Mississippi Republican Cindy Hyde-Smith is in a runoff election for Senate against Democrat Mike Espy; the voting takes place on November 27. The past couple of weeks have seen Hyde-Smith’s exposure for the casual racism that passes as Southern nostalgia. First, she glibly joked about attending a lynching, and then she joked about suppressing voters at the polls. That was followed up with images of Hyde-Smith wearing Confederate garb at the Jefferson Davis House and saying it was “Mississippi history at its best.” Since then, Judd Legum over at Popular Information has dug into Hyde-Smith campaign finance filings with the Federal Election Commission. He’s shown that everyone from Google to Walmart continued to send big money contributions to Hyde-Smith even after her “jokes” were publicized.
These revelations have forced most of these companies to pull their support and ask for their contributions to the racist-friendly campaign back. Now Pfizer, the pharmaceutical giant, is joining those asking for their money to be returned.
Cindy Hyde-Smith wearing Confederate solider hat and posing with Confederate rifle in 2014
"We condemn racism and bigotry in all its forms," Pfizer told CNBC. "We are withdrawing our support and have requested a full refund of our contributions."
Pfizer had contributed a total of $5,000 to Hyde-Smith in two donations, one in June, the other in September.
I’m not clapping for any of these companies, since Hyde-Smith has shown nothing if not a sympathy for racists and racism her entire career. But this is a new day and age, and Hyde-Smith has been running scared. She has hidden from major media exposure for the better part of two weeks now, only coming out to debate Mike Espy under the most advantageous and restrictive conditions.
Go and help Mike Espy by signing up to make calls to get out the vote this November 27!
