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Friday, December 12, 2003

In July 1993, former Sen. Carol Moseley Braun (D-Ill.) led a fight on the Senate floor to reverse the renewal of a federal patent that contained an image of the Confederate flag. Sen. Ben Nighthorse Campbell (R-Colo.) joined the debate and spoke "as the only other so-called person of color in this body."

"If I can ask [Moseley Braun's] forgiveness, I would also say that I now there are some places in this country yet where American Indians are called prairie niggers, which is about the most vulgar term I can think of, or calling any African-American a name and certainly American Indians, too," he said on July 22, according to the Congressional record.

"I know that some of my colleagues who did not support her in this last issue feel they were upholding tradition," he continued. "I would point out to them that slavery was once a tradition, like killing Indians like animals was once a tradition. That did not make them right, and we sought, as a body, as a nation, to correct that. There are still remnants."

The Senate ended up reversing a 52-48 vote in favor of the patent to 75-25 to reject it.

Moseley Braun is now a Democratic candidate for president.

Get the Story:
In Braun-Helms Fight, Senate Searched Soul (The Washington Post 12/12)

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