N.C. Dem Candidate Accuses Opponent of Selling ‘Confederate Junk’
In a twist to the North Carolina political ad wars, one of the Democratic candidates for governor has launched a new radio ad that has two men discussing Beverly Perdue’s ownership interest in a store that sells merchandise with Confederate symbols.
The radio ad by Richard Moore also accuses his opponent of voting against legislation aimed at cracking down on the KKK. The tag line on the ad says, “And Perdue wants to be our governor? Well, maybe in 1958, but not in 2008.”
First reported by the Charlotte News-Observer, the two actors speaking in the ad say that Perdue sells “that old Confederate junk” in her stores.
Perdue’s campaign told the newspaper that she doesn’t have any dealings with “The Right Stuff Food Stores” in Georgia, which are run by her stepson. Her husband is a part owner but is not involved in daily activities, Perdue’s campaign said.
The racial overtones in the attacks by Moore have drawn strong rebuke by Perdue supporters, but Moore notes that as of February 2007, Perdue was listed in Georgia records as a secretary of the corporation, according to the newspaper.
“I think most people would say that someone who is selling Confederate paraphernalia with the ‘Old times will not be forgotten’ in blazes, that those two statements would be hard to reconcile,” Moore told the newspaper.
Perdue has said her vote to prevent the FBI from investigating hate crimes was a mistake.
Both Democratic gubernatorial candidates were linked by the North Carolina GOP last week to Barack Obama in an ad that notes that Moore and Perdue are too extreme for the state because of his links to Rev. Jeremiah Wright. The ad was criticized by presumptive Republican nominee John McCain, who himself faced critical reception by Republicans for his critique of the state party.
McCain told FOX News on Thursday that he wouldn’t have run the GOP ad, “but I am not going to referee, I am just going to run my own campaign.”
Click here to go to the Charlotte News-Observer to hear the ad.
to me the confederate flag represents southern states that wanted to keep blacks enslaved. to me that’s hate and not a heritage i want to be associated with
I have sufficiently arrose from my slumber and I still see that the symbols of some poeple’s heritage are used for hate. I think it’s time some people wised up.