Mainstream Supporters Scatter after Cliven Bundy Muses on 'the Negro' in the New York Times
Nevada rancher Cliven Bundy, whose showdown with federal authorities over cattle grazing rights has attracted a large contingent of antigovernment 鈥淧atriot鈥� movement supporters 鈥� as well as fawning coverage from Fox News, and the open support of various mainstream conservative politicians 鈥� has discovered that openly spouting bigotry is a good way to lose your backers.
Bundy was quoted in spouting off at length about race relations, and it was not pretty:
I want to tell you one more thing I know about the Negro,鈥� he said. Mr. Bundy recalled driving past a public-housing project in North Las Vegas, 鈥渁nd in front of that government house the door was usually open and the older people and the kids 鈥� and there is always at least a half a dozen people sitting on the porch 鈥� they didn鈥檛 have nothing to do. They didn鈥檛 have nothing for their kids to do. They didn鈥檛 have nothing for their young girls to do.
And because they were basically on government subsidy, so now what do they do?鈥� he asked. 鈥淭hey abort their young children, they put their young men in jail, because they never learned how to pick cotton. And I鈥檝e often wondered, are they better off as slaves, picking cotton and having a family life and doing things, or are they better off under government subsidy? They didn鈥檛 get no more freedom. They got less freedom.
Now Media Matters has posted of his remarks:
Immediately, one of Bundy鈥檚 more prominent political supporters 鈥� Republican Sen. Dean Heller of Nevada 鈥� distanced himself from the rancher, telling the Times reporter that he 鈥渃ompletely disagrees with Mr. Bundy鈥檚 appalling and racist statements, and condemns them in the most strenuous way.鈥�
Spokesmen at the offices of Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky, another prominent Bundy backer, did not offer the Times an immediate response. But today , saying: 鈥淗is remarks on race are offensive and I wholeheartedly disagree with him.鈥�
Texas Gov. Rick Perry, who also has openly supported Bundy鈥檚 campaign, demurred when asked about the remarks, saying he hadn鈥檛 read them, and told 鈥淐BS This Morning鈥� that the Bundy matter was only 鈥渁 side story鈥� in the larger picture regarding federal land use issues.
At Fox News, where the Bundy Ranch story has filled hours of airtime over the past two weeks and its hosts 鈥� particularly Sean Hannity and Greta Van Susteren 鈥� have openly championed Bundy鈥檚 cause, . The network鈥檚 coverage of the scene at the ranch suddenly disappeared: Media Matters reports that 鈥淔ox had mentioned the rancher only twice, and never covered his racist comments.鈥�
Occasional host and frequent guest Andrew Napolitano told viewers to 鈥渇orget the battle in Nevada鈥� and focus on events in Texas instead.
Van Susteren did speak out on her blog: 鈥淟et me make this plain: I condemn what Cliven Bundy said about African Americans.鈥� Hannity so far has made no comment.
Some of Bundy鈥檚 media supporters, however, were content to make excuses for him. a conservative pundit who has been among Bundy鈥檚 more avid supporters, :
I hope no one is surprised that an old man rancher isn鈥檛 media trained to express himself perfectly. He seems to be decrying what big government has done to the black family 鈥� which big government has negatively affected not just the black family, but all families regardless of ethnicity 鈥� so perhaps he included that in his remarks against big government?
