2014/04/24/Conservatives begin backing away
- when: 2014/04/24
- author: Arturo Garcia
- source: Raw Story
- topics: Cliven Bundy US Republican Party racism Greg Abbott
- keywords
- link: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/24/conservatives-begin-backing-away-after-cliven-bundys-remarks-disparaging-the-negro/
- title: Conservatives begin backing away after Cliven Bundy's remarks disparaging "the Negro"
- summary: "Republican politicians began backtracking on their support of Nevada anti-government rancher Cliven Bundy after the New York Times caught Bundy making racially-inflammatory remarks blaming African-Americans for willingly submiting to dependency on federal assistance."
The remarks brought about a quick rebuke from Chandler Smith, a spokesperson for Sen. Dean Heller (R-NV). Heller had previously called Bundy and his supporters "patriots" for their actions and challenged Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's (D-NV) description of them as "domestic terrorists."
Smith told the Times that Heller "completely disagrees with Mr. Bundy's appalling and racist statements, and condemns them in the most strenuous way."
Bundy's speech also seemingly derailed Texas Attorney General Greg Abbott's (R) apparent attempt to link his gubernatorial campaign to the Bunkerville camp; Abbott had allegedly written a letter to the BLM accusing it of "threatening" to seize land along the Red River in northern Texas.
But after being contacted regarding the rancher's "Negro" remarks, a spokesperson for Abbott was quoted as saying that Abbott's letter "was regarding a dispute in Texas and is in no way related to the dispute in Nevada."