Even for the Republican Party of Virginia, this is truly astounding - astoundingly stupid, that is, yet also astoundingly revealing of this party's dark side.
Remember Bobby Lee May? He was the Republican Party official who wrote a column that accused Barack Obama of wanting to paint the White House black, supporting reparations, changing the national anthem to the "black national anthem", teaching "black liberation theology in all churches", and replacing the flag with a "star and crescent logo".He's back with his endorsements for 2009.
...Even after May wrote his nationally condemned racist column John Brownlee has accepted his endorsement.
When Brownlee takes endorsements like this it shows how low he is willing to go in this campaign. McDonnell and Bolling need to reject this endorsement- and they should also make it clear to Brownlee that campaigning with racists is not acceptable in the Republican Party.
By the way, what is it with Bobby Lee May's "man crush" on Bill Bolling?
They are having a free dinner for Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling on Monday, November 10th at the Southwest Virginia Higher Education Center in Abingdon at 5:30 p.m.I feel very strongly that we should have a big turnout for our great Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling heading into '09, especially with the ridiculous challenge being mounted against him by Patrick Muldoon. So it is important that everyone possible to attend this event and show our support and appreciation for the LG.
With the disasterous [sic] election results from Nov. 4, I cannot overstress the importance of our sticking together behind Lt. Gov. Bolling, a winning candidate for re-election.
Wonderful, huh? So, from this, can we conclude that Bill Bolling agrees with Bobby Lee May's nasty anti-Muslim bigotry, virulent racism, and vicious anti-environmentalism (yes, he spells the word "environmentalism" wrong)? Does Bill Bolling agree with Bobby Lee May's sentiments when he writes that Barack Obama will "[r]eplace 50 stars with a star and crescent logo; red stripes changed to green to represent Obama's tree-hugging radical environmenalism and his lack of experience?" Does Bill Bolling think it's funny when Bobby Lee May "jokes" about Barack Obama "chang[ing the U.S. national anthem] to the "Black National Anthem" by James Weldon Johnson?" Does Bolling think it's clever when Bobby Lee May suggests that Obama might raise taxes in order to send money "to Africa so the Obama family there can skim off enough to allow them to free their goats and live the American Dream?"
This is utterly disgusting, blatant and vile -- stunning bigotry and ignorance that I had thought most everyone had left behind many decades ago. Unfortunately, this appears to be the Virginia Republican Party of the 21st century. Unless condemned strongly and immediately, this is the type of worldview - racist, xenophobic, homophobic, anti-environment, nasty - that Bob McDonnell, Bill Bolling et al. ascribe to - or at least condone - as well. What's amazing to me is that these guys are nothing if not slick, clever politicians, yet they apparently believe that associating themselves with Bobby Lee May will not alienate Virginia's African American voters, environmentalist voters, gay voters, Hispanic voters, moderate white voters, Muslim voters, NOVA voters, Hampton Roads voters, pretty much EVERY voter who isn't a bigot?
It's amazing: every time I think the Republican Party of Virginia can't sink any lower, it does. Now, top Virginia Republicans appear to be actively courting, or at least not rejecting, the support and endorsement of virulent bigot Bobby Lee May. What next, are they going to bring in David Duke for a fundraiser? Heck, they might as well at this point.
P.S. Do Bolling, McDonnell et al. even think it's funny when Bobby Lee May makes a "joke" about the tragic suicide of Jim Webb's former assistant Freddie Hutchins, Jr. of Roanoke? ("2ND AMENDMENT: Under Obama will only apply to gang-bangers, illegal aliens, Islamo-Fascist terrorists, and Senator Jim Webb's aide.")
God, I am good.