Huffington Blog Series: "Conservatives" and racists sitting in a tree...

[BurtWorm]

05.12.2005 Joshua Zeitz

White Supremacists in the Closet



http://www.huffingtonpost.com/theblog/archive/joshua-zeitz/white-supremacists-in-the-closet.html

...

Over the next several days I’m going to post a series of exposés on the relationship between leading American conservatives and a small but vocal group of white supremacists. I’ll also place this relationship in historical context and suggest possible reasons why many mainstream news outlets have turned a blind eye to the sordid partnership between suit-and-tie conservatives and the nation’s most outspoken merchants of hate.

I first learned of this story from Alan Petigny, a close friend and colleague who is an Assistant Professor of History at the University of Florida. Alan, who is a remarkably talented scholar of twentieth-century American history, and I worked together on this research. What follows is entirely a collaborative effort.

...

Francis was invited to speak at the International Conservative Congress, an impressive gathering of prominent conservative intellectuals. Both the Heritage Foundation and the American Enterprise Institute sponsored the two-day conference. David Frum, who would later serve as a speechwriter in the Bush ’43 White House and who currently writes an online journal for the National Review, served on a panel with Francis. Though the two men represented different strains of the conservative movement and engaged in a vigorous debate, it’s curious that Frum would even deign to shake hands with someone whose crude racism was by then well-established fact.

A year later, Francis participated in a Lincoln Day Colloquium sponsored by the Claremont Institute. Appearing on the program alongside this unreconstructed white supremacist were the respected conservative columnists David Brooks and Bill Kristol, radio impresario Rush Limbaugh, then-House Speaker Newt Gingrich, and former Attorney General Ed Meese. In their defense, none of these prominent conservatives served on Francis’s panel, But they clearly didn’t mind sharing top billing with him.

[hlthe2b]

1. re: "American Renaissance"

Not exactly a title I'd have associated with White Supremists/Racists.

But, then I guess they aren't looking to post a neon sign...:shrug:

[BurtWorm]

2. Prezackly.

They're also hoping to ReBirth the Nation, if you follow me. ;)