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Morning News

Texas Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson, Talk America Radio Network's Armstrong Williams Sound Off on Disenfranchised Voters

Aired December 14, 2000 - 9:40 a.m. ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: Showing you pictures now of some African Americans and union workers demonstrating yesterday against the Supreme Court's decision not to allow a recount of the votes in Florida. They say that blacks were kept from the polls and that their ballots were systematically discarded. The Reverend Jesse Jackson is promising more protests.

(BEGIN VIDEO CLIP)

REV. JESSE JACKSON, RAINBOW PUSH COALITION: In the African- American community, you had the most broken down machines and the least ability to service people who were trying to vote. They had that. About 80 percent of those who were disenfranchised are African American. Indeed, there was race (UNINTELLIGIBLE).

(END VIDEO CLIP)

KAGAN: Meanwhile, the U.S. commission on civil rights is investigating the allegations of voting irregularities. They plan to hold hearings next month in Tallahassee.

We're going to go live to Washington now. Joining us, Texas Rep. Eddie Bernice Johnson. She is chair-elect of the Congressional Black Caucus. Also, Armstrong Williams of Talk America Radio Network.

Good morning. Thanks for joining us.

ARMSTRONG WILLIAMS, TALK AMERICA RADIO NETWORK: Good morning.

REP. EDDIE BERNICE JOHNSON (D), TEXAS: Good morning.

KAGAN: Ms. Johnson, I'll start with you. Looking ahead from here now that the election has been decided, where does the sense of anger and disenfranchisement go from here?

JOHNSON: We can't afford to ignore those voices. I have visited Florida four times since the election. The people are very serious about that vote, their votes not being counted. Somehow in a democracy, you fully expect that when people cast their vote without intimidation, their ballots will be counted. And our responsibility remains very much alive in that area.

KAGAN: Mr. Williams, now to you. Do you have that same sense of anger and disenfranchisement from the African-American community, or do you see leaders like Ms. Johnson exploiting of what might be out there?

WILLIAMS: Well, you know, I speak as an American, not someone who's hyphenated. I think that -- I think the issue here is that where you try to cast this as an issue of black and white and an issue of race -- I think if there is an injustice that has been done here, if voters felt that they were disenfranchised and that they were wronged, that all of Americans should speak out against these injustices and try to correct them. I think when you try to cast it in a lot where you sort of isolate yourself from all other Americans, we lose people that feel just as strongly about it as you do. I think Congressman Johnson has every right to support and protest what she sees as injustice, but I don't think it should be an issue of race. It should be an issue that there Americans that have been disenfranchised.

JOHNSON: It is not an issue of race. If you look at the people who are attending these meetings, they are very mixed. They are not just African Americans. There are Jewish Americans, there are just Anglo Americans, there are Cuban Americans, Haitian Americans, African Americans. It's across the board, many ministers. Just Monday I was in Miami, and there were people from all over the country coming to support the NAACP's rally.

KAGAN: Well, Ms. Johnson, speaking of the NAACP, one of the positives of this last election style -- cycle, they spent a lot of money, millions of dollars, in getting out the vote, and got people to come out and vote who had never voted before. So where does that political power and those voters go from here?

JOHNSON: Well, they will continue to come to the polls, and perhaps even in greater numbers because, you know, most of us are old enough to remember the water hoses, the dogs, the billy clubs, the definitions that someone has to explain before they can vote. For example, how do you -- what is a round and how high is high, poll tax. I remember all of that. That's why it's very important, especially to me and the leaders here that join me in Congress, that we allow people to vote without intimidation, and then we count those votes. When we don't do that, we are not different from any other nondemocratic country that simply pushes leaders upon people.

KAGAN: Let me just -- I just want to interpret one second to explain the picture to our viewers that we're showing them as we continuing our conversation. That is George W. Bush, the president- elect, leaving the governor's mansion. He is headed to Tarrytown United Methodist Church where there will be a special prayer service for the governor -- for the president-elect -- excuse me -- and for Mrs. Bush. And we will be showing that to our viewers live in just a bit.

Now back to our conversation.

And Mr. Williams, speaking of George W. Bush, does he needs to be concerned about the lack of African-American support he had even before all this election mess took place? WILLIAMS: I think Governor -- President-elect Bush said it all last night when he said he represents all Americans, those that did not support him. But getting back to the issue which we are discussing this morning, I think it's quite disingenuous that you have someone like Reverend Jesse Jackson, who many perceive as being on the payroll of the Democratic Party, and someone like Mr. Kweisi Mfume, who heads the NAACP. When their organization took almost $8 or $9 million from some private Democratic donor, I think you blur the lines here.

I think there are legitimate issues here that should be addressed for those American that feel disenfranchised, but I don't think someone like Jesse Jackson or Kweisi Mfume should be leading this protest.

KAGAN: Why not?

WILLIAMS: I think what it does, it alienates them.

JOHNSON: Why are they different from any other Americans?

WILLIAMS: Because you know why?

JOHNSON: There's more money that can pass around with Republicans than Democrats have ever even conceived of passing around.

WILLIAMS: But see, Congressman Johnson -- and I think you and I may agree here -- I think this is an issue that Vice President Gore, President-elect Bush and all of Americans should be concerned about. It's not as if this is the first time that we are hearing of these voter irregularities in Florida and elsewhere around the country. Why is it taking so long for us to address these concerns? And why are these people still disenfranchised. It's inexcusable.

KAGAN: And so maybe we can end on a note of agreement: something must be done, this must be looked into.

WILLIAMS: Yes, absolutely.

KAGAN: Congressman Johnson?

JOHNSON: Oh, indeed. You know, where there is not freedom and protection of the voter to cast the vote and make their choices known, and then allow those votes to be counted, there is no democracy. And so if we are going to defend democracy, that is basic and fundamental to a democracy.

And this has nothing to do with whether it's Mr. Gore or Mr. Bush in the White House. The five people on the Supreme Court determined who was going to the White House. So that's over. What we're talking about is not forgetting that the battle has been fought to make sure that every American that has reached voting age and is free to register be able to vote without intimidation and inconveniences to the point where it's -- I'm not even sure you can continue to call them inconveniences, and then not have their votes counted. We can't stand for that in this country, no matter who it is. WILLIAMS: Absolutely. I agree. Absolutely.

KAGAN: And on that note -- very good. Then I can say you both get the last word, your "absolutely" and the comments from Congresswoman Johnson. Thank you very much...

WILLIAMS: You're welcome.

KAGAN: ... Eddie Bernice Johnson.

JOHNSON: Thank you.

KAGAN: Also Armstrong Williams, thanks for joining us this morning for the discussion. Appreciate your comments.

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