On the Senate floor tonight, an extraordinary event. Senator Mitch McConnell (R-KY) led a vote in which 49 GOP Senators chose to silence Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-MA) for reading aloud the words of Coretta Scott King, civil rights activist and the wife of slain civil rights leader Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.
Warren was reading King's historic letter protesting the confirmation of noted white supremacist Jeff Sessions as a federal district court judge in the Southern District of Alabama.
“She was warned. She was given an explanation. Nevertheless, she persisted,” said Mitch McConnell about why Republican senators basically told Warren to shut up.
Perhaps the good Senators from the party of Trump will do themselves a favor and Google the phrase, “Streisand Effect.”
Too late.
The letter is here in full, embedded below, and is hopefully about to be shared and read aloud in many other places.
Here is Senator Elizabeth Warren reading Coretta Scott King's words on Facebook Live, after Republican Senators voted to take away her right to speak. Warren's Facebook Live reading of King's letter has already topped 1.1 million views at the time of this blog post you're reading. “#LizSpoke.”
Here is the letter written by Coretta Scott King letter on Jeff Sessions the GOP doesn't want you or Elizabeth Warren to read.
The suggestion that reciting the words of the great Coretta Scott King by @SenWarren is an attack on a Senator is outrageous. #LetHerSpeak
— Kamala Harris (@KamalaHarris) February 8, 2017
This is Albert Turner, who led MLK's funeral procession. Jeff Sessions prosecuted him for helping black people vote https://t.co/LjC2deRFfC pic.twitter.com/tFVAeAXrSO
— Ari Berman (@AriBerman) November 18, 2016
Whatever ur politics, it's amazing that 100,000+ Americans are listening online to a judicial proceeding.
Great civic education tool. ?? pic.twitter.com/UbARAvgNOY
— Justice Don Willett (@JusticeWillett) February 8, 2017
Going out on a limb here but shushing @elizabethforma to prevent her from reading the words of Coretta Scott King just might backfire
— Dan Pfeiffer (@danpfeiffer) February 8, 2017
Had C-SPAN2 on in background, happily ignoring all of it, until objections began. Reaction was mostly people who weren't watching at all. https://t.co/Koxht1Qrlw
— Brian Beutler (@brianbeutler) February 8, 2017
Here's Coretta Scott King's letter against Jeff Sessions that Warren was silenced from reading https://t.co/IJ7xOEJ4Wt via @WesleyLowery 1/2 pic.twitter.com/0HagBo1lNS
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) February 8, 2017
Here's Coretta Scott King's letter against Jeff Sessions that Warren was silenced from reading https://t.co/IJ7xOEJ4Wt via @WesleyLowery 2/2 pic.twitter.com/8VChRYwVIu
— Bradd Jaffy (@BraddJaffy) February 8, 2017
After being rebuked by Republicans for trying to read Coretta Scott King’s letter, @SenWarren talked to @maddow. https://t.co/JN4C2hMCgx
— Jamil Smith (@JamilSmith) February 8, 2017
GOP: "Milo Yiannopoulos has a right to speak!"
GOP: "You can't read Coretta Scott King's letter!!"
— JZH (@JZHoodie) February 8, 2017
After Warren/Coretta Scott King silencing, head of Congressional Black Caucus (echoing King letter) compares Jeff Sessions to Bull Connor pic.twitter.com/FeVYUjshLH
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) February 8, 2017
A lot of folks sharing cover sheet of Coretta Scott King letter opposing Sessions. Full thing 10 pages. All are here https://t.co/U3Gbc7eDIq
— Wesley Lowery (@WesleyLowery) February 8, 2017
King's 1986 letter on Sessions wasn't put into the congressional record. Strom Thurmond was judiciary chairman. https://t.co/o0sSGIfwac pic.twitter.com/xuWgACHWS6
— Stefan Becket (@becket) February 8, 2017
Senators supporting prez who bragged about sexually assault now claim reading a letter from MLK's widow violates their sense of decorum
— Judd Legum (@JuddLegum) February 8, 2017
President Trump made a big deal when he kept Dr. King's bust in the Oval Office, now Dr. King's widow's words are not allowed in the Senate!
— Reverend Al Sharpton (@TheRevAl) February 8, 2017
Cannot be more clear: every single Republican Senator present just voted that Coretta Scott King's own words can't read on the Senate floor.
— Matt McDermott (@mattmfm) February 8, 2017
This is unreal. Senate Republicans have ruled that any Democrat that criticizes Sessions' record will be stripped of the right to speak. https://t.co/At5fqUkVWF
— Chris Murphy (@ChrisMurphyCT) February 8, 2017
Thing is, nobody would have batted an eye at Warren’s speech had McConnell not shut her down. Streisand effect.
— Blake Hounshell (@blakehounshell) February 8, 2017
Silencing Elizabeth Warren for breaking an arcane senate rule was simply a more genteel way of telling a woman to sit down and shut up.
— shauna (@goldengateblond) February 8, 2017
it's wild that now you can leave the internet for 1h and when you come back you find out the Senate has turned into Lord of the Flies
— Erinn Clark (@postessive) February 8, 2017
Male chauvinists aren't even effective anymore. If you want to shut a woman up, keep her on @cspan. Don't send her to Facebook live. https://t.co/iCX2BxPei5
— Anand Giridharadas (@AnandWrites) February 8, 2017
2017: when senators who voted to give coretta Scott king a congressional gold Medal censure a member of the senate for reading her words.
— john r stanton (@dcbigjohn) February 8, 2017
another thing this episode shows is how leader-centric the Senate is. No one on the GOP side told McConnell, don't do this?
— Sam Stein (@samsteinhp) February 8, 2017
ALERT @OfficialCBC response to @SenWarren being silenced for reading #CorettaScottKing ltr is HOT @payneNBC @NickTShow @CornellWBrooks pic.twitter.com/NnbcMtnT9i
— Lauren Victoria (@LVBurke) February 8, 2017
Sessions was too racist to be a federal district court judge 30 years ago. Now he may be our attorney general. https://t.co/MY9Rr6rVke
— Alex Rubens (@atrubens) November 17, 2016
