What’s worse? Racism or using racism as a political weapon?
By Brian Schoeneman | Tuesday, October 19th, 2010 | Politics
As anybody who knows me is well aware, I am one of the leading advocates for a big tent Republican party that embraces people from all walks of life. As a member of the Fairfax County Republican Committee African-American outreach committee, I’ve worked with my colleague and fellow Common Sense contributor Terrence Boulden to reach out to the black community and help spread a Republican message in Fairfax.
I was appalled yesterday when I saw the email from Virginia Beach Republican Chairman David Bartholomew and was pleased when he stepped down last night. That email was first made public in a post by Lowell Feld on Blue Virginia. While I am saddened to see that kind of behavior from anyone in the Republican party, I was very happy to see how fast things went, with Scott Rigell, our Congressional Candidate in VA-2, condemning it immediately and Bartholomew taking responsibility and stepping down without a fight.
That kind of racism has no place in the Republican party, and I’ve been vocal about it, and so has Terrence.
But I did have a few questions about the email – namely, why did it take seven months for Lowell to do a post on it? The email was originally sent in March.
So today, when Lowell has yet another racist email forward – this time with a video – forwarded from another Rigell supporter, my anger at the sender has turned into suspicion. Where are these emails coming from? Why are they being released and posted about now?
Like yesterday’s email, this one is also months old – sent in July. This email forward, sent from Karen Beauchamp, also a former Virginia Beach Republican Committee Chair and an “endorser” of Rigell’s campaign, contains a video that’s a pretty nasty attack on the President, and one that I think is uncalled for and completely inappropriate.
That being said, I’m angry at how this is all unfolding. Either Lowell has sat on these emails for months or he is willingly serving as a patsy for someone trying to launch an October surprise on Scott Rigell. There is no good reason for anyone to sit on these emails for months – racism is racism and it should be stamped out as soon as it happens, not months later when it can be political advantageous to one side over the other.
This is the problem that I have with using racism as a weapon in politics – racism is an evil that transcends party and it shouldn’t be something that we only care about during election season. Racism is wrong regardless of when or where it happens. If it’s wrong to send out a racist joke or a racist video, and I believe strongly that it is, I think it’s just as wrong to sit on that knowledge for months before calling out the sender.
It seems fairly clear to me that Lowell doesn’t care about stamping out racism, or calling out those who engage in it. He’s simply trying to shill for Glenn Nye and pop out a bunch of leaked racist emails in a guilt-by-association drive-by on Scott Rigell. He doesn’t care about the racism, only about how this looks to undecided voters in the 2nd District. And that, in my opinion, makes him little better than the folks who sent these emails out in the first place.
Racism is wrong. But so is using racism as a weapon and sitting on stories until they’re politically advantageous. By not releasing these emails when he got them, assuming he got them when they were first sent, Lowell basically condoned the racism – it wasn’t important enough to him to out these people until it became politically helpful for his chosen candidate in VA-2. If he only just received them, he should out the person who sent them to him because clearly they didn’t think calling out Bartholomew and Beauchamp was important until two weeks before the election.
This whole thing stinks.
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About the author
A veteran political professional, long-time Republican party activist and attorney Brian W. Schoeneman has been offering his opinions at Bearing Drift since 2010. He serves on the Board of Virginia Line Media, LLC, which operates Bearing Drift and spends his days representing the U.S. Merchant Marine in Washington, D.C. He hails from Fairfax County, Virginia, where he lives with his wife and son.
Comments
41 Responses to "What’s worse? Racism or using racism as a political weapon?"
There is a right way to have a serious dialogue on issues of merit, such as race relations, and a wrong way.
What the Democratic Party of Virginia is perpetrating through blogger Lowell Feld is the wrong way.
If recent emails by members of the Republican Party of Virginia Beach are truly so offensive, then why has Lowell chosen to release them in parts and only in October? It’s feigned offense is for the sole purpose of politics, not to further any conversation, clear the air, or have a serious dialogue on race in any way.
Additionally, it is my personal belief that emails that are so patently racist should never be shared anyway, let alone publicly displayed for thousands to see. In many respects the propagation by Feld caused more people to be exposed to such filth than anything shared in a private email.
This is political hackery.
The League of Straw Men just called, and complained you are giving straw men a bad name.
Lowell has made clear that he did not sit on these emails, but posted them as soon as he received them.
And if you read the current threads at Blue Velvet, you will see that people there, myself included, generally agree we (including Lowell), too, would like to know more about the backstory, further invalidating this cockamamie theory.
