House Majority Whip James Clyburn (D-SC) appeared on MSNBC this afternoon and really laid into Kentucky Republican Senate nominee Rand Paul over his criticism of the Civil Rights Act — and the fact that Paul held his victory party Tuesday at a country club.
“I was absolutely appalled,” Clyburn said.
“I could not believe that he was holding his victory party in a private members-only club where the vast majority of the people who just finished voting for him would not even be welcome,” Clyburn said. “I couldn’t believe that.”
He ought to come clean with the American people and let us know exactly what it is he wants to do if he’s elected to the United States Senate. He made himself the face, the spokesperson for the Tea Party movement at his victory party.
“He made it very clear to the voters in America exactly what their movement is all about. They are parsing words. They are sending signals. They are saying things that ought to give all of us great pause.”
Paul defended his past criticism of the Civil Rights Act on the Rachel Maddow Show last night, and released a statement today that he “will not support any efforts to repeal the Civil Rights Act of 1964.”
That’s not good enough for Clyburn, who notes that it wasn’t until after 1964 that Civil Rights measures like voting rights, fair housing and prohibitions on public sector discrimination were implemented.
“Once again he is parsing his words, he is saying things, sending signals that I hope the vast majority of the people who voted for him would reject,” Clyburn said. “And I am sure that come November they will.”
He just cannot have it both ways. He needs to lay out for the American people exactly who he is, what he is. And I do believe that he is not good for this country going forward.
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