Poll: Michael Jackson Congressional Resolution Oppposed by 80 Percent of Americans

Michael Jackson was a talented entertainer, but he was not, by any stretch of the imagination, a global humanitarian. A Zogby poll shows that 80 percent of Americans are opposed to a congressional resolution honoring Jackson sponsored by Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee (D-Texas).

Jackson Lee introduced Resolution HR600 "Honoring an American legend and musical icon" on June 26, when it was referred to the House Committee on Foreign Affairs. What does Michael Jackson have to do with U.S. foreign policy? Nothing.

The resolution is in the Foreign Affairs Committee because Jackson Lee is on the committee, which gives her a venue for this absurd legislation, and because the resolution recognizes "Michael Jackson as a global humanitarian and a noted leader in the fight against worldwide hunger and medical crises."

As I wrote the day after Jackson died, when the Democrats had a moment of silence on the floor of the U.S. Congress: SERIOUSLY? Jackson Lee wants the U.S. House of Representatives to officially deem Michael Jackson a "global humanitarian"?

The Dalai Lama and Nelson Mandela are global humanitarians. Michael Jackson sang "Thriller," carried a monkey, defended sharing his bed with young boys and dangled his baby out of a window.

Although House Speaker Nancy Pelosi allowed those fools to have the floor tribute, to her credit she drew the line at a congressional resolution. The speaker controls what legislation gets to the floor for a vote, so when she said, "I don't think it's necessary for us to have a resolution," it should have put the kibosh on it.

But never underestimate the self-promotion of Sheila Jackson Lee, who has defied her own speaker by insisting to Congressional Quarterly that she would push for the Michael Jackson resolution: "We will move it at a pace that may take months. It may take this session, it may take another session."

Jackson Lee has shamelessly tried to profit politically from the Michael Jackson media frenzy. She was the only elected official to speak at his L.A. memorial service, where she held up a framed copy of her congressional resolution honoring Jackson. (She reportedly instructs her staff to cull obits and then asks families to speak at the funerals.) But this poll shows that she is also completely out of touch with Americans values' and protecting children.

Jackson Lee's extremely long list of reasons ("whereas" in Washington speak) for honoring MJ includes these:

• Whereas Michael Jackson was labeled "The King of Pop," Jackson's music is internationally recognized and critically acclaimed;
• Whereas, on July 14, 1984, after the first concert of the Victory Tour, Michael met 8 terminally ill children backstage;
• Whereas, on January 28, 1985 Michael and 44 other artists met to record "We Are The World," written by Michael and Lionel Ritchie, a project devoted to fighting global hunger. The proceeds of this record were donated to the starving people in Africa;
• Whereas, on July 20, 1988, Michael visited terminally ill children at Great Ormond Street Hospital. At a unit for less critical patients he stayed longer and to engage in story telling time with the children;
• Whereas on January 1989, the proceeds of one of Michael's shows in Los Angeles were donated to Childhelp USA, the biggest charity organization against child abuse. In appreciation of the contributions of Michael, Childhelp of Southern California founded the `Michael Jackson International Institute for Research On Child Abuse';
• Whereas, on March 5, 1989, Michael invited 200 underprivileged children of the St. Vincent Institute for Handicapped Children and of the organization Big Brothers and Big Sisters to the Circus Vargas in Santa Barbara. Following the event, the children were invited to his ranch to visit his private Zoo at Neverland Ranch;

Next time they are both on the House floor, maybe Rep. Pete King (R-N.Y.) will repeat his opinion to Jackson Lee: "It's all we hear about is Michael Jackson. Let's knock out the psychobabble. This guy was a pervert. He was a child molester. He was a pedophile. And to be giving this much coverage to him, day in and day out, what does that say about us as a country?"

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