Michael Steele on Perry’s Hunting Camp: “It’s Very Troubling”

TIME ^ | 10/3/11

[roses of sharon]

Even as Texas Governor Rick Perry downplays the story of a racist epithet painted on a rock outside a property that he co-leased, black Republicans are not giving him the benefit of the doubt. First came GOP presidential candidate Herman Cain, who said yesterday that Perry handled the episode in a “very insensitive” way.

And in an interview with TIME on Monday morning, former Republican National Committee Chairman Michael Steele also scolded Perry. “It’s very troubling on some many levels, for so many reasons,” Steele said. Steele said questions over when and how clearly the rock had been painted over miss the point:

So I’m going to lease lease a property.....Do you paint over the rock? Or do you just remove the damn thing altogether? So, I’m sorry–my attitude is just remove the rock. That is the ultimate statement for me. Just get rid of the rock. Unless the thing is a damn boulder.

Steele stopped short, however, of impugning Perry personally. “I am not ascribing anything to anyone’s motives or decisions,” he said. He added, however, that he agrees with Cain’s criticism: “I think Herman Cain was right. It does lead one to feel that there was a level of insensitivity about how this would be perceived by the larger community. I’m not just talking about black folks, I’m talking about all folks. You would think that even in the 1980s that there would still be some sense of, ‘Do we really want this on our property? Even though we’re leasing it, still, do you really want that there? And just painting over it?”

At that, Steele, who believes the Republican Party needs to make amends with black voters for its “Southern Strategy,” simply sighed with exasperation.

[achilles2000]

If there were anything at all there, I assure you that the TX liberal establishment would have dragged it out and flogged it to death to beat Perry in his races for governor. The MSM is smearing Perry with this non-story because the MSM knows that very few people outside of Texas know what a hunting lease is.

[Gator113]

I think I have figured out a way to put this controversy to bed.

I’ll just buy the rock, bring it to my house and place it at the frontage next to the road. I’ll then paint it to read, “Obamas-head Rock”.

[mrpotatohead]

The name of the hunting camp was “N***erhead”, then it became “Perry Camp.” The name of the Ranch is the Hendrick Ranch. The hunting on the ranch is run by Krooked River Outfitters.

There is a river crossing there...maybe it was in reference to the crossing....who knows.

The main thisg is that Perry didn’t name the camp...he had NOTHING to do with it at all....this is all so silly.

I knew I should have taken a picture of the DANG rock years ago.....LOL.

[Milton Miteybad]

Herman Cain is claiming that N***Head was the NAME of the acreage. So which is it? The NAME of the acreage, or a random graffiti on a rock at the entrance?

The latter. A review the hunting lease reveals that it refers to the tract as the "Crooked River Ranch," which is not a valid legal description, but which probably serves to identify the tract in question as far as locals are concerned. The local name "Crooked River Ranch," however, is not very useful for identifying the tract for the benefit of third parties having little familiarity with the area.

At any rate, the hunting lease does not refer to the place as "Niggerhead," or "Honkybutt," or "Messkin Elbow" or anything else such as that. It refers to the tract as a portion of the Crooked River Ranch.

If in fact there was ever a rock at the entrance bearing the word "Niggerhead," the first notice Rick Perry likely had of that fact was when he initially arrived at the front gate.

This is reminiscent of the idiotic race-baiting that occurred in the 2000 campaign, when it was found that George Bush once owned a house in a subdivision where the deed restrictions at one time provided that the property could not be sold or conveyed to anyone of the African race. This was a complete canard at the time, because 1) millions of individual properties were encumbered by such deed restrictions during the Jim Crow era (both north and south of the Mason-Dixon line) and 2) such deed restrictions were then (and are now) unenforceable as a matter of federal law, and have been unenforceable for nearly sixty years. It flat does not now and did not matter in 2000 whether there had ever been any deed restrictions that could be construed as "racist" because when George Bush acquired the property, that deed restriction was completely unenforceable as a matter of federal law.

None of which prevented the Dems from trying to make racial hay out of the matter, of course. But it was still pretty stupid on their part.

[beandog]

It would be more suitable for you to change your name to “Bonehead” since it appears you have no idea what you’re talking about.

[Norman Bates]

So true. I guess Rick Perry is as dumb as a rock.

[muawiyah]

To play the race card Cain would have had to have had the WarshPost come up with the story and then fed questions to Wallace.

As it was 99% of the comments assume Cain had bothered reading the WarshPost first thing Sunday morning (let's hope not) AND, WORSE, walked around with Perry's personal access phone number for the cellphone he keeps on a chain around his neck.

Serious folks, I don't think all the candidates bother reading the Washington Post ~ particularly not in the morning, nor do they have each other's super secret or double super secret phone numbers.

You have to recall Cain had been telling the world that black people have been brainwashed! You'd better believe that targeted him.

Now, what other candidate do you think could say "black people are brainwashed" and get away with it?

[chilepup]

Nope, it was an honest answer to a question asked. I guess you and all other Freepers would rather Herman act like every other politician and not give honest/straight answers?

[Soul Seeker]

Herman is backtracking from his answer, denying what he said and saying he doesn’t want to discuss it further. But sure, keep on defending it when even he won’t.

[Dusty Road]

“If that is true then the name “Niggerhead” was on the lease Perry signed, no?”

Back then signed lease agreements were far and few between, most were just a handshake and a check.

[bert]

Yankee blather is irelevamt

[depressed in 06]

If Perry were a Bolshecrat now, I think he was then, this would have been a story of heroism.

[ichabod1]

They also fail to explain the deer lease system - that it’s like a time share, you get to hunt there, and often use a cabin or deer blinds, for a week or a weekend. It’s not like leasing a house for a year.

[ichabod1]

Cain *COOULD* have stood up and said “ENOUGH! How many more careers and lives, lives of men, women, and the little children are going to be ruined by this stupid, ignorant, blind hatred? Have you no DECENCY?

Instead he used it as a political card, and made himself just like the rest of them. Just another mid-level businessman who has no idea what he’s getting himself into.

[lonestar]

Steele is a moron.

Steele is a real RINO.

[ichabod1]

You might be right, but I think the two party system is the WORST way to govern a land as diverse as ours. Just because your candidate has a D or an R doesn’t mean they are going to represent your views. We should have a parliamentary system, and make the President ceremonial only.

[Georgia Girl 2]

I’ll second that emotion. I’m not even for Perry and I think this whole thing is ridiculous.

[mouse1]

‘I’ll second that emotion. I’m not even for Perry and I think this whole thing is ridiculous.’

I couldnt agree more. All these distractions are just to prop up their boy mitt. Am I the only one who sees this?

[TXnMA]

Your #12 makes zero sense. Care to try again?

[TXnMA]

With all the "reporters" running around with cameras -- plus all the other folks running around with camera-equipped cell phones, one would expect photos of this"offensive" rock to be plentiful.

I have multiple search criteria on Google Images, and I cannot find find a single photo of this 'terrible' rock...

Does the thing even / still exist?