Virginia GOP nominee compared Planned Parenthood to KKK
(CNN) - An outspoken and provocative conservative who emerged from Saturday's Republican Party of Virginia Convention as the party's nominee for lieutenant governor once compared Planned Parenthood to the Ku Klux Klan and blasted African-Americans for their "slavish devotion" to the Democratic Party.
E.W. Jackson, an African-American pastor and attorney from Chesapeake, made the comments in a self-produced "message to black Christians" posted on YouTube last year.
"The Democrat Party has created an unholy alliance between certain so-called civil rights leaders and Planned Parenthood, which has killed unborn black babies by the tens of millions. Planned Parenthood has been far more lethal to black lives than the KKK ever was," he said in the video. "And the Democrat Party and the black civil rights allies are partners in this genocide."
Sensing an opportunity to tie Jackson to the rest of the Republican ticket in Virginia, especially conservative gubernatorial nominee Ken Cuccinelli, Democrats have already started highlighting those remarks and others in emails to reporters.
Cuccinelli, the state Attorney General, will face Democrat Terry McAuliffe, the former Democratic National Committee chairman, in the November election.
"Extremely divisive rhetoric from Jackson and Cuccinelli reflects the social agenda they would impose on Virginia. At a time when Virginians are looking for leaders who focus on jobs, the Tea Party has nominated a ticket whose careers have been defined by a radical social agenda," McAuliffe campaign spokesman Brennan Bilberry said in a statement.
Cuccinelli and Jackson were nominated at Saturday's GOP convention in Richmond, where Jackson beat out six other candidates for the number two spot on the ticket. Party activists tapped Mark Obenshain to be their nominee for attorney general.
Jackson, the founder of a nondenominational church, is a former Marine and graduate of Harvard Law School. But he is rapidly becoming known for a raft of controversial statements that have bubbled up online in the wake of his surprise victory on Saturday. He has publicly questioned President Barack Obama's faith and has been spearheading efforts to recruit black Democrats to the GOP since last year, when he unsuccessfully ran for Senate in Virginia.
"Shame on us for allowing ourselves to be sold to the highest bidder. We belong to God," he said in the video. "Our ancestors were sold against their will centuries ago, but we're going through the slave market voluntarily today."
As lieutenant governor, Jackson would hold the tie-breaking vote in what is currently an evenly divided state Senate. Republicans currently hold the lieutenant governorship and control of the 40-seat body. But with the unpolished Jackson as the GOP nominee, Democrats are now a safe bet to pick up the lieutenant governor's office and control of the senate.
Democrats will decide their nominee in a June 11 primary. To the frustration of establishment Republicans, GOP activists in the state chose to nominate their candidates at a convention instead of in a primary, a move that gave a relatively small group of conservative activists control over the nomination process.
A purple state, Virginia currently has a Republican governor, Bob McDonnell, but voted for Obama in the last two presidential elections.
Poll numbers so far show neither party with a sizable lead in the race, less than six months before Election Day. Because Virginia voters elect the governor and lieutenant governor separately, it's possible that the winners could be from different parties.
- CNN's Peter Hamby and Ashley Killough contributed to this report.
From CNN Politics
- Supreme Court takes up case concerning Americans with Disabilities Act 'tester' of hotels
- 10 Cards Charging 0% Interest Until 2024
- Untitled
- White House scales up 'concern' rhetoric, marking rare involvement in Israeli domestic affairs
- Biden administration threatens veto on House GOP-led energy bill
- Former Fugees member faces federal trial as potential jurors are questioned about star-studded witness list
Agree with Dave.
Yes, an organization that helps provide healthcare to poor women is EXACTLY like the KKK. When will these forced-birth fanatics stop making fools of themselves and embarrassing our nation?
@Historian you have the freedom to practice your religion but what you don't have is the freedom to apply your "moral" standards onto someone else.
