Leahy: Some ‘never want to have another’ black president

Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.), an ardent supporter of President Obama, charged that there are some who “never want to have” another black president and that the U.S. has a long way to go in terms of racial equality.

Discussing voter ID laws in an interview aired Wednesday night on PBS’s “Tavis Smiley” show, Leahy said that while electing Obama to the presidency was a good start, more can be done to combat discrimination.

{mosads}”[I]t is not just the president, it is the legislatures, the governors, the members of Congress,” he said.

Leahy, chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee, said more can be done “because there are those who never want to have another African-American president, and that would be another very, very bad thing for this country.”

He echoed a similar desire for women to be able to run for public office. 

Leahy added that some members of Congress “are very happy” about the Supreme Court’s decision to strike down key elements of the Voting Rights Act, noting the importance of voting in the upcoming midterms to “reverse what is a terrible mistake.”

He mentioned Republicans in Southern states such as Texas and Georgia, as well as North Carolina, where state Speaker Thom Tillis (R) is locked in a battle against incumbent Sen. Kay Hagan (D).

“Get out and move around America. You’ll find plenty of examples of racial prejudice,” he said.