Illinois senator makes racist comment in debate

[Doubting Thomas]

And no, it's not surprising that he's a Republican:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/illinois-sena...30072.html

Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk is under fire for a racially charged quip made against Democratic challenger Rep. Tammy Duckworth after questioning her family’s military service.

During Thursday night’s debate, Duckworth, who was born in Thailand to a mother of Chinese descent and a white father from the United States, proudly cited the extensive record of military service on her father’s side of the family, stretching back to the dawn of the country.


Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran and former assistant secretary of Veterans Affairs, argued that it’s important that senators understand the burden carried by military families when debating whether to send the nation’s men and women in uniform into harm’s way.

“My family has served this nation in uniform going back to the Revolution. I’m a daughter of the American Revolution. I’ve bled for this nation,” she said at the University of Illinois in Springfield. “But I still want to be there in the Senate when the drums of war sound, because people are quick to sound the drums of war, and I want to be there to say, ‘This is what it costs; this is what you’re asking us to do. And if that’s the case, I’ll go.’ Families like mine are the ones that bleed first.”

When it was Kirk’s turn to respond, the Republican uttered a single sentence that was intended to be a zinger but merely resulted in awkward silence: “I had forgotten that your parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington.”

This is a guy who renounced his support for Donald Trump after Trump's comments about a judge of Mexican descent not being impartial during the Trump University lawsuit.

[Minimalist]

All the kooks and half-wits find their way to the republicunt party.

[Doubting Thomas]

It's sad that someone can look at a war veteran who gave her legs while serving her country and all they can see is "She looks like a gawldam furriner, she must not be a true 'Murican."

[Whateverist]

And no, it's not surprising that he's a Republican:

https://www.yahoo.com/news/illinois-sena...30072.html

Illinois Sen. Mark Kirk is under fire for a racially charged quip made against Democratic challenger Rep. Tammy Duckworth after questioning her family’s military service.

During Thursday night’s debate, Duckworth, who was born in Thailand to a mother of Chinese descent and a white father from the United States, proudly cited the extensive record of military service on her father’s side of the family, stretching back to the dawn of the country.


Duckworth, an Iraq War veteran and former assistant secretary of Veterans Affairs, argued that it’s important that senators understand the burden carried by military families when debating whether to send the nation’s men and women in uniform into harm’s way.

“My family has served this nation in uniform going back to the Revolution. I’m a daughter of the American Revolution. I’ve bled for this nation,” she said at the University of Illinois in Springfield. “But I still want to be there in the Senate when the drums of war sound, because people are quick to sound the drums of war, and I want to be there to say, ‘This is what it costs; this is what you’re asking us to do. And if that’s the case, I’ll go.’ Families like mine are the ones that bleed first.”

When it was Kirk’s turn to respond, the Republican uttered a single sentence that was intended to be a zinger but merely resulted in awkward silence: “I had forgotten that your parents came all the way from Thailand to serve George Washington.”

This is a guy who renounced his support for Donald Trump after Trump's comments about a judge of Mexican descent not being impartial during the Trump University lawsuit.

Wonder if he'll renounce support of his own candidacy just to be consistent.

[account_inactive]

Cringeworthy, as the article suggests but is it really racist?

I can't really make my mind up about this one but the man is an idiot, yes.

[abaris]

Cringeworthy, as the title says but is it really racist?

I can't really make my mind up about this one but the man is an idiot, yes.

For once I find myself in agreement with you on a matter like that. It doesn't seem to be racist, just stupid. I expected worse when reading the article. The final quote rather surprised me. Like in, expecting quite a heavy punchline and coming up empty.

[Alex K]

I agree, astonishingly stupid even, but not exactly racist.

[Regina]

It's borderline prejudiced in a "where are you really from?" kind of way, which is what people of colour and even non Anglo-Saxon white people get asked a lot in America and Britain.

I don't think it's racist to assume her family are Thai if she is a somewhat East Asian-looking woman who was born in Thailand. That's an easy mistake to make, it's the same as people hearing my surname and assuming I'm Italian, or looking at how some of my family members look and assuming they're Arabs or Turkish. If you line up a group of white people and ask "which is French, which is Italian, which is Croatian?" most people will get it wrong too.

I'm more stunned by the "George Washington" bit, ffs and this is a man in politics? I weep.

[Alex K]

I'm more stunned by the "George Washington" bit, ffs and this is a man in politics? I weep.

Well her ancestors did serve in the revolution...

[Regina]

Yeah but he said "parents"...

I'm guessing it was just a slip of the tongue, I hope so anyway