times as many workers in manufacturing. In other words, Wyoming is a well-rounded working-class state,” he said on the Senate floor – suggesting D.C.’s residents have the wrong kind of jobs for them to become citizens of a state. “What vital industries would the new state of Washington represent? Lobbying? Bureaucracy? Give me a break. By far, the largest group of workers in the city are bureaucrats and other white-collar professionals. This state would be nothing more than an appendage of the federal government.”
D.C just happens to be 46% Black. Cotton is also wrong about the makeup of D.C. workers, the majority of whom do not work for the federal government.
Esquire’s Charles Pierce explained the Republican Senator from Arkansas’s speech by writing, “not only is Cotton a bobble-throated slapdick, but he is a dangerous monger of war. He’s also supremely arrogant.”
On Friday, for the first time since 1973, the House will vote on D.C. statehood. The White House officially opposes it.
Here’s what some are saying about Cotton’s comments.
@SenTomCotton, Wyoming receives 41% of its state budget from the federal government. Does that count as an “appendage”? 🤨
But we hear the dog dog whistle! Wyoming: 92% white. DC: 47% Black. You don’t want them having representation bc of the color of their skin. #DCStatehood https://t.co/DdpiKGDicc
— Tom Winter (@WinterForMT) June 25, 2020
Marion Barry gave thousands of people jobs, understood the lived experiences of his constituents and you are a goddamn racist, Tom Cotton. https://t.co/1cULjOyxFL
— Tanya WEAR A MASK Tarr (@nerdette) June 25, 2020
What a surprise: the racist, authoritarian, Constitutional-ignoramus Tom Cotton opposes enfranchising three quarters of a million of his fellow citizens because he doesn’t like jobs they have. #DCStatehood https://t.co/LbKF22WQht
— Mark Schaefer (@MarcusAndreasDC) June 25, 2020
700,00+ DC residents deserve equal representation in the House and Senate, regardless of what one white nationalist from Arkansas thinks 💁🏻♂️ #DCStatehood pic.twitter.com/V2lSWLfoZ6
— Adam Griffin 🏳️🌈✊🏼✊🏾✊🏿 (@adamj_griff) June 25, 2020
Also want to be clear that by “grotesque” I mean straight up unapologetic racist
— Rebecca Traister (@rtraister) June 25, 2020
Excuse me? I can think of only ONE thing Mayor Bowser has in common with Marion Barry. What a fucking piece of racist shit Tom Cotton is.
— This Got Me Thinking (@Speaking_Plain) June 25, 2020
Let’s just say it. Tom Cotton is scared of what happens if you give 350,000 Black folks a voice. It’s racist, full stop. Nearly 20% of DC residents live in poverty & Black median income is 1/3 of white, so I don’t want to hear anything about how it’s a city full of cushy gov jobs
— Patrick Drupp 🐬 (@pdrupp) June 25, 2020
Dear @SenTomCotton: It’s true there’s no guarantee residents of DC would make wise choices in who they elect to represent them at the state or federal level. After all, Arkansas votrers chose a racist, fascist asshole to represent them as a Senator, so there’s always some risk. https://t.co/MIgjjYeJfX
— Charles Gaba (@charles_gaba) June 25, 2020
So does Tom Cotton think because they aren’t working the “right kind of jobs” DC is worth less than Wyoming? What a crock! https://t.co/rsgkobKSo7
— Brian Roth Defund the Police (@BrianRothResist) June 25, 2020
Racism, what does it look like? https://t.co/28tpZvAQdv
— Molly Jong-Fast🏡 (@MollyJongFast) June 25, 2020
Dirtbag brought his dog whistle to work today https://t.co/IbG5IQPO6Q
— Adam Parkhomenko (@AdamParkhomenko) June 25, 2020
Tom Cotton is racist. https://t.co/FYYnxyXPSs
— Mark Joseph Stern (@mjs_DC) June 25, 2020
Tom Cotton argues that DC shouldn’t get statehood because Marion Barry once was mayor. Cotton comes from a state whose governors have included Mike Huckabee and Orval Faubus. And whose senators include a racist jerk named Tom Cotton. Maybe we should end Arkansas statehood. https://t.co/2AEvwShRfb
— Mark Jacob (@MarkJacob16) June 25, 2020
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