Hansen aftermath

Following our report last week on this page on Republican state legislator Ira Hansen's comments on race, women, gays, and his suggestion that the Clinton administration was responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing, he issued 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. I am committed to showing that actions are much louder than words and my office will always have an open door to all backgrounds and political viewpoints. This will not distract us from finding solutions to building a brighter and more prosperous Nevada.”

The Washington Post located additional Hansen quotes, including this one he wrote in 2010: “[Televison host] Mathews and Reid and Biden, of course, live in lily-white wealthy worlds of gated communities and private schools and token Negroes who they take pictures with. … Racism and its supposed evil is not the issue. Power and the accumulation of power is what it is all about, and pounding your opponents over the head with the racist club is simply a tool, a means to an end. Negroes since Reconstruction times have been pawns in the game.”

The Reno Sparks NAACP called on the Assembly Republican caucus to choose a different legislator as speaker. Civil rights leader Julian Bond, who headed the national NAACP for 10 years, sent a message to Nevada: “I hope you will do all you can to get the Republican Party to repudiate this bigoted legislator. He is a disgrace to Nevada and a disgrace to democracy. The onus here needs to be placed on the Republican Party. Are they going to continue to harbor this man and treat him as a responsible human being or expose him as the scoundrel he really is? Can he continue in this position of responsibility or should he be made to step down? Make them choose!”

Gov. Brian Sandoval and U.S. Sen. Dean Heller also released statements critical of Hansen.