A Spat Between A Georgia Congressman And The President-Elect Works Against Unity
In an interview with Chuck Todd for this week’s “Meet The Press”, Congressman John Lewis (D-GA-05) expressed his opinion that President-elect Donald Trump is not a legitimate president. He bases his opinion on the back-and-forth discussion of alleged Russian hacking that exposed email correspondence from the DNC and the Hillary Clinton campaign. Apparently Congressman Lewis didn’t heed the words of Vice President Joe Biden during the certification of the election results: “It’s over.”
Rather than letting the Congressman’s statements roll off of his back and taking the high road, President-elect Trump took to Twitter early this morning to rebut Congressman Lewis’ opinion:
Congressman John Lewis should spend more time on fixing and helping his district, which is in horrible shape and falling apart (not to……
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2017
mention crime infested) rather than falsely complaining about the election results. All talk, talk, talk – no action or results. Sad!
— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 14, 2017
Both the Congressman and President-elect are, frankly, acting childish. President Barack Obama, in spite of all of the snide comments about his origins perpetuated by some conservatives, is our president. On January 20th at noon, in spite of all of the protests and desperate pleas against his election, Donald Trump will be our president. The votes have been counted and certified. It’s over.
Even though Donald Trump won the Electoral College, he still lost the popular vote by a few million votes. That’s a fact that’s going to be difficult to spin. President-elect Trump should be working to build relationships within Congress and promote a positive message to unite our country instead of taking to Twitter in the early hours of the morning whenever someone says something bad about him.
Congressman Lewis is a civil rights icon and garners the respect of both Republicans and Democrats. His acting out is disappointing. I hope that he would do more to reach out to President-elect Trump to discuss issues of race and civil rights instead of resorting to petty attacks. The fact is that he will be dealing with a Trump administration for the next four years whether he likes it or not.
Really, President-elect Trump should stay away from Twitter during his presidency and grow a bit thicker skin instead of insulting Congressmen and their constituencies. It’s not becoming of a President.
About Author
nsmith
Father. IT Geek. Former 14th District GOP Chairman (2015-2017). Former Walker GOP Chairman (2009-2013). Resident of Chamblee. American. Georgian. Conservative.
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Really, Trump is a master of pushback and a US Rep that goes on national TV with phony insults needs to get braced and no media mercy.
But can’t get too upset with Lewis, while he says he feels his constituents pain his big bidness pals get tax bennies, like health fitness tools, golf clubs. ?
Lewis can always be counted on to be the most partisan of shills. He’s not used to getting any pushback, though. Dems continue to show themselves as crybabies.
I seldom agree with anything that John Lewis says, but you have to be pretty ignorant of history to paint him as a man of no action. When will we have grownups running the show?
Thanks, Donald, for insulting most of the city of Atlanta.
Insulting John Lewis on MLK weekend.
Smooth move.
Thanks, John Lewis for insulting the incoming Prez and all 62,000,000 of his voters. Smooth move.
What do you call a man who got 3 million less votes than Hillary Clinton? Hmmm, oh yeah, The President-Elect of the United States.
Today the AJC headlines their “we’re not that bad” excuses to Trump without interviewing key non-political black achievers in a city with an abundance of talented blacks, who just do it rather than engage in a squabble that no one wins.
Perhaps tomorrow John “the victim” Lewis and the AJC “guilt wrapper” vs. Don “backlash” Trump teams will march over to the theater and watch “Hidden Figures”.
http://www.smithsonianmag.com/history/forgotten-black-women-mathematicians-who-helped-win-wars-and-send-astronauts-space-180960393/
“Hidden Figures”. Filmed in Georgia.
Dang, this blog has ended up in the toilet. I’ve read deeper political discussions in the AJC and Creating Loafing.
RIP Peach Pundit of 6 years ago 🙁
Lol! Well, Loyalty, enlighten us with some of your serious, deep commentary. Maybe start with this issue. I’ll put down my spittoon and eat breakfast with a knife and fork for a change…
The story here is that a sitting congressman openly disputes the legitimacy of a legally elected president. So a guy who epitomizes all that is wrong with congress (do nothing, rigid partisanship) isn’t coming to the inauguration of a get busy president, good! Stay home, whine about the outcome and be irrelevant for yet another congressional session which keeps intact your 30 year record of being a backbencher who occasionally makes a controversial statement to gain some camera time.
Trump won and he tweets, get over it. Cong. Lewis can either get on board or just stay the hell out of the way.