As for whether the emails should be exposed to the public, surely you think it is relevant that a party leader is trafficking in this BS. You’re not suggesting this should have been swept under the rug, are you, in order not to offend the delicate sensibilities of the commonwealth’s citizens.
And last, but not least, the idea that Lowell Feld would hatch a plot like to help Nye is laughable on its face. I mean, Nye is not exactly Lowell’s favorite Democrat.
Let’s deal in facts, shall we.
Fine. Let’s start with your name.
Like I said – if Lowell just got these, he should disclose who sent them to him, because that person, by not acting sooner, is condoning the racism of the folks who sent it.
By waiting until it was politically advantageous to release them to Lowell, they’re just as bad the ones who sent them out.
What did Burke used to say? All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing.
Whoever leaked these emails is as bad as the one who sent them. And Lowell is enabling that person for his own benefit.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Jason Kenney, Daniel J Spiker. Daniel J Spiker said: RT @jasonkenney: What’s worse? Racism or using racism as a political weapon? – http://ht.ly/2W80J /via @BearingDrift [...]
Is that question for me?
As I have stated elsewhere. A brilliantly timed and planned attack (by whom?) on the Republican Party of Virginia Beach. Who knew what and when is almost irrelevant at this point. With 2 weeks to go to the elections, this will motivate the 2nd District Constituents to get out and vote. BRAVO to Mr/Ms puppeteer !!
I applaud Scott Rigell for stepping out in front and condemning any and all racism and bigotry. It’s a shame most people don’t know this is his every day stance and personal belief on racism and the DEMs and “other” opponents want to make it look like he’s only doing this because he is running for office.
Brian – Thanks for the reasonable response.
I know nothing about the circumstances by which these emails came to light, so can’t really address any of your factual assumptions. I would just make a few points:
– If someone did sit on them until now, then you are right, it would mean that political advantage was much more important to this person than eliminating racism.
– I wouldn’t agree, however, that leaking the emails for exposure is as bad as forwarding the emails for entertainment — I think being a racist is much worse than being a calculating political manipulator — but I concede that is a judgment call to which each person is entitled. But sure, I get your point about the triumph of evil and good men doing nothing.
– I’m not sure what you would expect Lowell, or any blogger, to do once he learned of the emails. Are you suggesting that Lowell should have suppressed them because the leaker may have had an ulterior political motive? Based on Lowell’s comments at Blue Virginia, he doesn’t know the circumstances under which his source even came into possession of the emails.
–Whether Lowell should disclose the source who sent him the material should depend, in my mind, on the circumstances under which they were sent. If there was an explicit promise of confidentiality, then Lowell, IMHO, has an obligation to keep that promise. In that sense, I would view the blogger as a journalist who should abide by the same rules and ethical conventions. In the absence of such a promise, it is less clear whether he has an obligation to disclose the circumstances or not.
I also think the repercussions of this have less impact on Scott Rigell’s race, which they are trying to hurt, and more on the local community and any sort of constructive conversation that could transpire over building a more inclusive Republican party.
Desperate times call for desperate tactics… messy messy
Aznew, I think, as a blogger, you have got to decide whenever you get information from a source if you’re going to use it.
The fact that there are two folks willing to send out racist emails the Virginia Beach Republican Committee is a bad thing, and no one is saying what they did was okay.
But these emails are old. They’re months old. Neither were made by folks on the Rigell campaign. So I don’t see the need to rush out and put them up now. If someone brought them to me at this point I’d have no problems releasing them on November 3, because I’m not going to be anybody’s shill.
Whoever sent these to Lowell sat on them. They should have been disclosed when they occurred, not two weeks before an election. And Lowell’s attempt to tie the emails to Rigell makes it clear that holding them back was a political decision. That’s just pathetic.
I don’t consider myself a journalist. I’m a commentator. If someone wants to send me something, I have no problems putting it up if I think it’s a fair attack and I’ve passed on stuff before because I didn’t think it was a big enough deal to post about, or it was too old, or I just didn’t care to talk about it. But if someone tried to use me as a mouthpiece for a drive-by, I wouldn’t feel any loyalty to that person.
Like I said, if Lowell did this because he thinks racism is wrong (one of the few things I think we’d agree on) then sitting on the stories is just as wrong. It’s basically saying that calling out racism for racism’s sake isn’t worth doing, but if you can get a couple of political miles out of it, then do it.
