Home
Search transcripts:    Advanced Search
Notable New     Yorkers
Select     Notable New Yorker

Edward KocheEdward Koche
Photo Gallery
Transcript

Session:         Page of 617

he walks away.

I go on my trip to Europe in June, the NATO trip to visit European countries, and I come back two weeks later. Congress goes back in session. And I'm very correct in the way I handle Dellums. I see him, he nods to me, I nod to him, but it's obvious I'm very cold to him. So he comes over one day shortly thereafter in the corridors outside the chamber and he says, “Ed, I'm very upset.” Oh, the language he employed was, “you white, racist motherfucker.” That's how he referred to me on the floor in that original conversation. He said, “I know you're mad, but you shouldn't be mad. You know, when I call you a motherfucker, that's not intended to be anything other than street language. It doesn't mean anything.”

I said, “Oh, no, no, no. I know what the word means. That's not what you called me. You called me a white, racist motherfucker, and we can't be friends.” Then he says, “This Congress is chicken shit.” (laughs) I mean that is nutty.

So then maybe a week later he is sitting in the chamber and I pass by and he says, “Ed, come on over here. I want you to know it's really bothering me what's happened, and if we can't be friends, let's at least have a detente.” And I said, “Listen, Ron, you did several things that are unforgiveable. You called me a white racist motherfucker, and you called me a member of the chosen people intending it to be pejorative, and you threatened to knock me down, and nobody can intimidate me.





© 2006 Columbia University Libraries | Oral History Research Office | Rights and Permissions | Help