He knows a champ when he see's one !
Posted on 06/02/2004 11:08:08 PM PDT by John Lenin
By MICHAEL RUBINKAM, Associated Press Writer
PHILADELPHIA - Don King, the wild-haired boxing promoter, is touring the country with Republican National Committee (news - web sites) chairman Ed Gillespie to tout President Bush (news - web sites)'s re-election.
"Only in America," as King often says — and he did at a stop in Philadelphia Wednesday.
"People understand that George Walker Bush is the man with the plan to make America better," King, sporting an American flag tie and plenty of diamond-encrusted jewelry, told a group of black business leaders at a downtown jazz club. "Sometimes, just sometimes, it ain't too bad to be in the Bushes."
The latter line is the flip side of Jesse Jackson's warning at past Democratic conventions for Americans to "stay out of the Bushes."
King's rap sheet makes him an odd choice for Bush front man. He was convicted in the 1967 beating death of a man who owed him money and spent nearly four years in prison. In 1954, he killed a man who was robbing a numbers house he operated in Cleveland, but it was ruled self-defense.
King also has beaten tax evasion and fraud charges, faced numerous lawsuits from boxers and their handlers and endured three grand jury investigations and an FBI (news - web sites) sting operation — all while cementing his status as one of the world's top boxing promoters.
Republicans see King as a way to reach the ever-elusive black vote. Bush managed just 9 percent of the black vote in 2000, matching Ronald Reagan (news - web sites)'s percentage in 1984 and faring just slightly better than Republican Barry Goldwater's 6 percent in 1964.
"I said to him, you know they are going to come after us, they are going to attack us, and they are going to try to smear us," Gillespie said Wednesday. "But the fact is, I know the man, he is a friend of mine, and I'm proud to stand with him today."
Republican National Committee spokeswoman Tara Wall, who called King a "patriot," said the GOP supports "those who support us. Don King has come out to support us and he supports President George Bush. That's something he chose to do on his own and we're glad to have him."
In May, King attended a Republican fund-raiser in Washington and shook hands with Bush.
King and Gillespie, who began their "Economic Empowerment Tour" in Detroit last week, also plan stops in New York and Miami. The duo was joined in Philadelphia by Miss America (news - web sites) 2003 Erika Harold, who is black.
"Where have you see a Republican chairman standing up with us in the heart of the ghetto? We're going to talk about how we can make that change, to educate and uplift and enlighten our people," King told reporters.
The Democratic National Committee (news - web sites) avoided commenting on King, instead saying that blacks in the city have been hurt by Bush's economic policies.
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This is a good thing....isn't it? LOL
He's definitely a groundbreaker! And for sure can make mince meat out of Jesse Jackson.
It's hugh! Worth at least a 5 point bump.
WTF?!?!
Er....... yeah....
I think....
I will, however, admit that I spilled coffee all over myself when I read it.
Aw c'mon! Not even gonna cry "Uncle Tom!"?
The DNC didn't notice that Jesse jumped the shark a couple of years ago? He he.
I'd like to see Jesse and Don go toe to toe. LOL
Can Don King even vote?
I don't know but he could deliver the "bad hair day" vote in a landslide.
I don't know that he is a convicted felon. He may be I just have not heard that before.
I will bet the Associated Press put that tidbit in the article to discredit Don King.
Are you saying the AP is lying?
Right, he did the crime and did the time nearly 40 years ago. If the Democrats play the "convicted felon" card, they're a bunch of hypocrites. But then I wouldn't put anything past the Democrats, they demanded George W. Bush's driving record dating back to his 18th birthday, in their quest to discredit his ANG service.
Well 1967 was a long time ago and King has been in one of the most corrupt rackets ever conceived so if that is his extent of criminal activity I would say he is a veritable boy scout given his vocation. I think you may need to lighten up a bit.
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