Charlie Rangel: Current GOP Has "Big A Tradition...Of Hating Slaves And Black Folks"

"What you have to keep reminding people is that these Dixiecrats who have just as big a tradition out of hating slaves and black folks—they just changed their party and became Republicans. They come for the same communities. They fight the same liberal ways of allowing people to vote. They have the same way. They have the same Confederate heroes on their wall. And it's all changing Joe but it has not changed. It has not changed."

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Democratic Rep. Charlie Rangel of New York says Republican opposition to Loretta Lynch's nomination as attorney general to replace Eric Holder is racially motivated. Rangel added that current Republicans have a "big a tradition out of hating slaves and black folks" because southern Dixiecrats changed parties and became Republicans.

"Well first of all we only have one black over there, a Republican, so I don't have to tell him what the country is all about," Rangel said of the Senate, referring to Republican Sen. Tim Scott of South Carolina. Democratic Sen. Cory Booker of New Jersey is also black.

"My real concern is that, how close it's been where we couldn't even vote in the local—you know the Civil Rights Act, we are talking about 50-60 years but we are just talking about the ability to give black folks to be able to vote. We've got so far to go," added Rangel to the Joe Madison Show

Rangel said Republicans come from the same communities as the former southern Dixiecrats and "have just as big a tradition out of hating slaves and black folks" and have "Confederate heroes on their wall."

"Joe what we are doing now is feeling that having a black president—why do we have to go through all of these things today? What you have to keep reminding people is that these Dixiecrats who have just as big a tradition out of hating slaves and black folks—they just changed their party and became Republicans. They come for the same communities. They fight the same liberal ways of allowing people to vote. They have the same way. They have the same Confederate heroes on their wall. And it's all changing Joe but it has not changed. It has not changed."

Rangel then added, "you know if this woman was white we wouldn't be going through this. As a matter of fact it has nothing to do with her." The New York Democrat said the opposition is focused on current Attorney General Eric Holder.

"As a matter of fact it has nothing to do with her. It has everything to do with Eric Holder and everything to do with the president."

Rangel said the Republicans are "holding her hostage" because "they want a piece" of President Obama and Holder.

Here's the transcript of the exchange:

JM - Let me ask you about Loretta Lynch. You know her. You've obviously known her for a while. I understand there is one Republican vote short and then I found out historically that only two presidents have had their attorney generals rejected for confirmation. One was Andrew Johnson and that was before an impeachment trial, the other was Calvin Coolidge. Your message to those senators?

CR - Well first of all we only have one black over there, a Republican- so I don't have to tell him what the country is all about.

JM-Now this is the Judiciary Committee. They need one vote from the the committee, republican.

CR- My real concern is that, how close it's been where we couldn't even vote in the local—you know the Civil Rights Act, we are talking about 50-60 years but we are just talking about the ability to give black folks to be able to vote. We've got so far to go. Joe what we are doing now is feeling that having a black president—why do we have to go through all of these things today? What you have to keep reminding people is that these Dixiecrats who have just as big a tradition out of hating slaves and black folks—they just changed their party and became Republicans. They come for the same communities. They fight the same liberal ways of allowing people to vote. They have the same way. They have the same Confederate heroes on their wall. And it's all changing Joe but it has not changed. It has not changed.

JM - It's changing, but it has not changed?

CR - But you know if this woman was white we wouldn't be going through this. As a matter of fact it has nothing to do with her. It has everything to do with Eric Holder and everything to do with the president.

JM - You know I've said on Politics Nation they've probably mentioned Eric Holder's name in the Judiciary Committee hearing than they mention her name.

CR - And no one said anything derogatory about her . I mean they are openly showing that they are holding her hostage because they want a piece of Obama, they want a piece of Eric Holder and they can't get over it—they can't get over it. And its going to take a generation of change—it's going to take a generation of change. This tea party thing, I'm telling you. When I was Chair of the Ways and means we were reporting out the President's Medicaid health bill. Those people holding those picket signs with the president out there looking like Adolf Hitler. The calls they were calling with John Lewis and me outside. Is the same type of voices—the same type of southern accents the same states when I was marching with Doctor Martin Luther King. I mean the hatred is still there. And what you are doing is saying I love the country we are thinking about going nowhere. We made our investment. We've got to make this country better. Everyone knows we are on the right track. People having respect for each other. Improving the quality our schools. Making our workforce more efficient. Making America more competitive with other nations. Fighting every damn war there . And we still have to fight to get recognize when we've got a damn African-American as president of the United States. And some people just can't take it.

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