Posted on 09/07/2002 1:57:41 PM PDT by Pat Bateman
Editorial: Georgia's politics of hate
Savannah Morning News
MOVE OVER, Ted Turner. There's a new mouth of the South.
It belongs to State Rep. Billy McKinney, D-Atlanta, the father of soon-to-be-departing U.S. Rep. Cynthia McKinney, D-Lunatic Fringe.
Just prior to the Aug. 20 primary, the elder McKinney was asked why his daughter's flagging political campaign was using an outdated endorsement from Andrew Young, Atlanta's former mayor. The truth was simple: Mr. Young didn't want to take sides this year. But that didn't stop Mr. McKinney from reaching for an answer -- and showing an ugly side.
"That's nothing," he responded. "Jews have bought everybody. Jews."
And, just so no one could mistake his anti-Semitism, he even spelled it out: "J- E - W- S."
Ms. McKinney can't blame her father for her defeat at the polls three weeks ago. She did that mostly on her own.
However, Poppa McKinney did neither his daughter nor himself any favors (he's in a runoff himself next Tuesday). And it's not the first time he's popped off.
Six years ago, in fact, he described his daughter's Republican opponent as a "racist Jew."
Sadly, the politics of hate is still alive in Georgia.
However, one way to help stamp it out is for reasonable, fair-minded Democratic leaders to go public and state unequivocally that hate-mongering has no place in their party.
Unfortunately, that has yet to happen. Gov. Roy Barnes, as far as we can tell, hasn't urged the trash-talking lawmaker to apologize. Neither has U.S. Sen. Max Cleland. Of course, Mr. Barnes and Mr. Cleland are running for re-election in November. Both candidates are counting on the McKinney machine, which is still potent in south DeKalb County, to deliver Democratic votes. Consequently, they may be reluctant to say or do anything to put the McKinneys on edge -- especially since McKinney backers are talking of a fall voting boycott.
That's disappointing. It's also not leadership.
I hope you're right! Isn't the run-off this Tuesday? Maybe we'll have some god news then.
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