Republican Redskin Racism

By Jeff Simpson


A group of fifty Unites States Senator's sent a letter to the NFL asking for the Washington Redskins name to be changed. 

“The NFL can no longer ignore this and perpetuate the use of this name as anything but what it is: a racial slur,” the letter says. “We urge the NFL to formally support a name change for the Washington football team. . . .  We urge you and the National Football League to send the same clear message as the NBA did: that racism and bigotry have no place in professional sports.”

Bruce Allen, the Redskins president, sent a letter back telling the NFL - everything is fine, everyone loves the slur. 

''Our use of `Redskins' as the name of our football team for more than 80 years has always been respectful of and shown reverence toward the proud legacy and traditions of Native Americans,'' he wrote.
The letter references research that ''the term Redskins originated as a Native American expression of solidarity.'' It notes that the team's logo was designed by Native American leaders and cites surveys that Native Americans and Americans as a whole support the name.

 

The owner of the Redskins, Daniel Snyder, sent a letter saying "focus on reality":

  “Washington Redskins owner Dan Snyder said Tuesday it's time for people to "focus on reality" concerning Native American matters instead of criticizing the team's nickname. "We understand the issues out there, and we're not an issue," Snyder said. "The real issues are real-life issues, real-life needs, and I think it's time that people focus on reality."

77 Native American tribes, have responded by sending a letter to every single NFL player asking them to publicly support a name change.

 

The National Congress of American Indians and the Oneida Indian Nation sent letters Wednesday to more than 2,700 players, asking them to speak out against a name that “does not honor people of color, instead it seeks to conceal a horrible segment of American history and the countless atrocities suffered by Native Americans.”

They also sent the letter to the Twitter accounts of the players, with the hashtag #rightsideofhistory.

“Because you are in the NFL, you command a level of respect and credibility when speaking out about the league’s behavior,” the letter said. “Indeed, players are the most publicly identifiable representatives of the league, which means your support is critical to ending this injustice.”

Not to let a good racist moment go uncommented on, GOP word guru Frank Luntz chimed in:

 

 

Luntz brought Reid’s opposition to the name up without prompt from host John Ralston during a larger conversation about civility in politics.
“He’s spending his time trying to get the Washington Redskins, which, the last time I checked my map, is 2,000 miles away from Nevada, and he wants to change the Redskins’ name. And he hasn’t done, if you use my language, crap for veterans on Memorial Day,” Luntz said, referring to the current scandal around the Veterans Administration.
When Ralston suggested that Reid and the Senate could multi-task, Luntz kept going.
“Every veteran who’s watching right now ought to be furious with him because he’s spending his time…attacking the name of a football team. And he hasn’t done squat for these veterans,” Luntz said. “This is part of the reason that I find it difficult to function in politics, that he would rather go for the soundbite, that he would rather make this political gesture to raise money from Native Americans, than to actually solve a crisis in the Veteran’s Administration.”

Apparently, there was not enough time in front of the camera, or ethics in his body, to disclose that the Washington Redskins have actually paid Luntz, to keep the racism going.  

 D'OH! 

 

The problem with the Washington Redskins debate, is that Snyder hangs his hat on false pretenses.  

 

 The team and NFL have claimed that then-owner George Preston Marshall picked the current name to honor the team’s Indian coach, William “Lone Star” Dietz, and some Indian players on the squad.
There’s a lot of controversy over whether Dietz was actually a Native American. Witten’s article doesn’t resolve that.
But it does refute the team’s contention that the name was selected to celebrate Dietz.
The proof is in a July 6, 1933, edition of the Hartford Courant, which Witten unearthed after the sports Web site MMQB tipped him off about it.
The edition includes a short Associated Press dispatch quoting Marshall saying: “The fact that we have in our head coach, Lone Star Dietz, an Indian, together with several Indian players, has not, as may be suspected, inspired me to select the name Redskins.”
Instead, Marshall explains, he gave up “Braves” to avoid confusion with a Boston professional baseball team of the same name. He apparently picked the Redskins name so he could keep the existing Native American logo.
Witten also reports that lawyers at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office have rejected at least 12 applications to register “redskins” as a trademark since 1993.
The reason: The word disparages Native Americans.

 

 

Locally, we just had this debate with Steve nASS authoring a bill to allow high schools to slur Native American tribes, people and traditions, as long as a few white people in the community liked their logo.  A bill that Scott Walker gladly signed by the way.   It was Steve nASS' biggest accomplishment since he was able to skip out of paying child support for the out of wedlock child he fathered.   

Our really really dumb Senator, not having an original thought since 1971, echoed Frank Luntz's words as if they were his own and that made Kevin Binversie aroused!  

