Mehlman Again Refuses to Take Responsibility

Today on CBS’ Face the Nation, Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman again refused to take responsibility for the despicable ads his RNC is running in Tennessee.

In the CBS interview, Mehlman went so far as to tell host Bob Schieffer, “I didn't think it was necessarily a racist ad.” [CBS, 10/29/06]

“Why is it that Republican leaders continue to defend the tactics of the GOP's southern strategy?” asked DNC Communications Director Karen Finney. “Today Ken Mehlman not only refused to take responsibility for this despicable RNC ad, he continued to defend it. The truth is there is no reason Mehlman couldn't have called Terry Nelson, and no reason he couldn't have immediately denounced the ad publicly. Even Wal-mart fired Terry Nelson for his role in making this ad. Instead of doing what's right, Ken Mehlman and republicans like John McCain continue to stand by Terry Nelson and these racist, divisive campaign tactics. Republicans clearly put winning ahead of doing the right thing and standing up for American values. Ken Mehlman and John McCain should fire Terry Nelson.”

First, Mehlman Said He Would "Denounce" An Ad That Exploited Racism, Defended Ad Running Against Ford and Called it "Fair." In an interview on MSNBC, where he was asked about criticism that the Ford ad was racist, Mehlman said, "I don't believe that ad does that.I think that there is nothing more repugnant in our society than people who try to divide Americans along racial lines, and I would denounce any ad that I felt did. I happen not to believe that ad does. I showed it to a number of people when the complaints came out about it after it was put up, and African American folks, Hispanic folks and myself, we all looked at it. All of us, I think, are very sensitive to that, and we did not have that same reaction to it. So I just think there's a disagreement about it.I think it's a fair ad." [MSNBC, 10/24/06]

Then, Mehlman Said That He Would "Not Have Put the Ad Up" But Continued to Defend It, Saying That It Was Not "Necessarily A Racist Ad." In an interview with CBS, Ken Mehlman continued to defend the RNC ad, saying that "My response to that ad [against Ford] is the same one. I would not have put the ad up.I didn't think it was necessarily a racist ad." [CBS, 10/29/06]

WalMart Fires Terry Nelson. "Under pressure from black leaders and union groups, the nation's largest retailer said last night that it had cut ties with a prominent Republican strategist who helped create the provocative advertisement [running against Ford]...The strategist, Terry Nelson, was hired by Wal-Mart in 2005...Wal-Mart, in a statement, said that Mr. Nelson's Washington consulting firm...had "sent a letter to Wal-Mart ending its working relationship with our company." A person familiar with the letter said it made clear that the decision to end the relationship was based on requests from Wal-Mart. [New York Times, 10/27/06]

Racist Ad Approved By Terry Nelson, Senior McCain Strategist. Terry Nelson, a senior strategist for McCain, is the head of the independent expenditures operation for the RNC. Nelson, as head of that operation, is responsible for the content of the advertisements run by that part of the RNC. [New York Times, 10/27/06]

Straight Talk America Will Keep Nelson on the Payroll. Despite Nelson's role in approving the ad, McCain strategist John Weaver said that Straight Talk America had no intention of firing him. [New York Times, 10/27/06]

McCain's PAC Straight Talk America Has Paid Nelson $80,000 Since Hiring Him in May. McCain's Straight Talk America PAC has paid Nelson $80,000 since hiring his firm in May. [tray.com, accessed 10/27/06]

Experts, Republicans Strongly Believe Ad is Racist.

• Specialist in Political Advertising Said Ad Makes Willie Horton Ad "Look Like Child's Play." John Geer, a professor at Vanderbilt University and a specialist in political advertising, said that it "is playing to a lot of fears" and "frankly makes the Willie Horton ad look like child's play." [New York Times, 10/26/06]
• Washington Head of NAACP Said Ad Plays On Fears of Interracial Dating. Hilary Shelton, Washington director of the NAACP, said the ad plays off fears some people still have about interracial couples. "In a Southern state like Tennessee, some stereotypes still exist," he said. "There's very clearly some racial subtext in an ad like that." [CBS, 10/26/06]
• William Cohen Said Ad Was Overtly Racist. William Cohen, a Republican and former Defense Secretary, said, "I think the Republicans have to be careful also in terms of not engaging in conduct -- and I was watching the Tennessee race specifically. It reminded me of what happened in North Carolina with Harvey Gant, a purely over-racist approach." [CNN, 10/25/06]

Terry Nelson Supervised Convicted Phone Jammer. Terry Nelson has a pattern of questionable tactics having been the same RNC official who in 2002 hired and supervised then-regional RNC political director James Tobin, convicted in the New Hampshire phone jamming scheme. [Manchester Union Leader, 10/20/05; Union Leader, 3/23/06]