Crist's ticket mate defends move to protect Confederate flag (FL Gov race)

[seafan]

Crist's ticket mate defends move to protect Confederate flag

By S.V. Date
Palm Beach Post Capital Bureau

Tuesday, September 19, 2006

ORLANDO — Republican Charlie Crist found his gubernatorial campaign facing questions Monday about a bill his running mate cosponsored five years ago that would have protected Confederate flag displays on public grounds.
Jeff Kottkamp, a state House member from Cape Coral, on Monday offered his first public explanation of the 2001 vote since he joined Crist's ticket last week.

snip

The questions came six days after Democratic candidate Jim Davis dealt with his own race-related issue by making a public apology for his 1990 vote against providing state money to two wrongly convicted black men. Crist said at the time that he welcomed Davis' apology, even as he pointed out that he had sponsored another bill to compensate the two men and wondered what other apologies Davis might need to make.

On Monday, Davis spokesman Josh Earnest said Kottkamp's failure to apologize or explain his views was disturbing.
//snip
The bill Kottkamp supported was sponsored by a North Florida Republican days after Gov. Jeb Bush quietly removed a Confederate flag from the Capitol in 2001. The bill would have criminalized the removal of a war-related monument or flag from public grounds.

snip

Crist, who has worked to build a reputation as a civil rights champion, defended his running mate. "Why wouldn't we want to protect monuments in our state? I mean, I don't see the big deal," he said, adding that he didn't believe the bill necessarily referred to the Confederate flag.
"I don't think it was tied to any issue," Kottkamp added. "I don't ever remember the flag being mentioned."

The flag, though, was central to the 2001 debate in the House. The so-called "Stainless Banner" was pulled down Feb. 2, 2001, at Bush's direction and moved to a state museum, along with other flags that had once flown over the state. Bush's unilateral action helped avoid the divisive battles over the Confederate flag that had raged in other Southern states in 2000.

snip

[William769]

1. I saw this asshole in Cape Coral over the weekend

God help us if that ticket wins.

[seasat]

2. Everyone should compare this to Davis' apology.

Kottkamp's response is the typical politician response. What? It didn't mean that? :eyes: Y'all are blowing it out of proportion.

Jim Davis is the kind of honest fellow who admits when he is wrong. He is one of the few Democrats that actually admitted they would not vote for the Iraq war resolution knowing what they know now. He admitted he was wrong in voting against the Pitt and Lee resolution.

How are Chameleon Charlie and his Christian Coalition sidekick going to explain their continued support of Jebbie's A+ plan? (LINK)

[seafan]

4. Layer after layer of hypocrisy and arrogance.... day after day after day.

But, but, but, just last week Jeb's own personal think tank was trumpeting his *education reforms*! School failure rates are so critical in Florida, that Jeb has decreed that 3rd graders who don't pass the FCAT be held back from advancing to the next grade level.

His think tank even wrote up a nice report!

Failure rates usually aren't something to brag about, but Florida recently drew praise for holding back third-graders who don't pass the FCAT.

The Hoover Institution's Koret Task Force said there were noticeable learning gains in students who were retained and retook the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test the following school year.

Gov. Jeb Bush was happy with the results of the study, titled
"Getting Farther Ahead By Staying Behind."

This is not a joke.

:crazy::crazy::crazy:

[demo dutch]

3. When are the ads coming out! Haven't heard or seen Davis at all!

(except for the bumper sticker on my car!)

[seafan]

5. Haven't heard as yet, but hope it will be soon. n/t