For a “progressive” who claims to support the President and his desire for a change from politics as usual, that’s pretty regressive. This is a Lee Atwater style smear.
Lowell is being used. If he has no problems with that, fine. But if it were me, I’d out the person who was trying to use me.
You ask great questions in this. And yet there are some, such as “But I did have a few questions about the email – namely, why did it take seven months for Lowell to do a post on it? The email was originally sent in March”, that don’t conform with the topic at hand [I strongly believe that Lowell didn't know about it, as it wasn't sent to him in March -- unless you're sitting on an original email with his name as a CC that you aren't showing us for reasons unknown!]. At any rate, I think that both racism and racism as a political weapon are wrong but the big question is how do we address it? A Democrat using a Republican’s [or vice versa] egregious email as a tool to get that person to step down fits your definition of using racism as a weapon…and so does the idea that a Republican within that committee using the email to get the chair to step down in order to clear the way for ascension to the throne. People aren’t always semper fidelis within their Party and among their fellow members. Now knowing that it can come from any angle in the political sphere, how do we handle racism to keep it apart from the political process? Clearly we ought to do something.
We all know why the other side sat on these emails. This is campaign season and they’re in it to win. Instead of us getting angry about mudslinging and commonly used campaign tactics can we have a real discussion about Republican outreach efforts?
This wouldn’t continue happening to the GOP if we were serious about reaching out to ethnic communities.
I think JR’s comment was directed to you “Aznew”, although if he was paying attention for the last two years he would have noticed you already said your name/city hundreds of times.
How about there not being racism from the right to be used as a political weapon from left? Do you really think the left comes up with this out of left field?
And Brian, why are you getting mad at Lowell for sitting on this? How about the people the chair sent it to? Didn’t they sit on it? Or worse, laugh at it and forward it to someone else?
Definition of CHARACTER from Webster
2a : one of the attributes or features that make up and distinguish an individual c : the complex of mental and ethical traits marking and often individualizing a person, group, or nation 3: position, capacity
5: reputation
6: moral excellence and firmness
7a : a person marked by notable or conspicuous traits — char·ac·ter·less\-l?s\ adjective
— in character
: in accord with a person’s usual qualities or traits
— out of character
: not in accord with a person’s usual qualities or traits
I am in my 50s. I know people by their character. Nothing for me to say about video forwarded by KB, it is what it is.
I will never believe David sent e-mail knowingly. He is completely computer illiterate and it is not within his character.
The Question – that’s why I’m calling on Lowell to out the person who sent it to him. They clearly felt it was objectionable and were willing to leak it to him to score some political points. That’s as bad as sending it in the first place.
I won’t blame the people who received it, because they didn’t ask to receive it and we don’t know what, if anything, they said privately to the person who sent it out.
Maybe I’m just odd or maybe people are more circumspect since I’m a blogger, but I don’t get these kinds of email from people, especially not from political colleagues. Nobody I know has time to send this kind of crap out.
I don’t want to see the kind of stuff from anyone, regardless of party, and I think shining light on these kinds of attitudes is apolitical. We all benefit from a world free from racism and discrimination.
The fact that this would probably have never come to light were it not election season is sad.
You know, you guys trying to claim it was wrong for Lowell to expose the emails because of the timing are being a little hypocritical. I think I read over on Blue Virginia link provided someone questioning the timing of the Krystal Ball photo scandal timing. If you are going to condemn Lowell, then how about condemning Rush Limbaugh for making the Krystal Ball photos such a big issue right before the election?
By the way, I am an unlikely defender of Lowell. Lowell very publicly made it plain he does not like me very much. I might now be a Democrat, but he pretty much explained it to me that we two are sitting on opposite sides of the Democratic Party boxing ring.
Dang it JR, why did you remove the ability to edit? I could have done a better job on that last post but I couldn’t edit it.
LD, since you can’t edit, you could, of course, reply to yourself.
Isn’t this discussion here getting just a wee bit sanctimonious? Who hasn’t received these stupid emails from people we never asked to send them to us? How many have you shaken your head, wished you never read it, and discarded? How many have you mindlessly sent on to your email list? How many have you laughed privately at them? Aren’t you as guilty as he is in this instance?
Now, bearing that in mind, do you think what I just wrote is only “white” or “conservative,” or “anti-Obama” oriented? Don’t you think that Democrats, Afro-Americans and Anti-conservatives get just as many stupid dumb and borderline (or outright)racist jokes as anyone else does in their email box? Of course they do. Racism is not a one-sided argument, it exists on both sides.