Yes Mr.Lewis, have a seat at the back of the bus.
Good, CC, goooooooooood , insert that racial component where none was present!!! Thatta girl!!!!
Nah CC. Using your inappropriate analogy, Lewis turned down his seat on the bus due to the ‘illegitimate’ driver. Now he can run along beside it hoping he gets another chance to jump on board after realizing the bus is going full speed toward mutually beneficial prosperity.
This statement might be his most regrettable upon reflection after he finally retires. In fact, since he is so offended by this ‘illegitimate’ president, how can he possibly serve under him as a member of congress? Might as well retire now.
i have been unusually shocked, and i truly should not have been shocked, by some of the hate that’s being directed john lewis’ way since he did this thing. some here, some in other forums. the hate just goes beyond rational criticism, bc it fails to account for the other side of the coin of understanding. to wit, most criticism on this blog and in some others is calling mr. lewis a sort of do-nothing, no major bills sponsored, etc. but that’s followed up by a “get the bum out” kicked up to the notch of disrespect, hate, and total lack of thinking and feeling abt the other side of the coin, which is: who gives a flyin rat butt if he passed 16 or 1.6 major bills? that is not the measure of productivity or worthfulness. and everyone on this site should know that. (short aside, there have been researchers’ attempts to measure “legislative productivity” and i dont think any work). john lewis’ role has been as a backstop for civil rights, as a voice that needs to not be forgotten, as a partner and public servant. criticism w/o the hate or disrespect, daresay balanced emotions and intellect. perhaps i should not expect better from this or any site or person in this world, but i just feel like i can’t repress this reaction to this thread.
So now according to bethebalance, it is hate speech to criticize an elected official for failing to accomplish much of anything despite being in office over 30 years. But is OK for the same congressman to question the legitimacy of a legally elected president. This shows just how far we are from finding balance.
don’t go swini
don’t go swini
sorry,technical issues on this post.
but… don’t go swinging off in one direction- that surely upsets balance.
“hate speech” is a very specific thing which over-generalizes the intent. which is that some criticism- some- has been laced with, or augmented by, hate.
more then i think anyone should really be comfortable with.
and, i think anyone can raise points abt legitimacy- the facts or lack of facts (in this case, following investigation of Russian interference or collusion) will be the best judge of correctness.
Serious question, Drew. How would you have Trump avoid the violations you suggest? Since he is genuinely a businessman who makes money all iver the world, how would you have him “divest” himself from all of that? Selling everything at firw sale prices wouldn’t be fair to all he’s accomplished business-wise. What type if separation would be reasonable?
I thought that would be the answer. It’s not reasonable and will not happen. So, I see the Dems “emolumenting” their a$$es off as soon as they can. Reasonable lawmakers will not impeach him hust because he’s a successful businessman. Ain’t gonna happen. Anyone who tries is being simply vengeful.
Again, no snark to you ir your answer. You’re right about your answer.
I used to teach (to Army officers) ethics. I taught that appearance is reality, and that once you appear unethical, you are screwed. You cannot regain trust. Clinton is screwed, and Trump is working on it.
ACP, I didn’t participate or agree with the birther crowd so agree with you that it was a misguided effort. But just because those folks (mostly unelected) screwed the pooch, no reason to repeat the same, especially as an elected official. Lewis was beyond ‘inartful’, his refusal to attend the inauguration or invite Trump to join him in Selma proves he is nothing more than just another political hack.
If Lewis truly cared about his district, he would have reached out to Trump for a meeting which based on everybody else Trump has hosted, it would have been graciously accepted. Problem is Lewis along with many other dems know that if Trump is successful in revitalizing downtrodden inner cities across the country, their base of power will quickly erode. So Lewis decides to put his own political aspirations over the betterment of his district and the districts of many of his colleagues in the CBC. It really is a shame.
2 numbers and he isn’t even POTUS yet: 3 million and 44%.
Lol!!!!! Two numbers: 306-232 and she’ll NEVER be president!!! Pullllll-eeezzzeeee keep posting, CC!
3 million is eating him up,driving him crazy. He can’t let go, can’t stop campaigning. Will he walk the halls of the White House at midnight arguing with Ghost Hillary? Sit on his golden toilet (such an appropriate image) tweeting to his increasingly horrified audience? Keep an ear out for the knock on the door when the impeachment team arrives to drag him to the nearest hospital for a mental hold?
