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Friday, January 18, 2008
Deja vu all over again: Georgia flaggers on the move in South Carolina
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
An Atlanta-based group has jumped into the GOP presidential primary in South Carolina, putting up radio ads that attack John McCain and Mitt Romney for their comments about the Confederate battle flag.
The same ads endorse Mike Huckabee for his declaration that flying the battle emblem on the grounds of its capitol was South Carolina’s business — and no one else’s.
The group, a 527, has the redundant name of Americans for the Preservation of American Culture. The president of APAC is Mike Crane of Fannin County, who first came to our attention during the fight over removing the battle emblem from the Georgia state flag back in 2001.
Ron Wilson, a South Carolinian who was involved in raising money for the ads, as saying they will be run today through Saturday’s primary on every radio station in the state that carries the radio shows of Rush Limbaugh, Sean Hannity or Bill O’Reilly.
“We believe we’re hitting about 60 to 65 percent of the voters in tomorrow’s primary,” Wilson said.
The Federal Election Commission lists APAC’s locale as Columbia, Tenn., but its operations were shifted to Atlanta last year, Crane said. Recent activities have included this summer’s 10th District congressional race. APAC sided with the winner, Republican Paul Broun of Athens.
Why should you care? Because when we asked Crane, a member of the Southern Party, if similar ads might run in Georgia leading up to Feb. 5, he didn’t say no. “That’s yet to be determined,” he said.
Said Wilson in South Carolina: “I’d don’t know how much further it goes.” Republicans in Mississippi might be more receptive to yet another debate over the flag than Georgia, Wilson added. Gov. Sonny Perdue might agree.
Here’s the text of the anti-McCain ad:
“Mitt Romney’s trying, but when it comes to bashing the Confederate flag, he can’t hold a candle to John McCain.
“McCain’s been doing it — calling the flag a racist symbol — for years, and he’s still at it, full-steam ahead.
“After McCain, [former] Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee’s stand is a breath of fresh air. Governor Huckabee understands that all the average guy with a Confederate flag on his pick-up truck is saying is, he’s proud to be a Southerner.
“Mike Huckabee understands we value our heritage, and why. He says its up to us to decide how. Senator McCain may have decided that his ancestors, as he puts it, were on the wrong side of history when they wore gray.
“But in South Carolina, we’re proud to be Southerners.”
The anti-Romney ad is similar, but has starts this way:
“Waving a Confederate battle flag in front of [former] Massachusetts governor Mitt Romney turns out to be like waving a red flag in front of a bull. He charges.
“Romney let fly in the CNN debate, saying ‘That flag shouldn’t be shown.’ And ‘that’s not a flag I recognize.’ Then South Carolinians for Mitt Romney attacked the Sons of Confederate Veterans on its web site.”
The positive ad attack in South Carolina
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
If you want a good giggle, take a look at this newest John McCain spot that’s now running on South Carolina television. It consists of nothing but the kind words that Republican rival Mike Huckabee has said about him.
Somebody needs to reserve the couch for the night of Feb. 5
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Today’s New York Times prominently displays a photo of U.S. Rep. Sanford Bishop and his wife, Vivian Creighton Bishop.
The Georgia couple are cited by the newspaper as an example of the way the Clinton-Obama contest has split families. Bishop is for Obama. His spouse is a leader of the Clinton campaign in Georgia.
Says the Times:
Throughout the South, the considerations are complex, particularly when a black official represents a district of differing complexions and outlooks. Mr. Bishop, a black Democrat whose rural southwest Georgia district is mostly white and twice gave President Bush its vote, said he had carefully considered the comfort level of his conservative constituents before he endorsed Mr. Obama. “Hillary is not thought well of,” he said.
Ms. Bishop, who as clerk of court is the first African-American to hold citywide office in Columbus, agreed, saying she had delayed drawing attention to her endorsement of Mrs. Clinton to avoid angering her constituents. Ms. Bishop said she was more concerned about whites who disliked Mrs. Clinton than about blacks who might be disappointed that she had not supported a black candidate.
We’ve tried, but have been unsuccessful at drawing the congressman out on this topic.
Our question: Last summer, you spoke of “the Arkansas mafia.” How did that go down at the dinner table?
Talking Confederate one day, and civil rights the next
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Just got off the phone with Merle Black, the Emory University political scientist, who pointed out the dilemma that Republican candidate Mike Huckabee has found himself in over Southern symbolism.
On Thursday, Huckabee declared that flying the Confederate battle flag on the grounds of its capitol was South Carolina’s business — and no one else’s. (Rival John McCain has been taking heat from S.C. flaggers on the issue.)
“You don’t like people from outside the state coming in and telling you what to do with your flag,” Huckabee said. “In fact, if somebody came to Arkansas and told us what to do with our flag, we’d tell them what to do with the pole, that’s what we’d do.”
On Monday, Huckabee will be in Atlanta at the Martin Luther King Day ceremonies, the only Republican presidential candidate to attend.
That’s a juxtaposition worthy of Southern politics. You have to wonder what he’ll say.
The husband-wife tag team: Bill Clinton here on Monday
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
It doesn’t look like the Hillary Clinton campaign is ready to concede Georgia to Barack Obama anytime soon.
One day after Clinton committed to attending a Jan. 30 fund-raiser in Atlanta, our colleague Aaron Sheinin just got word that husband Bill will be in Atlanta on Monday to participate in Martin Luther King Day ceremonies. No details yet.
Obama is due here on Sunday, John Edwards tomorrow.
On Monday, the former president will be sharing attention with Republican Mike Huckabee, the only Republican presidential candidate who’ll be attending.
