Voting Station

Gus Savage

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U.S. Congressman

The Resume

    (October 30, 1925-October 31, 2015)
    Born in Detroit, Michigan
    Represented the 2nd District of Illinois (1981-93)
    Democrat

Why he might be annoying:

    He defended as 'historically, culturally and politically accurate' Louis Farrakhan's statement that 'Hitler was a great man.'
    He called the Washington, DC, police chief (who was black) a racist when his son was arrested for driving without a license or license plates.
    The House Ethics Committee concluded that he made 'improper sexual advances' to a Peace Corps volunteer during a trip to Zaire (1989).
    He called the woman 'a traitor to the black movement.'
    The St. Louis Post-Dispatch editorialized, 'Replacing Savage with even a stalk of celery would elevate the intellectual and moral tone of Congress.'
    After his defeat in the 1992 Democratic primary, he blamed his loss on 'the white, racist press and the racist, reactionary Jewish misleaders,' then compared himself to Martin Luther King and Malcolm X.

Why he might not be annoying:

    He became interested in civil rights after serving in a segregated army unit during WWII.
    He became one of Chicago's leading black journalists, owning a chain of weekly community newspapers.
    He led campaigns in Chicago to end discrimination in housing.
    He eventually wrote a letter of apology to the Peace Corps volunteer.
    His replacement Mel Reynolds, unlike a stalk of celery, managed to further reduce the moral tone of Congress.

Credit: C. Fishel


Featured in the following Annoying Collections:

Year In Review:

    In 2023, Out of 5 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2022, Out of 8 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2021, Out of 12 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2020, Out of 4 Votes: 75.00% Annoying
    In 2019, Out of 18 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2018, Out of 22 Votes: 50.0% Annoying
    In 2017, Out of 33 Votes: 54.55% Annoying
    In 2016, Out of 10 Votes: 60.0% Annoying
    In 2015, Out of 52 Votes: 71.15% Annoying
    In 2014, Out of 32 Votes: 53.12% Annoying
    In 2013, Out of 26 Votes: 65.38% Annoying
    In 2012, Out of 121 Votes: 80.99% Annoying
    In 2011, Out of 275 Votes: 76.73% Annoying