It's not surprising that Owens turns out to have been a David Duke fan...nor surprising that Owens now backs Kerry.
Kudos to Georgia Republicans for disassociating themselves from him years ago, however.
Posted on 03/30/2004 12:39:30 PM PST by Brytani
Edited on 03/30/2004 2:45:17 PM PST by Lead Moderator. [history]
Richmond County GOP won't support candidate
Web posted June 11, 1998
By Sylvia Cooper
Staff Writer
The Richmond County Republican Party has cast out one of its candidates for the state House.
The party's executive committee voted to ``disassociate itself'' from House District 115 candidate Bradley Owens because of his 1992 association with then-presidential candidate David Duke, the former grand wizard of the Ku Klux Klan.
A picture of Mr. Owens clasping the hand of Mr. Duke appeared on the front page of The Augusta Chronicle on March 6, 1992, when the avowed white supremacist visited Langley, S.C.
The committee met with Mr. Owens on Saturday before taking the unanimous vote. The party will not support him in a general election race against incumbent Jack Connell if he wins the July 21 primary against Republican L.A. Williams, said party chairman Dave Barbee.
The Republican Party was in a ``damned if we do and damned if we don't'' situation with Mr. Owens' photo floating around, Mr. Barbee said.
``We can't sit there -- if we don't say anything, we look like we're condoning it,'' he said. ``The bottom line is we don't condone it, and we have to say something.''
Mr. Owens, meanwhile, said he's being ``railroaded'' and is just beginning to find out how dirty county politics can be.
``I'm not a racist, and I'm not a bigot,'' he said. ``I support equal rights, equal opportunity and equal justice for all people, period.''
The picture doesn't properly represent who he was when it was taken or who he is now, he said.
``It's a very convenient thing for my opponents to do what they have done though,'' he said.
But since there are only 200 Republican Party members in Richmond County, they represent only one one-hundredth percent of the total population they couldn't ``swing the vote on a dog catcher race,'' Mr. Owens said.
``So as far as I'm concerned, let 'em disassociate,'' he said.
Mr. Owens contends the purpose behind the party's vote is that party members are afraid the Democrats will use the issue against other Republican candidates.
The party's news release states the party cannot allow any candidate to shed doubt on the principles for which it stands, such as ``liberty, regardless of race, religion, economic standing or any other factors.''
``We cast no judgment on Mr. Brad Owens, nor do we assume that Mr. Brad Owens is a racist in his personal views, but we cannot abide his past association with David Duke,'' the release states.
Mr. Barbee said ``it was a stupid thing'' for Mr. Owens to do and that Mr. Owens had acknowledged that, but there was still an issue of accountability.
Typical for demoncrats to associate themselves with KKK members. What's next, Sen. Byrd giving a 4 hour oratory on the senate floor denoucing Bush's joke?
Thanks to the Wall Street Journals Opinion page for bringing this to light.
http://www.opinionjournal.com/best/?id=110004884
It's not surprising that Owens turns out to have been a David Duke fan...nor surprising that Owens now backs Kerry.
Kudos to Georgia Republicans for disassociating themselves from him years ago, however.
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