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Yeah, it's a week old, but better late than never!

http://www.freep.com/news/statewire/sw1 ... 040721.htm

Democrats blast GOP lawmaker's 'suppress the Detroit vote' remark
July 21, 2004, 5:05 PM


DETROIT (AP) -- Democrats on Wednesday denounced a Republican lawmaker quoted in a newspaper as saying the GOP would fare poorly in this year's elections if it failed to "suppress the Detroit vote."

State Rep. John Pappageorge, R-Troy, acknowledged using "a bad choice of words" but said his remark shouldn't be construed as racist.

Pappageorge, 73, was quoted in July 16 editions of the Detroit Free Press as saying, "If we do not suppress the Detroit vote, we're going to have a tough time in this election."

"I'm extremely disappointed in my colleague," state Sen. Buzz Thomas, D-Detroit, told reporters Wednesday during a conference call. "That's quite clearly code that they don't want black people to vote in this election."

Blacks comprise 83 percent of Detroit's population, and the city routinely gives Democratic candidates a substantial majority of its votes.

Pappageorge's remark reflected the GOP's failure to send black voters a persuasive message, said Rep. Alexander Lipsey, D-Kalamazoo.

"This is the endgame strategy the Republican Party has decided to utilize, rather than positive strategies," he said. "They are strategizing, "How can we get those folks we don't care about from going to the polls?"'

Pappageorge said he had not read the remark attributed to him but did not deny making it.

"In the context that we were talking about, I said we've got to get the vote up in Oakland (County) and the vote down in Detroit. You get it down with a good message. I don't know how we got them from there to "racist,"' Pappageorge said. "If I have given offense in any way to my colleagues in Detroit or anywhere, I apologize."

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There's no way in hell I would vote for any republican in THIS election!

God, what a moron. I'm sure both sides try to maximize the turnout of their constituencies, but only an idiot would talk about trying to "suppress" votes.

"In the context that we were talking about, I said we've got to get the vote up in Oakland (County) and the vote down in Detroit. You get it down with a good message. I don't know how we got them from there to "racist."'

That's just astounding -- get the vote "down with a good message." What the hell does that mean? Convince blacks voting isn't worth it? That's a "good message?"

Bleah.

Ryan

Rspaight wrote:

Convince blacks voting isn't worth it? That's a "good message?"

Bleah.

Ryan

That wouldn't be too hard, you know. If you wanted to do it with a good message, tell them that there's no way anyone would vote for Bush again, after all he's done. A bad message would be to remind them of Florida and parts of the south in the last election, and that there's no reason to vote because it won't make a difference anyway. That's the best discouragement ever for a lot of people, black and white, who are angry about the state of America today.