Tennessee Democratic leader laments racial tension

By LUCAS L. JOHNSON II

Associated Press Writer

NASHVILLE - Legislative disagreements over policy have taken on racial overtones in Nashville, just as they have in Washington.

The chairman of the Tennessee Black Caucus says racial incidents at the state Capitol and in Washington erode the progress the nation has made in trying to combat racism.

John Deberry acknowledges the election of the nation's first black president has opened more dialogue about race. But the Memphis Democrat said criticism of President Barack Obama's agenda - such as his historic health care reform legislation - has prompted people to use race in a "negative fashion."

"We have got to get ourselves back on some solid ground because this is a slippery slope," he said. "Once you get on it, it's kind of hard to turn it around. And I think in this nation we've worked too hard ... on how we're going to work together as different races."

Before the vote on the president's bill last weekend, protesters shouted racist slurs at black congressmen outside the U.S. Capitol, and one lawmaker was reportedly spat on.

Last week in Tennessee, comments by a House Democrat had House Republican leaders demanded an apology on the grounds he had accused them of racism.

State House Democratic Caucus Chairman Mike Turner of Nashville compared a move by Tennessee to opt out of the health care plan to Appomattox, the site of the Confederate surrender at the end of the Civil War.

"I think all of a sudden we have a black man elected president, and everyone wants to start acting like something's wrong with our country," Turner said. "I didn't agree with a lot of things George Bush did, but I wasn't ready to secede from the Union."

Republican leaders said Turner's comment also was racism.

Republicans initially dismissed Turner's comments as "bizarre name-calling," but a day later they were labeling it racism.

House Minority Leader Gary Odom, a Nashville Democrat, then released a list of alleged racist activities by Tennessee Republicans. It included the former chairman of the Tennessee Republican Party sending out Christmas music entitled "Barack the Magic Negro," and a Republican Senate staff person sending a racist e-mail about Obama from her state computer.

The e-mail showed a portrait or photo of each U.S. president except Obama, who was depicted in a cartoon fashion as only a set of wide eyes in a black background.

Following the revelation of the e-mail last year, Deberry voluntarily held two diversity training sessions for legislative staffers. He was asked by the Tennessee Safety Department to do one for some of its officers last month after a state trooper accidentally sent an e-mail proclaiming white pride to 787 state employees.

"We can't choose our race and ... our culture," Deberry said. "But we can choose to have a positive attitude. We can choose to have open minds. And we can choose to be problem solvers rather than problem creators."

Turner has refused to apologize, saying, "I've made a comment that I stick by." However, he said he did speak to Republican leaders about the incident, and "I think we have an understanding."

House Majority Leader Jason Mumpower of Bristol was less forthcoming about reaching an agreement, but he did say he talked to Turner "about the fact that we have a serious policy disagreement."

"I think that's a good way to do things, face to face," said Mumpower, who recently announced he's not seeking re-election.

Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey said his issue with Obama is also about his policy making, not his race.

"I can honestly say that I look at President Obama and never think of him as a black man," said Ramsey, R-Blountville. "I mean that. I look at him as a liberal Democrat who I think is taking the country in the wrong direction."

As for the racial bickering on Capitol Hill, Deberry said it's time to end it and refocus on taking care of constituents' business.

"We ... have got to go back to being statesmen, get off of our partisan stomps, and go back to trying to pull the people of this state together to solve our problems before they get larger," he said.

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