44% means buyer’s remorse is setting in before inauguration. Just wait till the Trumpcare provisions sink in.
1 state: California
The overall numbers obscure the fact that one state gave Clinton her edge. Without California in the popular vote totals, Trump leads in the rest of the states combined by more than 2 million popular votes.
Exactly the reason the founding fathers created the Electoral College – to prevent any hugely populated state from ever over-ruling the combined votes of all the rest of the country. That possibility was what almost kept the Union from being formed, until the E/C preventive measure was formed.
And thanks to Johnson and Stein being on the ballot and peeling off votes, neither Trump nor Clinton broke 50%.
Wow! Gotta love that revisionist history! Nowhere close to reality. Opinions, anyone?
And about California voting…. CA issues drivers licenses to illegal aliens in their state, of which there are millions. The state also automatically registers people to vote when they receive a driving licenses. Ergo, of the roughly 14 million illegals in California, a conservative estimate would be a million on the voter registration rolls. Sooo…. get the picture?
But no matter whether legal or illegal voters, the fact remains that getting beaten in one state does not determine a presidential election. And that was established fact before the United States were formed and the Constitution signed.
You actually hit the nail on the head: California votes do not count any more or less than those of Delaware or Vermont. The Electoral College levels the playing field for all states to have an equitable say in who wins this unique election. One person, Executive Branch.
The House of Representatives does allow for numerical advantages and popular vote: the more people a state has, the more representatives, aka votes, they have. Jefferson and the boys were really slick in the way they set up our government. As Benjamin Franklin said after the Constitutional Convention in 1787 he was asked what form of government had been agreed upon? Franklin replied, “A Republic, if you can keep it.”
No matter whether I agree with any election’s outcome, I am grateful that we still keep our republic 230 years later. Thank God this is not ancient Greece.
LOL! Way to misconstrue! I didn’t say Jefferson was personally at the Convention – he definitely was a founder, wrote the Declaration of Independence, no small input to the formation of our nation. He actually was serving as an ambassador to France at the time of the Constitutional Convention.
Re the voracity of snopes, some guy named Dan Evon posted his convoluted view on how the two CA laws function, loading up on half-truths. He is entitled to his own views, but not his own facts. Although neither individually allows for voting by illegals, their synergy provides for that result.
Without the Electoral College provision, all the states would not have signed to coalesce the new United States. So, no, there would be no U.S. republic.
Yeah, real “lessons” from condescension city. You and I will never agree, so let’s give it a rest. Have a good evening.
“Re the voracity of snopes, some guy named Dan Evon posted his convoluted view on how the two CA laws function, loading up on half-truths. He is entitled to his own views, but not his own facts. Although neither individually allows for voting by illegals, their synergy provides for that result. ”
Then actually show how that happens, and demonstrate that noncitizens have been registered to vote. Otherwise, you’re inventing a loophole that doesn’t exist. It isn’t happening, and it certainly isn’t happening by the “millions.” Their synergy has provided for no such thing. As the articles linked to by Snopes demonstrate, there remains a citizenship test as part of the voter registration information.
“Without the Electoral College provision, all the states would not have signed to coalesce the new United States.”
Yeah, and they wouldn’t have with a 13th Amendment either. Or a 14th Amendment. Or a 15th Amendment. Or a 19th Amendment. Yet despite their admitted genius and the unfortunate compromises the Founders had to make at the creation, we don’t forever insist on slavery, no Bill of Rights in the States, no votes for African-Americans or Women. Seriously, we are a Republic of citizens, not of land. The electoral college is no more genius a ‘republican’ move than was the County Unit system, and the age of the Talmadges has rightfully bitten the dust. One person, one vote, within a regular election ought to be the way it works, for the same reason we don’t give Taliaferro County 1/3 of the total number of vote for Governor as Fulton gets anymore.
1 county: Fulton
The overall numbers obscure the fact that one county gave Carmichael his edge. Without Fulton in the popular vote totals, Talmadge leads in the rest of the state combined by more than 23,000 popular votes.
Exactly the reason the founding fathers created the County Unit – to prevent any hugely populated county from ever over-ruling the combined votes of all the rest of the state. That possibility was what almost kept Georgia from being formed, until the county unit preventive measure was formed.
And thanks to Rivers and O’Kelley being on the ballot and peeling off votes, neither Talmadge nor Carmichael broke 50%.
So has Trump paid the $25M for Trump University fraud yet, and how’s that investigation of his self-dealing foundation going?
