Burnt Orange Report

August 12, 2003

Dewhurst Spokesman: "Dems think they're Rosa Parks"

By Byron LaMasters

Senators said a spokesman for Lt. Gov. David Dewhurst made inappropriate comments in a published report by suggesting the Democrats consider themselves akin to Rosa Parks, whose refusal to yield her seat at the front of a bus in Montgomery, Alabama contributed to the civil rights movement.
The spokesman, David Beckwith, was quoted by Scripps Howard’s Austin bureau today saying of the absent Democrats: “After they got” to New Mexico “thinking they were going to stay a few days and then declare victory or whatever they thought they were going to do, they got captured by the Democratic National Committee blowing smoke up their rears and telling them what great Americans they were. So now they’ve gone from making a statement to ‘doing the right thing.’ They think they are Rosa Parks II.”

Sen. Rodney Ellis of Houston, who is African American, said he was “personally offended” by the comment and contended the comment reflected a history of similar lapses by Beckwith, who once worked for Vice President Dan Quayle.

“He owes the entire state of Texas an apology,” Ellis said.

Sen. Gonzalo Barrientos of Austin said Beckwith deserves a kick in the rear.

“He’s pulled the race card,” Barrientos said. “He’s dealt himself a very bad hand.”

Sen. Royce West of Dallas said he started to give Beckwith “a sheet and a hood” but decided that was too reactive.

Beckwith, informed of the criticism, said today he was simply telling Scripps Howard that the Democratic flight was “not a historic event. I’m sorry if anybody is offended.”

But remember, they're all still friends.

Posted by Byron LaMasters at August 12, 2003 02:40 PM | TrackBack

Comments

Beckwith has a track record for these kind of insensitive remarks. The Cornyn/Kirk race almost semed like a Beckwith/Kirk race, with Beckwith quoted in the paper everyday.

Dewhurst ought to send Beckwith on down the road.

Posted by: pc at August 12, 2003 02:46 PM

It was Dewhurst's spokesman who made the remark. Beckwith made a similarly racially insensitive remark as Cornyn's spokesman calling the Democratic ticket a "racial quota" ticket. Why is this guy still around? He has quite a pattern of this type of behavior:

From the Houston Chronicle, April 13, 2002:

Cornyn disavows aide's comment about Democrats

By CLAY ROBISON, Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

AUSTIN - Republican U.S. Senate nominee John Cornyn on Friday disavowed a
campaign spokesman's remark that Texas Democrats had used a "racial quota
system" to put together their general election ticket.

Cornyn , the Texas attorney general, said his campaign against former
Dallas Mayor Ron Kirk , the Democratic Senate nominee, "will be based
solely on the issues."

He said he has "great respect" for Kirk 's accomplishments in Dallas.

"I believe he would join me in declaring that race should not play any
part in this campaign. I certainly can make that promise from my side," he
added.

Cornyn was responding to remarks made Wednesday by campaign spokesman Dave
Beckwith , who told the Dallas Morning News that the Democratic ticket was
"cynical."

"It is based on a racial quota system. In the end, it will not work
because most people vote on issues and philosophy, not on race," Beckwith
was quoted as saying.

[...]

Posted by: ByronUT at August 12, 2003 02:50 PM

Ummm, no. Beckwith is closer to honoring Rosa Parks by ridiculing the Dems attempt to portray their hissy fit as some sort of heroic stance comparable to that of Ms. Parks. The Dems, insofar as they indirectly compare their actions to civil rights sacrifices, are the insensitive ones here.

Posted by: Mark Harden at August 12, 2003 05:39 PM

"Dave Beckwith" and "honoring Rosa Parks" really don't deserve to be in the same sentence. It's f*cking laughable.

Beckwith is either an unrepentent racist or has a severe case of foot-in-the-mouth disease.

Posted by: ByronUT at August 12, 2003 05:53 PM

"It is based on a racial quota system. In the end, it will not work
because most people vote on issues and philosophy, not on race," Beckwith
was quoted as saying.

Well, he was right in his prediction of how people would vote. And, really, byron: the Dem campaign planners explicitly extolled the benefits of fielding a triple lineup of Brown/black/white for gov/senator/lt gov. (They backed off the public proclamation of a "Rainbow Ticket" only after the public blanched). That's one race for each slot. You can refuse to call that a "racial quota" if you wish, but if it walks like a duck...

Posted by: Mark Harden at August 12, 2003 10:01 PM

Some cites for the "Rainbow Ticket" or "Dream Ticket"

Houston Press, 4/18/2002

WaPost, 11/3/2002

Texas Observer, 11/22/2002 (Interestingly depicts John Sharp as the man behind the "Dream Ticket" idea)

Posted by: Mark Harden at August 12, 2003 10:13 PM

News, Politics, and Fun From Deep in the Heart of Texas

August 12, 2003

Dewhurst Spokesman: "Dems think they're Rosa Parks"

By Byron LaMasters