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Pelosi pulls plug on vote to honour Jackson
Posted in Michael Jackson, Music on the July 13, 2009
US House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi has shelved a vote on a resolution to honour the late king of pop, Michael Jackson.
Pelosi, a San Francisco Democrat, said she did not think it was necessary to schedule a vote on a resolution honouring the pop megastar.
Senior legislators had feared a resolution would set off an ugly debate that could damage the image of Congress and hurt the grieving Jackson family.
Representative John Yarmuth, a Kentucky Democrat, stormed from the house floor during a moment of silence for Jackson two weeks ago, later telling radio talk show host John Ziegler he was "almost nauseated" by it. Representative Peter T. King, a New York Republican, had branded Jackson a "low life" and a "pervert".
Pelosi said: "What I have said to my colleagues over the years … is that there is opportunity on the floor of the house to express their sympathy or their praise any time that they wish," she said. "A resolution, I think, would open up to contrary views that are not necessary at this time."
Texas Democrat Sheila Jackson Lee, who attended the Staples Centre event, had sponsored the resolution. Had it gone ahead, it would have lauded Jackson as a "global humanitarian and a noted leader in the fight against worldwide hunger and medical crises". It would also have paid tribute to him as an "accomplished contributor to the worlds of arts and entertainment".
