Tuesday, May 08, 2007

Only Republicans Can Be Tarred as Racists and KKK Supporters

Carpetbagger Report is trying to shamelessly tar Republicans as racists yet again. This time, it is in reference to this Roll Call report (subscription required).

On Monday, Rep. Ted Poe took to the House floor to discuss foreign policy matters. To make a point, the Texas Republican invoked the words of Civil War Confederate Gen. Nathan Bedford Forrest: “Git thar fustest with the mostest.”

The quotation got some floor watchers’ attention pretty quickly. Forrest is a controversial figure who was one of the Klan’s first grand wizards. Although the Civil War hero (if you were a Confederate, that is) ultimately abandoned the Klan for its violent tactics, he continues to kick up dust.

Carpetbagger linked back to Captain Ed, who pointed out the stupidity of the attempt at tarring.
Well, first of all, the "fustest with the mostest" is an urban legend, or at least as urban as the 1860s got. As the Carpetbagger Report notes, Forrest did not say it in that way. Tom Burnham listed this as an urban legend in his excellent Dictionary of Misinformation, and no less a Civil War scholar than Bruce Catton repudiated it. The New York Times first wrote it more than 50 years after the end of the war. Besides, the idea about getting to the battle first with the most men isn't exactly advanced strategic thinking. It doesn't take a Clausewitz or a Sun Tzu to figure that much out about military strategy.

It's more than a little ridiculous to say that using this quote indicates some kind of support for the KKK. It's an anecdote used by people to talk about military strategy, as Poe clearly did, instead of some invocation of racism. It's not particularly bright of Poe to quote Forrest -- especially since the quote is essentially meaningless as well as fabricated -- but discussing Forrest's military acumen (which was considerable) doesn't mean people support the Klan, a point that is rather obvious when considering authors such as Catton who catalogued Forrest's strategic thinking.

For instance, do lawyers who reference Hugo Black support the Klan as well? If not, why not?

Besides, if Carpetbagger wants to note latent Klan support, why doesn't he (she?) mention Robert Byrd? Byrd has been in the Senate for almost fifty years now, and he filibustered the Civil Rights Act when it first came to the chamber in the early 60s. He worked as an organizer for the Klan as a young man. Here's a direct link to Forrest's organization ... but Carpetbagger seems less interested in actual connections between the Klan and a Democrat than using silly quotes as some sort of revelation about a Republican.

Just a reminder -- glass houses, stones, etc. If the Democrats want to start accusing people of Klan sympathies, they need to start with their ex-Klansman -- or give it up entirely.

Liberals get really irritated when reminded that Robert "White Nigger" Byrd is a member of their party. It's funny how they have to make up racism instead of dealing with their own.