But we conservatives are the ones that jump the highest when a “race card” attack is put on us, We immediately go on the defensive, burn the offender in effigy, YET….How bad did whites cry out “racism!” when the New Orleans Mayor called his city a “Chocolate city?” Who in the community called Jesse Jackson out when he decreed that any commentary by the Cleveland Cavaliers owner about LaBron James going to Miami was “a master impugning his slave” statement, or when he said New York was “Hymie-Town”? Who raised the flag of disdain when liberal pundits called the Tea Party movement a racist movement? Where was the outrage then? And, more importantly, did liberals and democrats react in the same way we do now in condemning it? No they didn’t. We are the ones that keep paying the price, for what is endemic on both sides of the aisle. I could go on, but what really matters here is:
1. Politics: the email, while stupid, was clearly held for an October surprise on Rigell in a desperate move by the Nye campaign to bring race into a campaign that has been solely about issues; and
2. Life: again this matter unfairly and unevenly pins the race card on conservatives (and whites for that matter) when race is an issue for all people in our society– whites, blacks, asians, hispanics, etc., ALL engage in some variation of this; all of us receive in our inbox the same kind of jokes in different variations at one time or another. All read, pass-on, or discard them when they get them. It is not soley one sided.
The true discussion is not the vilification of Bartholomew, nor conservatives who read, laugh or pass on that stupid joke, but really is whether all who live in glass houses can hurl the first stone, no matter what our ethnic origin is.
The true argument here is whether at some time, can’t all people from all walks of life that make up the fabric of this great society in the best country in the world stop calling each other out for so-called “racist” activity that we ALL engage in on some benign level? Can’t we just appreciate who we are, for what we are, and find just a little bit of humor in it, no matter who we are, nor the color of our skin? Does it always have to be so offending, so much of an issue, when it is really truly a meaningless attempt at humor? Doesn’t our Creator want us to love, live, laugh and enjoy what each of us bring to the table of life, even when we use humor (even when misapplied, ill-timed, or in bad taste) to make a commentary on the human condition that we all endure?
All of us, no matter what the color of our skin, need to grow up here. I feel for former Chairman Bartholomew, we hoist him on his on petard when we all should be on the same spike.
Just a thought.
Who hasn’t received this from people? Well, me – at least, not in the last ten years.
I also don’t keep an email list that I forward stupid nonsense to since I hate spam, and that’s the worst kind of spam. I had an ex-girlfriend who did that when she was in college (in the late 90s) and fortunately she’s the last one who has ever done that.
I wouldn’t have written this otherwise. This post isn’t about David Bartholomew. It’s about Lowell Feld.
Brian, its about exhibiting good judgement, core values, unquestionable integrity and responsible leadership. The next elected RPVB leader must be vetted not for their capacity to win elections at all costs but to uphold honorable conduct privately and publicly. There are a few good people out there that fit that description. The problem is the leadership has to set the best example and presently that is where the breakdown resides. No, not the rpvb, not at the state or national RPV or DNC for that matter.. The problems begin at the local level at the lowest elected positions in the land that serve as a spring board for new leaders. The people at the top must lead by example but the local leaders need to be vetted and supported by the people and the election process must be unmolested by elected officials.
Why are you trying to make this about Lowell? That does not seem like you’re trying to deflect attention from the real problem? What if he sat on it until now? What makes this any worse than any other October Surprise?
Seriously, if you’re going to blame Lowell for sitting on it, why not blame others who received it who ALSO sat on it? Could you at least give him credit for being the one that actually called foul when no one else who received it did? If they didn’t wouldn’t the smart thing to do would have been to ask for an apology? Or to at least say to him “hellooo, you realize what you just sent me?” Why didn’t anyone do that?
Aaron,
Well said.
There is no question in my mind the dupe who posted the e-mails was acting either out of bravado or personal gain. A real “journalist” would have sniffed the wind and gone to the hotline vice posting it on a blog where anyone can say anything at anytime and never be called on the carpet for it. Not a lot of credibility at this point. No question racism is not acceptable; to politicize it for personal gain is abhorrent.
Applaud away. Simply hilarious.
I still haven’t seen your material proof that Lowell Feld sat on this. These accusations are getting a little farcical without any evidence. That could be dangerous ground. Please be careful. Do you have that evidence?
