Rep. Johnson: Hats Off To ‘Desperate’ Cochran For Asking For Black Votes

Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) arrives at a press conference across the street from the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison to speak with the media after visiting with death row inmate Troy Anthony Davis in Jacks... Rep. Hank Johnson (D-Ga.) arrives at a press conference across the street from the Georgia Diagnostic and Classification Prison to speak with the media after visiting with death row inmate Troy Anthony Davis in Jackson, Georgia, Thursday, May 29, 2009. Davis was convicted of murdering a Savannah, Georgia police officer in 1989, but since the time of his original trial, seven of nine witnesses have recanted or contradicted their original testimony. (AP Photo/Paul Abell) MORE LESS
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Rep. Hank Johnson (D-GA) hopes Sen. Thad Cochran (R-MS) will be “responsive” to the black voters who voted for him in the runoff election for U.S. Senate —which Cochran won by defeating a strong challenge by Mississippi state Sen. Chris McDaniel (R).

“My hat is off to Sen. Cochran for being as desperate as he was, to actually go out and up front got out and ask for those votes,” Johnson, who is African-American, said according to Politico. “Those votes were delivered and I’m hopeful he will be responsible and responsive to the voters that pushed him over the top.”

Johnson’s comments came in a report on how members of the Congressional Black Caucus feel that Cochran should do something — perhaps in terms of legislation — to thank black voters for helping Cochran win to Republican primary for U.S. Senate.

“What I hope happens is that he comes to the realization that African-Americans are the reason I have this final six years and therefore I’m going to try and be more responsible than I have been,” Rep. Emanuel Cleaver (D-MO) also said.

The Plum Line’s Greg Sargent reached out to Cochran’s office to see if he would sign on to legislation reinstating a key provision of the Voting Rights Act that was gutted by the Supreme Court. That provision required certain states with a history of racial bias to seek permission from the federal government before changing voting laws. Cochran’s office said only that he is “listening” about that fix.

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  1. hahahaha you expect this old southern conservative to actualy do something to help its african american population just because it helped him win the run off…there must be somethin in tha water to think that POS would do anything for anyone other than other white southern conservatives

  2. Dream on Hank, he is already walking away.

  3. Avatar for meri meri says:

    I think Johnson is just needling Cochran.

    Or I guess maybe he’s as stupid as the pundits and reporters who have also said similar?

  4. Smack. Of course he doesn’t expect Cochran to do anything differently. That’s not the point–the point is to go on record nailing him to that demographic.

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