The Chicago Tribune editorial board blasted Illinois Rep. Danny Davis (D.) on Wednesday for his failure to denounce radical Nation of Islam leader Louis Farrakhan, writing that it left him open to the charge of being "complicit in Farrakhan's bigotry."
"Farrakhan is the ill-informed leader of a large organization," the editorial said. "It’s important that his comments be condemned by other influential voices in the community, such as a member of Chicago’s congressional delegation. But when The Daily Caller, a conservative publication, asked Rep. Danny Davis, D-Chicago, the congressman laughed off his close relationship with Farrakhan, saying he had no problem with him and wasn’t concerned by Farrakhan’s anti-Semitism."
Farrakhan spoke in Chicago at the Nation’s Saviours’ Day event on Feb. 25 and went on several anti-Semitic and anti-white rants in his remarks, including a comment that he had "pulled the cover off that Satanic Jew."
Davis, who previously told The Daily Caller he believed Farrakhan was an "outstanding human being," said he had "no problems" with Farrakhan following his latest bigoted comments.
"That’s just one segment of what goes on in our world. The world is so much bigger than Farrakhan and the Jewish question and his position on that and so forth. For those heavy into it, that’s their thing, but it ain’t my thing," he said.
The Tribune ripped Davis for his comments about the "Jewish question" and for a subsequent statement from his office that condemned anti-Semitism—as well as The Daily Caller as a "ultra-right propaganda site"—but failed to mention Farrakhan.
"Davis’ words were thoughtless and irresponsible," the editorial said. "He responded later with a strong statement condemning anti-Semitism and all forms of hatred. He also attacked The Daily Caller for trying to impugn his character. But as our colleague John Kass noted in a column, what Davis didn’t do in his three-paragraph March 5 statement is criticize or even mention Farrakhan. Not a word. That leaves Davis open to the charge that he’s complicit in Farrakhan’s bigotry."