I don’t mean that as a threat, by the way. Sorry. I’m just wondering where this is coming from. I know that this is a rival blog on the other side of the spectrum from Blue Virginia but aside from that…
Using racism as a weapon is, clearly, inappropriate. I think everyone knows that.
Since we do know that, the bigger question-and the one that needs to be dealt with-is why do we keep doing this to ourselves? We KNOW how people perceive the Republican Party; why do we keep falling into this trap?
Is this a coordinated attack? Looks that way (if something else breaks, we’ll know). If so, that’s wrong…but we set the trap, and walked right into it. At the end of the day, there’s no one to blame but ourselves.
The way to not have racism used as a weapon is…not to engage in it.
Sounds to me like you guys are just trying to redirect the public’s scrutiny from the VB GOP’s obvious problem with racists in leadership positions. Let’s review the cold hard facts:
1) Bartholomew has acknowledged sending the e-mail and has resigned. I think he’s claiming to have forwarded it without reading it. So the first e-mail is real.
2) No one has suggested that the second e-mail isn’t real.
Brian (and Jim) are trying to accuse Lowell of sitting on these e-mails for six or seven months to effect an “October surprise.” Really? When was the last time a blogger sat on anything? We are notorious for publishing stuff as soon as we get it.
Here’s a much likelier scenario, though it’s not one that is going to make VB GOP members happy: the VB GOP has an informer in its ranks who waited and picked his (or her moment) to reveal the racial attitudes of VB GOP’s leadership.
Who is the informer? What is their agenda? Those are the questions that should be asked, along with when is the Virginia GOP going to clean up its act and stop employing blatant racism as an organizing and motivational tool?
If the VB GOP has a problem with racism within its ranks, then it is absolutely valid to raise it as a political issue, and no time is more appropriate for raising it than right before an election. The public is paying attention right now, so we are having this conversation.
If anyone’s “redirecting” it’s Democrats trying to redirect people’s attention from their horrible record in Congress.
Good point Richmonder.
I think those in that local party need to ask, who has recently left this party? And what do they have to gain if they sit on this until October.
Of course it is wrong to send such things! But, if you’re going to “out” someone for it, it should be right away. I think we all agree that sitting on it until October is very convienent for some people involved in the 2nd district race.
To try and link this to the republican candidate is absurd!!!!! How dare BV place that picture upon their blog. You can call people a lot of things in an election, but when you try to paint a candidate as a racist, you need to be careful. It could backfire!!!!! Which it seems to be doing judging by the news report I just saw. Bye, Bye Nye!
“To try and link this to the republican candidate is absurd!!!!!”
LOL.
There are times, quite often unfortunately, where I get extremely frustrated by the fact that people don’t ever seem to read what I write.
I am not claiming that Lowell sat on these, nor do I have evidence that he did. I said that because these emails are months old, one of two things happened – either Lowell sat on them or the person who sent them to Lowell sat on them.
If Lowell sat on them, shame on him. If the person who sent them to Lowell sat on them, shame on that person, and Lowell should out him for using Lowell as a puppet to take a swipe at Scott Rigell.
That’s what I wrote originally.
I agree with Coby – while I think Lowell is unethical (and have for a while) and I think whoever leaked these emails should be ridden out of town on a rail for doing it to gain political traction, none of this would have been possible if the emails had never been sent.
…and since we’re on the subject of race, one more thing:
Instances like this, the more they pop up, are becoming a lot harder for black Republicans like Terrence/myself to defend. It severly detracts from our ability to speak about the true issues of the day, and forces us to “explain” why we associate with people who send this stuff around.
Brian, you’re completely right.
Suprise. It’s an election. Is anyone else NOT surprised that a racist email sent by the Chair of the VA Beach Republican Committee was (potentially) used by the Democrats as a political weapon?? My god, conservatives in Hampton Roads (Gary Byler I’m looking at you) are starting to sound like they’re the victims in this?
Wow. The man was elected to party leadership. The party that’s supposed to represent moral and family values. Maybe this is why so many young people (myself included) are at odds with mainstream Republicanism. I can just picture the SNL skits…
Brian, fair enough, although I insist that I did read the original post. My responses were geared toward “But I did have a few questions about the email – namely, why did it take seven months for Lowell to do a post on it? The email was originally sent in March” was, in effect, a pretty direct implication that since the email was sent in March and Lowell released it in October, he must have known about it. They were not geared toward your post-script comments that take on a different tone of establishing that it’s uncertain that he knew about them any l. Further castigation of Mr. Feld isn’t really necessary. That’s probably why he’s upset. I’d be, too.
