Norton Says Reid Strong Record Fortifies His African American Support (1/10/2010)

Norton Says Reid's Strong Record Fortifies His African American Support

January 10, 2010

WASHINGTON, DC - Congresswoman Eleanor Holmes Norton (D-DC), a former chair of the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), today issued the following statement on an off-the-record remark by Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid that has made its way into a book to be released next week.

"Like President Barack Obama, African Americans are likely to accept Majority Leader Reid's apology for an obvious reason. He has earned it. Sen. Reid has earned it with his career-long support of civil rights and many other issues that matter most to African Americans. Black people have always used their own yardstick for measuring the actions of political leaders. The Senator's lifetime NAACP ‘A' rating, his work with the Congressional Black Caucus against judicial appointments that would have rolled back hard won legislation and civil rights it took a century to achieve, and his heroic work in producing a Senate health care bill are only some of the reasons the Majority Leader will continue to enjoy strong African American support. Harry Reid's opponents will not find a welcome mat in the Black community if they seek to capitalize on the Reid remark. While Sen. Reid has been producing for African Americans, many of his critics were opposing him on these same issues. Majority Leader Reid has a record. They do not. Words matter, but what matters most are the actions of a man whose committed career on our issues speaks for itself."