Posted on 07/01/2015 12:03:03 PM PDT by TNMOUTH
After sidestepping questions about the issue over the weekend, Gov. Scott Walker on Monday said he supports South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley's call to remove the Confederate flag from the state Capitol.
"I am glad @nikkihaley is calling for the Confederate flag to come down. I support her decision - SKW," Walker tweeted from his political account shortly after Haley called for the flag to be taken down.
The push to remove the flag comes in the wake of the racially-motivated killing of nine black worshippers in a historic Charleston church last week.
Dylann Roof, a white 21-year-old man, has said he hoped the shooting would spark a race war, CNN reported.
In the days after the shooting, politicians across the political spectrum, from President Barack Obama to his former opponent Mitt Romney, called for the flag to be taken down, arguing that a symbol of segregation has no place at the statehouse.
Walker, in Washington, D.C. on Saturday, condemned the shooting as "racist" and "evil." But talking to reporters, he avoided weighing in on the debate over the flag and what it represents.
"I think they're going to have a good healthy debate and should have that debate in South Carolina amongst officials at the state level," Walker said, according to the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. "I just think before I or anyone else weighs in on anything to do with policy, whether it's this or any other policy decisions, we should honor the dead and the families by allowing them to bury their loved ones. And then you could perfectly ask me that question at some point in the next week or two when that's done."
At the political event, Walker also wouldn't say whether he sees the Confederate flag as a symbol of racism.
The liberal group One Wisconsin Now criticized Walker's initial response, accusing the governor of being too focused on his likely presidential campaign to take a stand.
“There’s no denying the racism and oppression represented by the Confederate flag and there’s no defense for its display in public, on public property," said OWN executive director Scot Ross. "It is appalling that Scott Walker is so blinded by his political ambition he’s willing to abide the flying of a flag that symbolizes racism, hatred and oppression."
Walker was one of several 2016 contenders to give carefully worded answers to questions about the flag over the weekend.
Both former Florida Gov. Jeb Bush and Sen. Marco Rubio, also of Florida, alluded to "making the right choice," but neither said what that choice should be. However, Bush said in a statement that his position on how to address the flag is clear.
As governor, Bush had the flag taken down from Florida's Capitol in 2001.
"In Florida we acted, moving the flag from the state grounds to a museum where it belonged," Bush said in a statement. "This is obviously a very sensitive time in South Carolina and our prayers are with the families, the AME church community and the entire state. Following a period of mourning there will rightly be a discussion among leaders in the state about how South Carolina should move forward, and I'm confident they will do the right thing."
Sen. Lindsey Graham, also a Republican presidential candidate, joined Haley in calling for the flag's removal on Monday.
For the flag to be taken down, two-thirds of the state Legislature must vote to approve it.
Haley noted Monday the decision would not affect people who wish to fly the flag on their own property.
She should take her pun-jab @ss back to India.
Wow. That's a pretty steep fall. He's falling in my eyes too. Not quite down to the Jeb/Fatboy level.
To me, the worst thing about this is how long it took for him to deliberate and then come out with it. If this is what he thinks, fine. Say it. At the right time. I disagree, but I would respect him for that.
But to think and think and think and think... and then after a long delay, to pander... wow. Not good.
You know the leftists are getting nervous about it because the “Ego/Arrogant” comments are suddenly popping up regularly lately.
Amazing how much of the left Freeper leftists actually adopt. Arrogant for being right about a fact and refusing to cower about it? Please.
I would have never voted for Scott-Mitt Walker anyway.
~~Cruz, OR LOSE~~
I saw more Confederate flags on the way home yesterday then I’ve seen since I moved here in 2009.
” “Ego/Arrogant” comments are suddenly popping up regularly lately.”
The Cruz attackers are out in full force too.
I live in a North Alabama town of about 15,000, 80,000 in the county, that has long been considered a center of racism against blacks. Not much has really happened in a racist way in many years. A black couple lived in a house behind my Mother for the last 15 years; no problems. Black kids from the local orphanage go to school here without incident. A black hurricane Katrina refugee joined the school basketball team without incident and the kids loved him. I saw Confederate battle flags around town rarely. But since the big flag hoopla in SC in recent days, I have seen more Confederate battle flags in public than I have seen in 25 years.
Simple people react to simple symbolic speech:
You can no longer fly the Battle Flag
Democrats are for the little guy (lie)
Republicans are racist (lie)
Republicans want to feed your grandmother dog food (lie)
How about:
Democrats are conspiring to take your freedom away (true)
Democrats favor foreigners over hard-working Americans (true)
Democrats have partnered with radical Islam against you (true)
Democrats are intentionally wrecking our economy (true)
High Democratic taxes are making you a slave (true)
Democrats are rigging elections with illegal aliens and vast voter fraud schemes. (true)
Get the picture? Simple. And when the MSM tries to call your hand on it, simply respond,”As soon as you call on Democrats to account for ‘Republicans are racist’, you might have the standing to get an answer from me.”
There’s an inner liberal inside every Wisconsin conservative......sadly.
Oooooooooops.
I think Walker is an over-achiever where he is!
Blacks were not going to vote for you, anyway, Scott. And you just ticked off a bunch of people who might’ve.
It is being handled by him on a local level...in WI.
He caved. Period.
That's the best news I've read in weeks.
We actually agree on something, GG.
Interestingly, this coincides with him putting a Mittbot, RINO, attack dog on his campaign team
Walker was my second choice behind Cruz. Now it’s Cruz or lose for me.
However, Walker announced he strongly supports flying the GOP flag:
a white star on a white field.
Maybe Dayspring told him to make this move.
People that had not even considered buying a Confederate Flag are buying them in protest. The politically correct stores that removed them from their shelves have given a booming market to the small vendors.
so why were these guys not calling for the confederate battle flag to come down a month ago, a year ago, a decade ago? I think these guys should be called upon to state their ‘reasoning’ for wanting the flag to come down now all of a sudden.
Lots of UniParty politicians out there think they don’t need the South to win.
I may just be too busy washing the dog on Election Day.
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