At her weekly press conference today, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, appeared teary-eyed when responding to a question about the current state of political polarization along racial lines in the U.S.
Asked if she was concerned about the nation’s political climate as a result of “anti-government rhetoric” and “the possibility of violence,” Pelosi said: “I have concerns about some of the language that is being used because …I saw this myself in the late 70s in San Francisco,” the California Democrat said, adding that the language “created a climate in which…violence took place.”
Pelosi referred to events in San Francisco during the late 1970s, when Harvey Milk, an openly gay city councilman and a leader of the Gay rights movement, was assassinated by a city Supervisor.
Pelosi was a Democratic Party leader in Northern California at the time of Milk’s assassination.
Rep. Pete Sessions (Texas), chairman of the National Republican Congressional Committee, said Pelosi was off base when she related the rhetoric of anti-gay protesters in San Francisco in 1978. “The Speaker is now likening genuine opposition to assassination. Such insulting rhetoric not only undermines the credibility of her office, but it underscores the desperate attempt by her party to divert attention away from a failing agenda,” Sessions said in a statement. “During one of the most important policy debates of our time, the American people have been completely abandoned by those elected representatives under her control. Voters are justifiably frustrated with Washington, and the Speaker’s verbal assault on voters accomplishes nothing other than furthering her reputation for being wildly out of touch with the American people.”
Session ignores the proliferation in Right-Wing radicals carrying loaded weapons to political events and the exponential increase in credible treats against President Obama’s life. According to the Secret Service, threats are up 400% over similar threats against President Bush.
Speaker Pelosi, who joins former President Carter in denouncing the proliferation in hate speech aimed at destabilizing the Obama Administration, is right to make the connection. Perhaps her words will go a long way towards initiating action to call out and neutralize the instigators and their agents.