Politics

Durbin: GOP Should Confirm Lorretta Lynch Because Of Selma Anniversary

Alex Griswold Media Reporter
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Democratic Illinois Sen. Dick Durbin said in an interview that Republicans should pause before opposing Obama attorney general nominee Loretta Lynch, because the 50th anniversary of the Selma civil rights march is approaching.

“I would think, as we approach the 50th anniversary of Selma, that Republicans should be more sensitive about what they’re doing to this woman,” Durbin said. If confirmed, Lynch would be the first African-American women appointed to the post. (VIDEO: MSNBC Compares Gay Marriage Opponents To Segregationists)

Durbin, who is white, was even more explicit in a response to a follow-up question from NBC’s Frank Thorp. “She is an African-American woman who has been nominated for the highest law enforcement position in the history of the United States. She’s being held up for no substantive reason. That’s not an implication. That’s a statement.”

“You can’t celebrate civil rights and ignore the reality that one of the most important civil rights milestones, the appointment of an African-American attorney general, is being held up for no good reason,” he concluded. (RELATED: ‘Selma’ Snubbed At The Oscars, Media Blame Racism)

Republican South Carolina Sen. Tim Scott, who is also black, repudiated Durbin’s logic in an interview with Bloomberg. “I think the vote for the attorney general is a vote for the attorney general,” he replied. “One beautiful thing that history has taught us is that we want to judge people by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.”

[h/t Bloomberg]

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