It has always been about choice. Planned Parenthood does not force any woman to have an abortion. I am proud to be Christian woman and I know exactly what abortion is so I choose life. The real problem here is preventing unwanted pregnancies. We have far to many women & men having sex with people they don't love and getting pregnant with babies they do not want. Seems to me if we can address this issue and put the value back in self respect, self -control and personal responsibilty which starts in stable home environments we might be able to get this train back on track. Christians raise your children to honor these things and we will be okay. Politicians get out of the bedrooms of America and render under to Ceasar what is Ceasar.
The Repubs apparently have forgotten that the congressional district in Fla voted out West. Their nominee is saying the same crazy things.
BW80209.............you're right, it's your choice, seems like the other party involved should get a choice too.
The GOP is still grasping at straws. They will never admit that it's their ideology that keeps people from taking them seriously. You know what I mean: Don't do anything for the people, let Jesus fix it.
I agree with him. Gee, how come Planned Parenthood which gets millions in taxpaper money has never been audited?
Absolute rubbish: such statements as this are totally disgraceful, but far too many politicians will say anything if they believe it will help them get elected.
@ bible thumper: overpopulation is the greatest threat to our species survival. Thankfully the law/ constitution prevents people like you inflicting your individual morals on society as, beyond the fact that they are opinions that infringe individual rights (and yes, we uphold the rights of adults beyond the rights of a cluster of non-conscious cells), our economy and planet cannot sustain them.
What percentage of the PP budget goes toward abortions? NOT 100% like these nut jobs want you to believe. I do not have the exact figure, but I know it is less than 10%, maybe even less than 5%. Where does the rest of the money go? Not into the pocket of the CEO... Most of the money goes to BASIC HEALTH CARE for women.
So once again they want to cut heathcare for people who can't afford insurance to begin with...
We need a new political option: fiscal conservatism with social liberalism. I would vote republican of they weren't constantly trying to ram their medieval morals down our throats. Until they stop preaching, I will vote democrat all the way.
So what was wrong with Mr. Jackson's remarks? He's entirely accurate, and saying Planned Parenthood has killed more black babies than the KKK is a simple and accurate statistical comparison. He's not advocating the KKK – he's simply using that as a comparative that many of his race can identify with. One day minorities will wake up and realize that they have been used by Democrats and have nothing to show for it.
Meh....
We should pay people to get abortions. The last thing we need is more unwanted children placing more burdens on our welfare system.
If only these Conservative blow-hards would put their money where their mouths were; and adopt unwanted children, rather than incessantly breed because they think it's what "god" wants....
It always amazes me how much compassion conservatives have for a person before they are even born, and how little they have for them after they are born.
Say what? If Planned Parenthood is like the KKK then that means that Planned Parenthood is like the GOP, since everyone knows that the KKK is a subsidiary of the GOP.
If I were running for office, I would wear boxing gloves all the time.
As a newsflash, "Republican candidate is bat guano crazy" is right up there with "fish swim" and "birds fly".
I don't really think this is news. It's just "typical".
@B but that is what happens every time someone with conservative views voices an opinion. Others try to impose thier "moral" standards upon them. And then slander them
A fine example of yet another Republican making sure they continue to alienate more and more Americans from their party.
The abortion issue isn't whether or not the government has a right to your body. They don't and they shouldn't. The issue is that we are constitutionally and morally obligated to protect life. So the real question is "when does life begin?" Whether you believe that life begins at conception, when the heart is formed or when pain is felt, you have an obligation to not intentionally end that life when it does begin. The problem is that many people don't want to answer that question.
You can do whatever you like to your body but if it'd going to cause harm to another life, the government has a right to intervene to protect that other life.
It's not all about budget. The support of planned parenthood is a problem because it is an indication of our government's increasing movement away from supporting moral behaviours. If women choose than ok but they should not have to be given funding from taxpayer's money. For the government to provide funding shows support for the killing of babies which should be prevented by many other means before it gets to the 'final solution' these women choose too often as as a matter of convenience.
Wackado's come in all shapes, sizes, colors, and orientations I gues... I just with they all could keep to themselves...
Love GOPers like this. The more everyone sees how completely bat guano crazy the right wing is, the more they flee the party in droves. Keep it up Nut Jobs!