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Ripon Society Denounces Racist TiesM2 Communications,
Ltd., Presswire, Tuesday, January 26, 1999 WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Republican Party has been rattled by lingering accusations of links to white supremacist groups. In December, former Ku Klux Klan Grand Imperial Wizard David Duke announced his official run as a Republican for Rep. Bob Livingston's (R-LA) seat. Recently, two prominent Republican Members of Congress are alleged to have close ties with the ardently separatist Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC). The Ripon Society, a centrist-oriented research and public policy organization, released the following statement: "The Ripon Society believes party leaders must make the principled stand and aggressively repudiate such activities. This is not merely a matter of identifying intolerable, racist behavior within a political party. Serious questions remain concerning the degree of influence extremist groups exercise within the Grand Old Party. And does this influence contribute to the party's inability to attract substantial numbers of minority voters and candidates? For example, there was a 98 percent loss margin amongst black Republican candidates in local, state and federal elections during 1998. "The
most recent events have certainly stained the GOP's public image.
Only 10 percent of African American voters chose Republican in
last year's mid-term elections. The Ripon Society is concerned
that the tremendous media attention surrounding these recent developments
diminishes the progressive, forward- thinking agenda the Republican
party has created for the 21st century. Hence, it is absolutely
essential GOP leaders condemn racism within their ranks if they
desire to re-establish a productive, mutually beneficial relationship
with African American and Hispanic communities." |