Health-care protesters took their vitriol to new heights in DC
yesterday -- spitting at and repeatedly hurling racial slurs at black
congressmen.
Thousands of demonstrators, including some members of the "tea party"
movement, chanted, "Kill the bill" and held up signs that read "Stop
the Spending" near the Capitol in hope of pressuring lawmakers to vote
against the proposed health-care overhaul.
But the rally turned ugly when some in the crowd yelled the N-word as
black legislators exited the building.
"I heard people saying things today that I have not heard since March
15, 1960, when I was marching to try to get off the back of the bus,"
said South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn, the House's third-highest-
ranking Democrat.
Reuters
GETTING UGLY: Protesters against the health-care bill rally yesterday
near the Capitol. Some of them screamed the "N-word" at black
congressmen.
His spokeswoman said a protester spat on Rep. Emmanuel Cleaver (D-
Mo.).
And as Reps. Andre Carson (D-Ind.) and John Lewis (D-Ga.) -- a well-
known leader in the civil-rights movement -- left their offices, some
shouted, "the N-word, the N-word, 15 times," Carson told reporters.
"It was like going into a time machine," Carson said. "[Lewis] said it
reminded him of another time."
A man shouted a homophobic slur at Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.), who is
openly gay, the Web site Politico reported.
Plus, when President Obama's motorcade passed the furious assembly,
many booed and held their thumbs down.
Police held back the demonstrators as they chanted at the president
and the congressmen, "You work for us!"
Some went so far as to make their anger known inside the Capitol.
"These protesters are running around, yelling and banging on all the
doors of Democratic lawmakers," a staffer said. "It's really loud and
getting kind of intense in here."
tim.p...@nypost.com