Thread: State Senate leader:You've got all these crackers down in SD

To be perfectly catty here, what nationality is the name "Perata"? I do believe he let something slip that shows his true feelings about us "crackers'.

Rick Roberts, a talk show host, is having fun with this issue now in case you are able to tune in:

http://www.760kfmb.com/podcast/rick/

Originally Posted by jean

Rick Roberts, a talk show host, is having fun with this issue now in case you are able to tune in:

http://www.760kfmb.com/podcast/rick/

I've been listening to him for the past hour talking about this. Kill whitey!

Originally Posted by Brian503a

Originally Posted by jean

Rick Roberts, a talk show host, is having fun with this issue now in case you are able to tune in:

http://www.760kfmb.com/podcast/rick/

I've been listening to him for the past hour talking about this. Kill whitey!

It has been fun hasn't it? Did you call in btw?

Latest article.

http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/regstat ... 89971.html

Originally published Friday, August 04, 2006
Updated Friday, August 04, 2006

'Crackers' label stings illegal-immigration foes
Democrat says word was intemperate but that some critics of licensing plan deserve the title.
By Michael Gardner
Copley News Service

SACRAMENTO -- Oakland Democrat Don Perata ridiculed San Diego-area opponents of illegal immigration Thursday by describing them as "crackers," an old slang term often used in place of redneck or bigot.

Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Murrieta, compared cracker to the n-word and claimed Perata calculated its use to inflame tensions.

"He has decided to throw fuel on the fire. These folks are good-hearted, sincere people who are worried about the effects on California," Haynes said. "To call them crackers is to literally inflame people. It is the same as using the n-word when you're referring to black activists."

Within a couple of hours, the state Senate's leading Democrat issued a clarification about his "crackers" comment, but stopped short of making an apology.

"While I am concerned about the coarse and divisive tone used by a small minority in the driver's license debate, I believe that the vast majority on both sides are people of good will," he said.

Perata used the crackers description in response to a question about the wisdom of going into an election promoting legislation to give illegal immigrants the ability to obtain driver's licenses. But he acknowledged he may have erred.

"I don't want to give undue advantage in an election to people I do not believe have the best interests of this democracy at heart, and some of those people that I intemperately call crackers fall into that category," Perata said.

Originally Posted by jean

Originally Posted by Brian503a

Originally Posted by jean

Rick Roberts, a talk show host, is having fun with this issue now in case you are able to tune in:

http://www.760kfmb.com/podcast/rick/

I've been listening to him for the past hour talking about this. Kill whitey!

It has been fun hasn't it? Did you call in btw?

No, just listening. It's hard enough searching, reading, and posting news articles.

Boy, this guy just cannot apologize can he? What a bold faced jerk. Glad he is not one of my elected officials, he wouldn't be for long.

I don't live in California, but I just had to listen to the Podcast. I loved the comment from the woman who said she was going to put "white crackers into a white envelope from here white hand" and mail them to him. She hoped they'd get squashed in the mail.

Sombody commented that the guy is white. Does anyone know for sure?

Originally Posted by CheyenneWoman

I don't live in California, but I just had to listen to the Podcast. I loved the comment from the woman who said she was going to put "white crackers into a white envelope from here white hand" and mail them to him. She hoped they'd get squashed in the mail.

Sombody commented that the guy is white. Does anyone know for sure?

Glad you could hear some of the podcast. Here is the article in our paper today which includes a pic. Yes, I believe he is white.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib ... erata.html

Here's the text of the newer article along with a picture from another web site. I love how one bill Gil Cedillo is sweeping the comments under the rug. If a Republican had used a slur against Mexicans I'm sure he wouldn't be so forgiving.

I wonder if John and Ken will discuss this on their show at 3 PM Pacific time today. If they do they should have some interesting things to say. I put a link to their show in case they discuss it and anyone wants to listen to it later today.

http://www.kfi640.com/cc-common/streami ... reshed=yes

State Senate leader calls some in area 'crackers'

Perata labels foes of illegal immigration

By Michael Gardner
COPLEY NEWS SERVICE



August 4, 2006

SACRAMENTO – The state Senate leader ridiculed some San Diego-area opponents of illegal immigration yesterday by describing them as “crackers,” often used as a disparaging term for poor, white people in the South.

During a media briefing, Oakland Democrat Don Perata was asked about whether it was politically wise going into an election to push a bill that would give illegal immigrants the ability to obtain driver's licenses.

Don Perata
“No. Let's face it. Immigration is a red-meat issue,” Perata said. “You've got all these crackers down in Southern Cal – ah, where is it, San Diego, taking on the governor. You know, even the governor was shocked. He said he was embarrassed, and I agree with him.”

Perata was referring to a town-hall-style event in La Mesa last week where Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was confronted by several angry people who accused him of being soft on illegal immigration because he favors comprehensive federal legislation that includes a guest-worker program and a path to citizenship for many people in the country illegally.

Later, the governor expressed surprise at the “intensity of the prejudice” of some of the more strident opponents.

Yesterday, Perata said: “Those aren't the people that I appealed to. . . . I don't want them to run the state, but there is no sense in getting into a pitched vocal battle . . . ”

He added: “I think the bill on its merits should be passed into law. Now, that is different from the political climate. My responsibility is to look at all things, including in an election year, the political climate. I don't want to give undue advantage in an election to people I do not believe have the best interests of this democracy at heart, and some of those people that I intemperately call crackers fall into that category.”

Within hours, Perata issued a clarification, but stopped short of making an apology for using the word “cracker,” sometimes used in place of “redneck.”

“Next time I come to Sacramento in August, I'll be sure to run the air conditioner,” he said in a statement. “While I am concerned about the coarse and divisive tone used by a small minority in the driver's license debate, I believe that the vast majority on both sides are people of good will.”

Perata's comments drew immediate wrath.

San Diego County Supervisor Dianne Jacob, whose district includes 50 miles of the border with Mexico, called Perata's choice of words “uncalled for” and “unfortunate.”

“It is not productive. It's destructive,” she said. “It does get in the way of meaningful dialogue to try to solve very meaningful issues.”

Adam Mendelsohn, a Schwarzenegger spokesman, said, “The governor could not disagree more with Senator Perata's comments.”

Assemblyman Ray Haynes, R-Murrieta, suggested that Perata was calculated in using the term.

“He has decided to throw fuel on the fire,” Haynes said. “These folks are good-hearted, sincere people who are worried about the effects on California. To call them crackers is to literally inflame people. It is the same as using the N-word when you're referring to black activists.”

Sen. Gil Cedillo, the Los Angeles Democrat carrying the driver's license legislation, excused Perata's use of the term. He said the past two legislative leaders from Northern California have been known to “use colorful language in expressing themselves.”

Cedillo, however, pointed out that “those are his words, not mine.”

Schwarzenegger vetoed Cedillo's previous driver's license bill and vowed to do so again.