Al Sharpton: ‘I Have A Dream’ Speech Is The ‘Exact Antithesis’ Of Tea Party Movement
Keith Olbermann‘s assault on Glenn Beck‘s upcoming “Restoring Honor” rally continues. Following up Bill Press‘s predictably scathing review of the event last night, Olbermann had Reverend Al Sharpton on the program for his take on Beck’s event, which happens to coincide with the anniversary of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.‘s “I Have a Dream” speech. Sharpton’s take concluded with him calling the rally a “joke… and I’m being kind.”
Sharpton’s take was equally dismayed– if not as incensed– as Press’s. To Sharpton, it appears the Tea Party members participating just don’t understand what they are talking about. He refused to look at the rally’s racial implications and merely tackled the government intervention aspect of it, noting that the civil rights event led by Dr. King “was to appeal to government to intervene and protect the rights of people. They are against big government. You don’t even have to go to race.”
Olbermann asked Sharpton a similar question he asked of Press, sticking to a point he insisted on the night before that there was an explicit desire to “desecrate” the memory of Dr. King. Once again Sharpton took it back to the political tenets of the Tea Party, rather than taking the race angle:
“[Beck]’s right, blacks don’t own Dr. King– they never did. And if he looks at the video, it was just not blacks marching in ’63. It will not be just blacks that will be rallying with us today… we knew all along that it is about bringing the country together. They are the ones that say no to government, let’s go back to states’ rights, let the unemployed go uninsured, let us pit people against immigrants. We are the ones saying let’s bring the country together under some sound judgment. Come and affirm that at a rally of affirmation, not some joke that’s saying they are reclaiming a moment that I don’t think they understand, and I’m being kind.”
The reason Sharpton came on the program to talk about the rally– besides giving his insight on Glenn Beck’s event coordination– is that Sharpton has his own rally– the “Reclaim the Dream” rally– scheduled for that day. He suggests anyone thinking of protesting the “Restoring Honor” rally go to his event instead, on principle.
Video from last night’s Countdown below:
