If the Confederate Flag should be banned as a symbol of racism, then perhaps we should remind people that this flag is and was a symbol of the Democratic Party. That was the whole point.  The first Democratic President, Andrew Jackson, was a wealthy slave holder.  It was Democratic politicians who fought to preserve slavery and even expand it.  It was Democrats who voted to form the Confederacy to preserve slavery.   It was the Democratic Party that was closely associated with the Klu Klux Klan, lynching’s, and Jim Crow laws in the south.  It was Democrats who produced the Southern Manifesto and fought bitterly against the 1956, 1960 and 1964 Civil Rights Acts.  It was Democrats who ordered police to use fire hoses and dogs on civil rights protestors.  It was a Democrat, Governor Faubus, who ordered the National Guard to stop black kids from attending schools.

It was the Dixiecrats, let by StromThurmond, a Democrat at the time, who brought back the Confederate battle flag as a symbol of the fight to continue segregation.  It was no accident that Bill Clinton and Al Gore used this flag in their campaign materials and referred to themselves as “Sons of the South.”  Bill Clinton’s political mentor was J. William Fulbright and Al Gore’s political mentor was his father, Al Gore, Sr.  Both men were leaders in the fight against the 1964 Civil Rights Act.

Democrats not only voted against the 1964 Civil Rights Acts, they put on a 57 day filibuster in a desperate attempt to block it.  Following are those senators who participated in the filibuster, led by Robert Byrd:

Hill and Sparkman, Alabama

Fulbright and McClellan, Arkansas

Holland and Smathers, Florida

Russell and Talmadge, Georgia

Ellender and Long, Louisiana

Eastland and Stennis, Mississippi

Ervin and Jordan, North Carolina

Johnton and Thurmond, South Carolina

Gore, Sr. and Walters, Tennessee

H Byrd and Robertson, Virginia

R Byrd, West Virginia

The liberal left believes that all the racist Democrats became Republicans.  That is patently false. Most of the Dixiecrats died as diehard Democrats.  Not only did these men remain Democrats, they are considered to be heroes of the Democratic Party.  These include Robert Byrd, J. William Fulbright, Sam Ervin, Richard Russell, John Stennis and of course Al Gore, Sr.  Many buildings in Washington D.C. are named after racist Southern Democrats.

The only one who became a Republican was Strom Thurmond, and that was after he renounced racism.    There is one period of time when several Democratic politicians left the Party to become Republicans.  That was prior to the civil war when Northern Democrats could no longer tolerate the pro-slavery Southern Democrats.

Republicans are blowing this big time.  Instead of being defensive, they should mock any attempt to link the confederate flag with Republicans.  A better response would be:  “Why are you asking me about the confederate flag.  That flag was brought back as a symbol of the Democratic Party and they are the ones who should be answering any questions.”

TDM