 

  

While Sen. Baldwin and other Democrats were out stalking headlines, it was Sen. Ron Johnson's quote that really stood out.

 

"We have enormous challenges facing America. Only some of them are the concern of the federal government,” he said. “The letter, signed primarily by Senate Democrats, concerns an issue that should be left to the team’s owners, its players, and its fans. I trust that they will do what is right. This is not a matter that requires congressional action. Congress should concentrate on its own duties.”

 

“And when it comes to football,” he said, “I will concentrate on the Green Bay Packers.”

 

Boom.

 

 Hey Kevin its Frank Luntz's poster you should have on the wall, he is the one spoon feeding thoughts into the ring czar's head!  

We at Cogdis, like to offer solutions and I think we have one that is fitting.  Since the Redskins are based in Washington DC, I recommend switching to the Washington Chickenshits.   Heck we even have your helmet designed already! 

 You are welcome! 

Paul Ryan

Paul Ryan (R- Wall St.) is back at it. By back at it, I mean punishing anyone who dares speak up against him, all the while being the dishonest, unethical, politician America was introduced to during the campaign.  

First we start off with the fact that, under republican party rules, there are term limits to heading committees. As head of the Budget Committee, Paul Ryan has reached his term limit.  Well rules do not matter to Paul Ryan, and he was recently re-appointed to be head of the Budget Committee.  This despite John Boehner promising "no special treatment".

Another complication for leaders is Rep. Paul Ryan’s return to the House. Leaders are expected to reappoint the Wisconsin Republican as head of the Budget Committee even though he’s reached the term limit for committee heads. That has others wondering why the party’s golden boy is getting special treatment.

“I have told John Boehner that I will abide by what John wants,” Homeland Security Chairman Pete King (R-N.Y.) told POLITICO. “I was told that nobody would be getting waivers, including Paul Ryan. Obviously, if Paul is going to get a waiver, I will discuss it with the speaker.”

Once re-installed, then Paul Ryan did what he does best, punish those who have ever spoke up against him.  

Two of the most conservative Republicans in the House of Representatives have been kicked off the House Budget Committee, a rare move that could make it easier for the panel to advance a deal with Democrats to cut fiscal deficits.

Representatives Tim Huelskamp of Kansas and Justin Amash of Michigan - both favorites of the anti-tax Tea Party movement - are among those Republicans voting most often against House Speaker John Boehner......

"This is clearly a vindictive move and a sure sign that the GOP establishment cannot handle disagreement," he said.

Huelskamp and Amash had said that despite sweeping changes to the Medicare and Medicaid healthcare programs, committee chairman Paul Ryan's budget did not make deep enough cuts to entitlement programs and military spending........

 Huelskamp and Amash cast the only House Budget Committee votes against Ryan's budget plan earlier this year.

 Apparently some people on the right actually paid attention to the fact that Paul Ryan has voted to add over $6.8 TRILLION to our national deficit.   

Which is strange because Frank Luntz was given a national stage where he told us time and time again how great a conservative Paul Ryan was.   It was such a lovefest, it is almost as if Paul Ryan paid him to do it! 

CBS News political analyst Frank Luntz had a major undisclosed conflict of interest while appearing on the network. While Luntz used his pre-election platform on CBS to praise Rep. Paul Ryan, his consulting firm, Luntz Global LLC, received $40,000 in consulting and polling fees from Rep. Paul Ryan's congressional campaign.

On CBS, Luntz called Ryan a "very popular" congressman who could help Romney win Wisconsin. Luntz also used his CBS appearances to attack his client's vice presidential opponent. He claimed that Biden's debate performance was a turnoff to voters and suggested it showed that the Obama administration can't work with congress. Luntz made eleven CBS appearances to discuss the presidential campaign from September 24 -- when Luntz's firm first received a payment from Ryan -- through November.

According to reports filed with the Federal Election Commission, Ryan's successful 2012 congressional campaign paid Luntz Global LLC $20,000 on September 24 for "Polling: Dial Session" and $20,000 on October 9 for "Advertising: Ad Consulting." (Ryan's year-end FEC report, covering all of October through December, is not due until January 31.)

Luntz is a Republican operative (despite some apparent confusion from CBS) who is perhaps best known for helping write and market Newt Gingrich's Contract with America. New York Times Magazine contributor Robert Draper reported that Luntz orchestrated a 2009 meeting where prominent Republicans, including Paul Ryan, formulated a plan to gain control of congress and The White House.

Luntz's lack of disclosure may violate CBS Corporation's standards of conduct. The CBS Corporation Business Conduct Statement on conflicts of interest informs CBS employees, "including those employed on a temporary, freelance, intern, or per diem basis,"  that "in all cases" they "must disclose all potential conflicts of interest" to CBS: