Cross posted on RK
Look, we all know that Jeff Frederick is a right-wing extremist nutcase (among other things, he's an "active member" of the secretive, far-right-wing Council for National Policy), but he's also the head of the Republican Party of Virginia (RPV). That means, when Jeff Frederick utters one of his (many) crazy remarks, he's representing the entire RPV. With that in mind, check out Frederick's latest insanity in Time Magazine:
The McCain campaign invited me to visit Frederick and the Gainesville operation on Saturday morning, to get a first-hand glimpse of its ground game in Prince William County, Virginia, a fast-growing area about 30 miles from Washington, D.C.
With so much at stake, and time running short, Frederick did not feel he had the luxury of subtlety. He climbed atop a folding chair to give 30 campaign volunteers who were about to go canvassing door to door their talking points — for instance, the connection between Barack Obama and Osama bin Laden: "Both have friends that bombed the Pentagon," he said. "That is scary." It is also not exactly true — though that distorted reference to Obama's controversial association with William Ayers, a former 60s radical, was enough to get the volunteers stoked. "And he won't salute the flag," one woman added, repeating another myth about Obama. She was quickly topped by a man who called out, "We don't even know where Senator Obama was really born." Actually, we do; it's Hawaii.
As I'm sure most sane people would agree, this type of rhetoric - comparing the Democratic presidential nominee (and soon-to-be 44th President!) in any way, shape or form to the evil mastermind of 9/11 - is unacceptable. Obviously, it's false; Obama was a little kid (just 10 years old) when the Weather Underground planted a bomb in a Pentagon restroom, and Bill Ayers is NOT Barack Obama's friend). Besides being completely false (and unhinged), Frederick's comments are also ironic, given that John McCain has criticized Barack Obama for supposedly being too aggressive in his stance towards capturing or killing Osama bin Laden. It's also ironic given that John McCain says he "knows" how to get bin Laden, but won't share that information with the military, the President, the CIA, or others who might be able to act on that "knowledge."
Anyway, here's the bottom line. What Jeff Frederick said in Time Magazine is stupid, hateful, and completely beyond the pale. It's no better than the racist and anti-Muslim rantings of Bobby Lee May, who was forced to resign a few days ago as chairman of Sen. John McCain’s presidential campaign in Buchanan County. So, when will the "leaders" of Virginia's Republican Party - Attorney General Bob McDonnell, Lieutenant Governor Bill Bolling, etc. - demand Jeff Frederick's resignation as chairman of the RPV? When will John McCain and Sarah Palin repudiate Frederick's remarks, just as John McCain grabbed the microphone away from a bigoted supporter who called Obama an "Arab" (as if there's anything wrong with that)? If these people do NOT repudiate Frederick and force his resignation, can we conclude that they agree with his remarks? What's it gonna be, guys?
P.S. Remember, this wasn't some offhand remark by Frederick; he said it knowing that a reporter from TIME MAGAZINE was in the room taking notes for a story! Imagine what he says when the media isn't present?!?