Democrat-turned-Republican lawmaker: 'We have been sold a bill of lies'

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Democrat-turned-Republican state lawmaker speaks out

Launching PAC to help black conservatives

This is a rush transcript from "Your World," August 22, 2013. This copy may not be in its final form and may be updated.

NEIL CAVUTO, HOST: He's been among our most popular and most e-mailed guests, a Democrat-turned-Republican who is now launching a political action committee to help black conservatives into office.

Elbert Guillory says the Democratic Party has created an illusion that its agenda is what is best for African-Americans, but the state senator from Louisiana is here to set the record straight.

You might recall that Senator Guillory switched from being a Democrat to a Republican because he had enough of this nonsense.

Senator, always good to have you back. Thank you.

ELBERT GUILLORY, R-LOUISIANA STATE SENATOR: It's an honor to be with you, of course.

CAVUTO: You know, Senator, I remember you talking about the grief and the heat that you encountered when you made the switch, and everything from Uncle Tom to you're not a -- you can't be a real African-American and on and on.

I'm sure I just got the fraction of it. And now you're doubling down on this and going forward with this. What kind of reaction are you getting now?

GUILLORY: Pretty much the same from Republicans and from normal people, my constituents most particularly, a very warm welcome, very understanding of where I'm talking about, about the values and the issues that I'm presenting.

From people in the hierarchy of the party of disappointment, they're still...

(LAUGHTER)

GUILLORY: ... throwing -- throwing all kinds of invectives at me.

CAVUTO: Well, you seem to be taking it in fine style.

But, Senator, I'm curious, and we just touched on it the last time you were here. How is it, why is it, you think, that African-Americans are such a monolithic Democratic bloc? I mean, rarely do they move, maybe a percent or two, out of that 95 percent, 96 percent Democrat bloc.

GUILLORY: Lies. I believe that we have been sold a bill of lies. Until the mid-'60s, the Republican Party, those members were the heroes of civil rights. And then, when the Southern Democrats saw that it just wasn't working for them, they decided to start to portray themselves as -- falsely -- as the party of the people and to start to -- and they started to portray us as the party of the rich, of corporate white men who hated everything, including minorities and women and the environment.

And we didn't stop that. We didn't stand against it. We didn't -- we just sat in the closet and let them tell this lie. Now we have to take the truth to the communities, to the barrios, to the neighborhoods of America.

CAVUTO: You know, Senator, as we approach the 50th anniversary of Martin Luther King's speech before the Lincoln Memorial, Al Sharpton, among others, leading a rally of his own, arguing the government has to do more.

What do you think of that?

GUILLORY: I think that jobs and education are the two pillars of the American dream.

If we are going to do more about jobs and education, that's fine. But to give more to the tragedy, the recent tragedy, that's a perfect example of what happens when government gives everyone their food, their housing, their clothing. They have nothing to do. They just sit around, play some violent video games, and then go out and kill people.

I mean, it's a tragedy. And it is a tragedy that is predictable when you do everything for people, when they have nothing to do for themselves. They don't have to pick up a fork or a knife even.

CAVUTO: Yes. Well, you do have an uphill battle ahead of you. But I think you're more than up for that challenge.

Senator, it's always a pleasure. Thank you, sir.

GUILLORY: Thank you.

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