Is veteran civil libertarian Norman Siegel one of the few significant public figures in this country who has any integrity? And is unwilling to patronize powerful liberal blacks?
It sure seems that way.
First, Siegel attacked New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio for vowing to deny Donald Trump any future Big Apple contracts because of his assorted thought crimes.
Siegel volunteered to help Trump sue de Blasio for blatantly violating his First Amendment rights. Everybody else, left, right and center kept quiet. Even though it is fairly common knowledge that, according to multiple court rulings, it is unconstitutional to deny government contracts to organizations or individuals based on viewpoint.
Now, Siegel has boldly gone where very few men have gone before, rebuking, albeit gently, civil rights icon [crscore]John Lewis[/crscore], for his repeated ignorant, ahistorical and obnoxious comparisons of Trump to George Wallace.
Siegel, himself a civil rights movement veteran, told the Washington Gadfly that, “I know John Lewis. I have an enormous respect for him,” but “I disagree with his comparing Donald Trump to George Wallace. There is enough wrong minded repugnant ideas Trump has advocated to take him on the merits of what he has said.”
Wow.
A Google search indicates that nobody mainstream has criticized John Lewis for anything since 2008, when [crscore]John McCain[/crscore] blasted him for saying his presidential campaign was sowing hatred just like — you guessed it — George Wallace did.
Lewis’s Wikipedia page gives no indication anybody else has ever criticized him for anything else, despite his long history of comparing conservatives to Southern racists and lack of any significant legislative accomplishments.
Meanwhile, it remains to be seen if McCain will criticize Lewis for Wallacizing Trump. McCain has said he could never forgive Lewis for using the Wallace analogy about him.
His office could not be reached for comment tonight.
Stay tuned.