Posted on May 26, 2011

Racism to Blame for Obama’s Problems, Key Democrat Says

James Rosen, McClatchy Newspapers, May 25, 2011

House Assistant Democratic Leader Jim Clyburn, the highest-ranking African-American in Congress, on Wednesday blamed most of President Barack Obama’s political problems on racism.

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“You know, I’m 70 years old,” he said. “And I can tell you; people don’t like to deal with it, but the fact of the matter is, the president’s problems are in large measure because of the color of his skin.”

Clyburn noted that he himself got hate mail, racist phone calls and offensive faxes on a regular basis. Asked how that relates to the president, Clyburn retorted: “We have the same skin color; that’s how it relates to him.”

Clyburn described a recent racist image of Obama that received widespread news coverage.

“When he sees his face being put on a chimpanzee’s body; do you think he didn’t see that?” Clyburn said. “And I suspect they send the same faxes to his office they send to mine.”

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Clyburn suggested that the “birther” movement of Americans who say Obama wasn’t born in the United States is fueled by racism.

“I don’t know why anybody didn’t ask for John McCain’s” birth certificate, Clyburn said. {snip}