Ga. mayor's outreach to Venezuelan leader upsets some residents

Associated Press ^ | August 12, 2007 | Associated Press

[Baladas]

MACON, Ga. (AP) - Some Macon residents have called for demonstrations and boycotts after the mayor of the middle Georgia city formally reached out to Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez with a declaration of solidarity.

Mayor Jack Ellis said the declaration -- sent about two weeks ago by courier -- was a message that local leaders can stand together despite disagreements at the highest reaches of government.

Some local leaders have blasted the mayor's decision to support Chavez -- who is a vocal ally of Iran and Cuba who has called President Bush "the devil."

Former mayoral candidate David Corr said the mayor's comments were "an outrage." And state representative Allen Peake -- a Macon Republican -- said the mayor's action taints the town. He said "We need to be doing things in this community that show the tremendous positives of Macon."

Ellis praised the controversial leader as a champion for the common man who could offer aid to Macon's residents. Chavez has subsidized the cost of heating fuel for some American low-income citizens.

Ellis said "This is about a humanitarian effort. This is NOT about politics."

The mayor's decision prompted 20 pages of comments on The Macon Telegraph's online message board before the newspaper decided to take it down. Some called for demonstrations and boycotts to express their distaste for the mayor's move.

Ellis, a Democrat, is serving his second term as mayor and cannot seek re-election because of term limits.

He announced in February that he had converted from Christianity to Islam and was working to legally change his name to Hakim Mansour Ellis. He said he became a Sunni Muslim during a December ceremony in the west African nation of Senegal.

[Baladas]

Wow, so the mayor of this city converted to Islam, changed his name, called the American president "the devil" and supports totalitarian governments?

And the problem is........?

[Gay State Conservative]

Is there a misprint here? Are we sure he isn’t the mayor of Ithaca,NY or Cambridge,MA?

[Redbob]

"Ellis, a Democrat,..."

Now, I NEVER would have guessed that!

[ronnie raygun]

the enemy within!

[MplsSteve]

or Berkeley Ca or Minneapolis Mn or...

[Graybeard58]

Ellis, a Democrat, is serving his second term as mayor and cannot seek re-election because of term limits.

I wonder if Macon has a Recall procedure?

[OCC]

He announced in February that he had converted from Christianity to Islam and was working to legally change his name to Hakim Mansour Ellis.

Talk about a fip-flopper!

[OCC]

flip-flopper

[VOYAGER]

Question?

Is he also Black?

[blam]

[CarryingOn]

What if... a Democrat such as this one, was elected President, and he converted, like this one, to Islam, and announced, like this one, he was going to become friends with Chavez, like this one, and perhaps he would want to meet with the leaders of North Korea, Cuba, and Iran as well. Nah.. that’s too far fetched, skip it.

[doodad]

They tried. My parents live there. The downtown area is rabid.

[Robe]

Recall???????
Heck in the old days they would have run this guy out of town on a rail, tarred and feathered.....
Ah for the good old days

[Robe]

Recall???????
Heck in the old days they would have run this guy out of town on a rail, tarred and feathered.....
Ah for the good old days

[Robe]

I hate it when I sneeze while pushing th post button !!!!

[isom35]

he should change his name to Nutty McKookenstine.

[freekitty]

“Ellis said “This is about a humanitarian effort. This is NOT about politics.”

Yeah, right...... I don’t blame the residents of Macon for being angry. They voted this man into office; and he goes and pulls this on them. He should be banned.

[freekitty]

They are going to try any trick in the book to bring their kind in.

[vox humana]

He announced in February that he had converted from Christianity to Islam...

Mental illness is a terrible thing.

[DGHoodini]

DemoLib = Traitor