Politics is politics. Bury the hatchet and let’s see how these sorts of racism issues or other issues can be handled in the future so as to be prevented within the parties. Let’s talk about tolerance of behaviors of leaders, regardless of who, not the posts on the big blog across the way. It may not be as sensational but I still think there’s greater value in that sort of approach.
Re: the new post regarding “Bring It”, I think you might be safe from defamation but that whole area is pretty touchy anyway. Better safe than sorry. Just my humble opinion, anyway.
Here’s my two cents:
http://therichmonder.blogspot.com/2010/10/what-rpv-doesnt-understand-about-racism.html
Richmonder, since my comment on Blue Virginia will likely be taken down soon (and I also expect my account to be banned—BV and their moderators have never been a bastion of free expression and opposing opinions), allow me to repost my comment to you here:
Let’s start with the facts. There is absolutely zero evidence that racist, or racist jokes or emails, are being used to rally Republicans. There is only evidence that a then-sitting GOP Committee Chairman forwarded a racist email to parties unknown several months ago, and that someone who hasn’t served in the party committee in a decade sent out racist email, again, to parties unknown.
First, clearly the recipients of Mr. Bartholemew’s email were intended to be close, personal friends and not for public distribution. This doesn’t make the email in any way acceptable, but it’s ludicrous to suggest that it was used as a political motivator.
Second, the recipients of Ms. Beauchamp’s email, hidden in a BCC blast, are potentially more widespread, but coming from someone who doesn’t serve any formal role in the City Committee, doesn’t elevate this beyond one of the millions of random political emails sent and received every day.
Finally, you couldn’t help yourself by building onto these two unrelated events by saying they include “racist jokes, songs, and other material to boost the sense of community and esprit de corps among Virginia Beach Republicans”. What other materials? There’s one joke and one video. There are no other emails we know of. One was sent to only a handful of people, the other from a person not in any position of power. There’s absolutely zero evidence of any “community” building or these being used as “core organizing principle”.
To say so is an outright lie and slanderous, and should be removed immediately.
As for Mr. Schoeneman, it is tremendously unfortunate that you didn’t seem to read a single word he wrote on this topic, and even more unfortunate that he has been banned from making comments on this site, admittedly for no good reason. To choose to call him out by name and completely mischaracterize his statements in a forum where he cannot respond—rather than making a comment on Bearing Drift—speaks of a very immature attitude.
I have no idea how you missed any of the following lines from Brian’s post:
I was appalled yesterday when I saw the email
was pleased when he stepped down last night
That kind of racism has no place in the Republican party, and I’ve been vocal about it
contains a video that’s a pretty nasty attack on the President, and one that I think is uncalled for and completely inappropriate.
racism is racism and it should be stamped out as soon as it happens
racism is an evil that transcends party
Racism is wrong regardless of when or where it happens
Racism is wrong.
No where in Brian’s post did he even come remotely close to “defending” the actions of anyone involved in this sordid mess. I cannot fathom how you possibly could have reached that conclusion, unless as I mentioned before you didn’t read a single word of his post.
Furthermore, Brian is not decrying the correct outrage towards these two events. In fact, Brian has joined that outrage. The issue is not whether the Democrats should speak out against racism when it occurs; indeed, as Brian and I agree, everyone should speak out about it when it occurs. And its the final part of that sentence that’s important: when it occurs.
Bartholemew’s email was sent in March; Beauchamp’s in July. Why are we just now hearing about it, and in language meant to attempt to tie these two individuals to a candidate in a competitive election? If the person that sent these to Lowell has had them since March and July, why was that not the best time to bring them to light? If Lowell has had them for that long, why wait until two weeks before the Election to post about it?
These are very reasonable questions, that were also raised by Ben Tribbet (not exactly a defender of racism himself). And they deserve an answer. Even if you don’t think they deserve an answer, they do NOT deserve having Brian’s reasonable comments distorted so you can make up a lie about the Republican Party.
This is an unfactual and shameful post for many reasons, and I respectfully request that the moderators of this blog edit or remove it. Sadly, I don’t expect anything except a snarky reply.
[...] I posted a story accusing Lowell Feld over at Blue Virginia of using the two racist emails he received from unknown [...]
And allow me to respond to you, Mr. VA Blogger:
http://therichmonder.blogspot.com/2010/10/more-on-subject-of-mr-schoenemans-post.html
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