Q: You're a representative of the more liberal wing of the party. Now, in come black elected officials Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tenn.) and Sen. Barak Obama (D-Ill.) with their sort of middle of the road approach and they appear to be gaining traction. Are you thinking about modifying your own approach?
A: There will be those black elected officials who decide they need to be more conservative so they can attract more white voters who happen to be more conservative, and they are willing to do whatever it takes. It's going to place them in terrible conflict and they are going to have to figure out how to deal with that at some point. It is very hard to (do that) and represent, let's say the African-Americans of Memphis, who believe affirmative action makes good sense, who believe that we're not getting enough money for our school system and the government needs to do more, who believe we need to have universal health care paid for by the government. Well, conservatives don't like those things.
I will not substitute ceremony for substance. For instance, I would not support Bill Clinton's mandatory sentencing because I think it unfairly penalizes black men. I would not have done welfare reform in the way he did it. Those are things I just won't compromise. If that means I won't be re-elected, then I just won't be elected.
| That's how the St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Washington bureau chief Ron Harris ended his conversation with Maxine Waters, D-Calif., in "A Conversation with Rep. Maxine Waters"
posted in articles on July 9, 2006 4:04 PM | t (0)
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