DaimlerChrysler Executive Attack on “Conservatives,” Support for Jesse Jackson Stirs Controversy

NATIONAL LEGAL AND POLICY CENTER ^ | 1/21/03 | Contact: David Kendrick

[Behind Liberal Lines]

The following letter was sent today to Chrysler Group President and CEO Dr. Dieter Zetsche by Peter Flaherty, president of the National Legal and Policy Center:

The purpose of this letter is two-fold. We ask that remarks attributed to DaimlerChrysler senior vice president Frank Fountain be withdrawn, and that DaimlerChrysler cease financial support for Jesse Jackson and his organizations.

According to CNSNews.com, Fountain stated during Jackson’s Wall Street Conference last week, “Most of [Jackson’s] critics are conservatives. They have a rather myopic view of the world.”

Even more surprising, Fountain allegedly stated, “From my fairly close knowledge of [Jackson’s] operation, they are one of integrity and beyond reproach.”

Fountain may have a myopic view of Jesse Jackson. I have enclosed a copy of a formal Complaint filed by the National Legal and Policy Center (NLPC) with the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) on February 28, 2001 against the Citizenship Education Fund (CEF), which organized the Wall Street Conference. It alleges that Jesse Jackson, his family and friends have personally enriched themselves through the operation of a nonprofit organization.

The Complaint is pending. Jackson implicitly acknowledged the validity of at least one count of the Complaint when he amended CEF’s tax returns.

I am happy to report that another foreign carmaker, Toyota, has ceased support for Jackson in apparent response to a similar request I made last year.

In 2002, Toyota was a very visible sponsor of the Wall Street Conference. A Toyota executive gave a keynote speech. Toyota became the target of my criticism in op-eds that were published in newspapers all over the country and in numerous television and radio interviews.

Personal events in 2001 have greatly reduced Jackson’s moral authority as a “civil rights leader” and member of the clergy.

At a September 13, 2002 rally in Washington, DC, Jackson claimed that President Bush wants to “rule the world.”

In a September 16, 2002, speech at Michigan State University, Jackson was dismissive of the Founding Fathers and asserted that American democracy was only 37 years old, not 200-plus. Jackson stated that “democracy as we know it did not begin in Philadelphia, where a bunch of white men wrote the laws.” Jackson identified the advent of American democracy as 1965 when the Voting Rights Act passed.

Fountain reportedly confirmed that DaimlerChrysler had paid a “six-figure sum” to sponsor the Wall Street Conference. Your support for Jackson is inappropriate given his most recent anti-American statements and his long-standing anti-semitism .

I can assure you that political conservatives, who include your shareholders, business partners, employees and customers, are being made aware of Fountain’s deliberate and gratuitous attack on them. I strongly urge you to fulfill my two requests without delay.

[Eva]

The only other company that of (and I can't even remember the names) was that German publishing company that bought out one the major US publishers. I'll look it up and see what I can find.

[Dante3]

And they will pass the cost of their funneling money to Rev. JJ on to us customers.

[Dante3]

And American Honda Motor Corp also donated.

[geedee]

I think I heard about that. Bertelsmann? Or something like that, wasn't it?

[Mr. Jeeves]

I'm already a Lexus customer for life...the Toyota news is good to hear.

[Ragtime Cowgirl]

The real racists are the liberal Democrats

Regarding Sen. Lott's demise and the charge that he's a racist: I don't see anything in his record where his supposed racism has really injured members of the minority.

And that makes me think: I wonder what I'd do if I were a racist.

Well, if I were a white racist, I think I'd attack the minority in four ways: economically, educationally, politically and spiritually.

First, I'd create a welfare program that fostered dependence and broke up the family by paying women to have children without husbands.

Next, I'd force a large percentage of the minority group to attend failing schools, and convince minority leaders to help me.

Then, I'd create majority-minority districts to minimize the impact of the minority's vote.

Finally, I'd convince the minority group that they are not really responsible for their own lives and that their own human will is not enough for them to grow.

If I were really good at this, I'd create programs that caused everyone, including the minorities, to question the validity of their admission into academic programs and professions, making even the members of that group believe they were accepted to fulfill a quota.

I might even encourage minorities to segregate themselves from the rest of us while arguing that such segregation fosters diversity, as they do at some of our most revered institutions of higher education.

Wait a second! If I were a white racist, I'd be a liberal Democrat.
Paul Schleifer
Clemson

[river rat]

Just further confirmation of the VERY CLOSE ties between the European Nazis and their Sand Nazi allies...

What is strange - is that this executive was stupid enough to think his hateful comments would not become public..

The ONLY way Daimler-Chrysler can apologize for this is to FIRE THE BASTARD or suffer the consequences...

The German Government and German Industry seem to have decided they can defeat us THIS TIME.... F'em....

Semper Fi

[mrustow]

And they will pass the cost of their funneling money to Rev. JJ on to us customers.

True. In a competitive economy, customers could simply go elsewhere and pay less. In our apartheid economy, however, all the players are paying, and passing along the costs to consumers.

[zeaal]

Now, our family has eliminated two car companies from ever being considered for purchases. Chrysler and Toyota.