Sheila Jackson Lee: Newt Using 'Codewords' to be Racist

BASHIR: Let me play something that you said about the current GOP debate on the floor of the house on Wednesday. Just listen. I think what you said and what I was hoping to run is we find candidates like Newt Gingrich who simply want to throw fuel and matches on fire to develop sort of an explosiveness in this country that is unnecessary. To suggest that president Obama is the food stamp president has underlying suggestions. What did you mean by underlying suggestions?

LEE: These are code words. It's inappropriate.

BASHIR: Did you mean racist?

LEE: Let me say that the code words, as far as I'm concerned words that generate and signify race. Comments made by someone other than the president when he was a candidate caused him to make a significant speech on race to say race is a factor in the United States, but I work and will represent all people. Here we have Newt Gingrich, taking the opposite road, if you will. It's I will use race to divide. I will call the president the food stamp president not knowing that food stamps are utilized by our soldiers, utilized by Kau Kaig caucasians more than African- Americans. Telling the us a janitor who makes $37,000 would be in a better position to give his job up so that the children of the poor in New York, I think he used the example, the school district Latino and African-American can pick up a broom and work. We know those children should have an opportunity to be an astronaut, scientist. we're not against work. these children want work. They are fighting for summer jobs. That's a code word to, if you will, portray poor children and poor school districts that they have seen no one work legitimately. That they don't have a work ethic and these janitors are overpaid unionized workers who don't have family and not making $37,000 a year. I think Mr. Newt Gingrich should be ashamed of himself and we should not want to win at any cost. Let's bring the country together. Let's not destroy Mr. Obama. Let's talk about helping the American people.