It is about respect. Donald Trump has no respect for anyone unless they are making him money, or more likely – getting him out of debt. Trump ran a campaign on vile, nasty, personal attacks against Little Marco, Crooked Hillary, Lyin” Ted and Lyin’ Ted’s family and many more. He berated individuals and groups of millions in the dead of night on twitter and before the cameras. His followers harassed and threatened his individual targets directly and indirectly. They continue to be empowered by his ‘win’ to attack others and their equal rights as citizens.
The media gleefully put Trump’s taunts on headlines and nightly news instead of ignoring them and pushing for meaning policy campaign statements. The debates were an embarrassing smackdown. But the media made over $2 Billion dollars in ad revenue.
Mr. Trump has no remorse, no humility, no humanity, no empathy. He impulsively spews vile lies and disrespects everyone, especially those that disagree with him. He vows revenge and removal of rights for anyone that dares cross his path. His insults were so personal, so crude, even members of his own party would not suck it up and do the usual support ‘for the good of the party’.
Commenters above covered a variety of opinions. The disrespect is not about the vote count or accepting the results. Winning the vote no longer garners instant respect. The growing disrespect for law, ethics and rules of governance from our own Congress has added to the acceptance/disrespect problem. Disrespecting truth and human dignity, that is our problem.
“To announce that there must be no criticism of the President, or that we are to stand by the President, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public.” ― Theodore Roosevelt
I don’t know if I’ve ever agreed more with a post on this site. Both are in the wrong, for now. If Trump doesn’t break out of his bombastic campaign mode and become more presidential then his election could prove to be a disaster for Republicans, but even worse, a disaster for the country. I’ve mentioned the tweets before but it is all of the off-the-cuff commentary from the soon to be narcissist in charge. I’m sure he is accustomed to being surrounded by nothing but sycophants but politics requires a thicker skin because you are damn well going to hear from the opposition or occasionally even a disparaging word from your own side. LOSE THE RABBIT EARS!
Even if you entirely support him please see the danger of the appearance in his persistent backing of Putin. The latest being his dismissal of the importance of NATO and its effect on our European allies. Of course like almost everything there are shades of gray here and a few points I agree with, however this is just not how diplomacy works. Also every statement of this nature allows the world to wonder at least a bit about his legitimacy as a world leader, regardless of whether there is not a quid pro quo involved with the campaign assist.
How does diplomacy work Will?
Announcing ficticious red lines? Drone bombing civilians? Leaving Americans behind when terrorists attack? Trading terrorists for AWOL deserters? Releasing terrorists from incarceration? Attempting to influence foreign elections in allied countries? Selling access for donations to personal ‘charities’? Ignoring border security? Ignoring blatant cyber attacks? Ignoring trade agreement violations? Invading non-threatening countries? Please tell me how these diplomacy actions have benefited America.
Deflect much?
I was speaking to the love being shown to Putin by Trump. It’s starting to get that fishy smell. You want to talk about invading non-threatening countries let’s talk about Crimea and Ukraine, little green men, MH370… According to Trump lackey Jack Kingston we are now supposed to let bygones be bygones and embrace the bear. And speaking to the UK and German press that NATO is obsolete prior to even getting in the gate is certainly not being diplomatic or presidential. Ditto on expressing a love for Brexit which was not received well by the rest of the EU nor half of the UK. It’s their problem and we have enough of our own. Diplomacy with our allies should be conducted through the State Department not Twitter and direct interviews with his majesty.
I have been one of the most vociferous commenters here on the drone wars. Started by the Bush/Cheney administration and then doubled down on by the Obama administration. (BTW Eye In The Sky was probably the best film of 2016 regardless of it now being ignored for awards). Ditto on pay-for-play which I noted early on was obvious within a few of what we now know were Russian purloined emails, though legal proof involving these two lawyer/politicians will be, as always with them, like nailing Jello to the wall. We are not discussing the current, almost past administration but the new one which is not getting off to a good start by avoiding, then browbeating the domestic press and dishing policy to the foreign press.
“It depends upon what the meaning of the word ‘is’ is.”
Lewis told Meet the Press this would be the first inaugural he’d miss sunce he arrived in Congress. But, he missed W’s too. Did he just forget that?
Donald, come on…Lewis a person of no action? How else could his 5th District have gotten the “trolley folly”? you know, the overpriced trolley in downtown Atlanta that hardly carries anyone?