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Ken Mehlman Should Denounce GOP Intolerance In Minnesota

September 20, 2006

When Republican National Committee Chairman Ken Mehlman heads to Minnesota for a closed press fundraiser with struggling Republican Congressional Candidate Michele Bachmann today, he should not only denounce the recent barrage of intolerant comments by Minnesota Republicans, but as Chairman of the Republican Party, he should ensure that Republican candidates do the same.

Today, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reported that former state Representative Mike Osskopp, a senior staffer for Republican Congressman John Kline was caught on video tape screaming a derogatory, anti-Japanese slur in the parking during a recent political event. Osskopp's insensitive remark came less than a week after Minnesota Republican Party Chairman Ron Carey sent a fundraising email challenging the patriotism of Keith Ellison, a Muslim-American Democratic Congressional Candidate. Ellison's opponent, Republican candidate Alan Fine, also lashed out at him in a manner that a Star Tribune political columnist called "stunning" in its vitriol. As the columnist noted, "I've received hate mail from lonely bigots with a gentler tone than [Fine's] statement." [Star Tribune, 9/13/06].

"As RNC chairman, Ken Mehlman has an obligation to denounce intolerance in all its forms and ensure that Republican candidates do the same," said Democratic National Committee spokesman Damien LaVera. "While they campaign together today, Ken Mehlman and Michele Bachmann should denounce the sort of shameful, derogatory and un-American outbursts we've seen from Minnesota Republicans this election season."

"The Karl Rove wing of the Republican Party may believe that scapegoating groups of Americans and challenging the patriotism of Administration critics is an appropriate electoral strategy, but Democrats will never stoop to dividing Americans or targeting groups of people to win elections."