The Republican Party's phony outreach to the African-American community is exposed for what it really is by stories such as
this one that I found over at the
Think Progress blog Here we have Maryland Governor Bob Ehrlich holding a $100,000 fundraiser at the "exclusive" Elkridge (Country) Club. The Elkridge club uses the word "exclusive" to describe itself because it's a more PR friendly way of saying "we don't let black people join our club." When I first read that such a place still existed in today's world, I was rather shocked. I was on the other hand not all that surprised that Governor Ehrlich would choose to hold a fundraiser there. After all, this is the same Governor who said that "multiculturalism is crap."
Even worse, check out how Governor Ehrlich and Michael Ehrlich have
responded to the criticism of their association with Elkridge by prominent African-Americans:
Gov. Robert L. Ehrlich Jr. addressed criticism yesterday of a fund-raiser he hosted at an all-white country club by saying its membership is "not my business," [...]
Lt. Gov. Michael S. Steele, who is African-American, said he hadn't talked to the governor about the event and wasn't concerned by it.
"I don't know that much about the club, the membership, nor do I care, quite frankly, because I don't play golf. It's not an issue with me," Steele told the Associated Press yesterday.
Essentially Ehrlich and Steele's comments translate into "if you donate money to us, we don't care if you're a bigot and wouldn't even accept one of us as a member of your club." I guess this is a belief that Ehrlich picked up from his golfing buddy, Tom DeLay.
I can't wait until we kick Ehrlich out in 2006 so that he'll have plenty of time to play golf with his buddies at the Elkridge Club. Then Marylanders will have a Governor we can be proud of.