Hansen's resume is extensive ... and "interesting" ~ ~ Sooz

Meet Nevada’s new Assembly Speaker
11/20/14 03:35 PM
By Steve Benen

Republicans had a great year in elections nearly everywhere, but they had an especially impressive cycle in Nevada. The incumbent GOP governor won in a landslide; Republicans took down a Democratic congressman who was not thought to be vulnerable; and the party took control of Nevada’s state legislature.

As a result of the Republican gains in Nevada, the state Assembly will have a new Speaker when lawmakers return to work next year. The new GOP majority was initially expected to elevate the current Assembly Republican leader, but instead the party chose Speaker-designate Ira Hansen (R).

And as it turns out, Hansen carries a lengthy paper trail behind him. The News Review reports today:


Hansen, a Republican who opposed both Bob Dole’s and Mitt Romney’s presidential campaigns for being “too liberal,” has a record that’s so over the top, it wouldn’t be too surprising if the findings cause Nevada lawmakers to reconsider their decision.

The Speaker-designate, for example, seems to have a problem with modern feminism.


There are also several controversial comments regarding the African-American community.


And Latinos.


And gay people.


Political scientist Norm Ornstein characterized Hansen’s leadership post as the “new chapter” of the “lunacy” of the contemporary Republican Party. It’s a fair assessment under the circumstances.

Postscript: There’s been a lot of attention today about Hansen referring to African Americans as “simple-minded darkies.” That’s obviously an outrageous and disgusting phrase, but in context, Hansen seemed to be conveying a sarcastic sentiment, suggesting it’s Democrats who think of black people as “simple-minded darkies.”

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/meet-nevadas-new-assembly-speaker

Here's more background and reaction ~ ~ there are "live links" to more/corroborating information in the original ~ Sooz

Nevada Speaker’s racially charged rhetoric sparks uproar
11/21/14 11:27 AM
By Steve Benen

Following up on yesterday’s report, Republican Ira Hansen, the Speaker-designate in Nevada’s state Assembly, garnered national attention this week after the public learned he wrote a right-wing column for many years, featuring controversial remarks about African Americans, women, Latinos, and gay people. The controversy is clearly growing.

Late yesterday, newly re-elected Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval (R) issued a statement criticizing his own party’s legislative leader.


The governor did not call for state lawmakers to choose a new Assembly Speaker, though the calls for such a change appear likely.

Indeed, Jeffrey Blanck, branch president of the Reno-Sparks NAACP, responded, “We understand that the caucus has many newly elected members who may not be as familiar with Mr. Hansen’s past as we are. They need to know he has beaten the drum of intolerance for decades.” Blanck urged lawmakers to choose a “less divisive” Speaker.

For his part, Hansen said in a statement, “I am deeply sorry that comments I have made in the past have offended many Nevadans. It is unfortunate that these comments, made almost 20 years ago as a newspaper columnist and talk radio host, have been taken out of context and are being portrayed as intentionally hurtful and disrespectful. These comments were meant to be purposely provocative in various political, cultural and religious views. I have the utmost respect for all people without regard to race, gender, religious or political beliefs.”

Given his published record, Hansen’s claims about universal respect will probably be difficult for many Nevadans to believe.

Making matters slightly worse, another Nevada Republican lawmaker said last year he’d allow slavery if that’s what his constituents wanted – and Speaker-designate Hansen recently put him in charge of a powerful legislative committee.

Nia-Malika Henderson, meanwhile, helped highlight the larger context, particularly as this relates to Brian Sandoval.


And if Sandoval intends to run against Sen. Harry Reid (D) in 2016, this could be a consequential problem.

Jon Ralston talked to some Nevada GOP insiders, one of whom said, “If we learned one thing [from Hansen’s election], it’s one thing we already knew: This caucus does not like being told what to do by the governor.”

Don’t be surprised if this gets uglier.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow-show/nevada-speakers-racially-charged-rhetoric-sparks-uproar#break

"It is unfortunate that these comments, made almost 20 years ago as a newspaper columnist and talk radio host, have been taken out of context and are being portrayed as intentionally hurtful and disrespectful. These comments were meant to be purposely provocative in various political, cultural and religious views. I have the utmost respect for all people without regard to race, gender, religious or political beliefs."

HEY, S**THEAD, SO WHAT? You're justifying your ignorant public statements on grounds you wanted to provoke somebody? Do you still mean what you said then? If so, then this statement - ("I have the utmost respect for all people without regard to race, gender, religious or political beliefs”) is an obvious lie. What you're really saying is that your statements were part of your duties as a propagandist, and you don't have that job any more, so it's all OK.

I hate creeps like this guy.

Me too, gramps ~ but we won't have Ira Hansen to kick around now that's he's "stepped down" ~ on his way out the door [while still refusing to take any responsibility for his own words/actions], he managed to lay all blame on the media's "politics of personal destruction" ~ ~ Sooz

Nevada House speaker who called African-Americans ‘simple minded darkies’ steps down
Tom Boggioni | 23 Nov 2014 at 17:01 ET

The embattled incoming speaker of the Nevada State Assembly notified his colleagues Sunday morning that he was withdrawing as Speaker Designee, saying, “Politics of personal destruction win. I need to step down,” reports Nevada journalist Jon Ralston.

Assemblyman Ira Hansen (R), who was recently elected as the legislature’s next speaker, had come under fire for a series of columns he had written over the years for the Sparks Tribune. In one of his columns, Hansen had written, “The relationship of Negroes and Democrats is truly a master-slave relationship, with the benevolent master knowing what’s best for his simple minded darkies.”

Hansen also admitted that he wrote his columns beneath a Confederate flag, “in honor and in memory of a great cause and my brave ancestors who fought for that cause.”

In an early morning email to his colleagues, Hansen blamed the media for the “politics of personal destruction” that forced him to step down as speaker.

“Politics of personal destruction win. I need to step down. I hope that you all know that the Ira that you have known through these years and weeks is the real Ira and not what the media is painting me to be. You are a great group that can hopefully do great things and my staying will harm the caucus. I wish you all the best,” he wrote. “Thanks for hanging tough through these difficult past days. If this were just about “me” I would fight this out to the bitter end, but it is going to harm all of you. Carry on.”

In a public statement he reiterated his belief that there was an orchestrated campaign against him.

“For the greater good of the State of Nevada and the cause I support it is necessary for me to withdraw as Speaker Designee,” the statement read. “The tens of thousands of people who both read my columns and listened to my radio shows through two decades in the media know this has been a carefully orchestrated attack to remove a conservative Republican from a major leadership role in State government.”

Hansen added, “The deliberate character assassination and the politics of personal destruction have totally distorted my views and record. Ultimately, this whole attack has very little to do with my views. The powers that be are planning a massive, more than one billion dollar, tax increase and I stood in the way as Speaker.”

Hansen noted that his views have been known for some time, but the attacks only came after his election to the top post.

The assemblyman was unclear as to whether he would be resigning his seat.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/11/nevada-house-speaker-who-called-african-americans-simple-minded-darkies-steps-down/

We do have some crazy folks here in Nevada. LOL...(that excludes me, of course)