SCHotline

ND Wilson Romney 12-14
By Nathan DiBagno

Staff Writer

POWDERSVILLE ¾ Powdersville Councilman and former Sons of the Confederate Veterans National Cmdr. Ron Wilson said he was unhappy with comments Mitt Romney made about the Confederate flag, calling the Republican presidential candidate a “typical Yankee from Massachusetts.”

“I’m a big believer in Southern history, and I was appalled the last few days when one of the presidential candidates decided to make an attack against the Confederate flag,” Wilson said. “Mitt Romney made some of the most bizarre statements anyone has ever made concerning the Confederate flag. He’s a typical Yankee from Massachusetts who comes down here and wants us to vote for him, and then he wants to trash us when he’s asked about our heritage.”

Wilson then called on Palmetto State voters to not support the former Massachusetts governor during January’s primary elections.

“I sincerely hope that South Carolinians, when we get a chance to vote in the primaries in January, we’ll let him know what we think about his comments.”

During a CNN/Youtube debate, Romney said the Confederate flag was not one that he would recognize or hold up in his room.

“The people of our country have decided not to fly that flag. I think that’s the right thing,” Romney said. He also called the flag “divisive,” and said he didn’t believe it should be shown.  

The Sons of the Confederate Veterans has publicly criticized both Romney and Fred Thompson, another Republican presidential hopeful who said that Americans shouldn’t publicly display the flag at state capitols.

“I know that everybody who hangs the flag up in their room like that is not racist. I also know that for a great many Americans it’s a symbol of racism,” Thompson said. “He’s free to do whatever he wants to in his home. As far as a public place is concerned, I am glad that people have made the decision not to display it as a prominent flag, symbolic of something, at a state capitol.”

Although Wilson said he doesn’t like the statement Thompson made either, he doesn’t believe any candidate has been as offensive as Romney.

“He made the most outrageous comments of any candidate so far,” he said. “Mitt Romney ought to apologize to this state.”

Wilson said he instead supports U.S. Congressman Ron Paul, citing the Texas Republican’s opposition to the IRS, the income tax and the war in Iraq as some of the main reasons.

Wilson said that while Paul believes the United States should support the troops, he believes they should bring them back instead of wasting millions of dollars overseas.

“I believe I should vote for who I believe is the best candidate,” Wilson said. “The result is in the hands of the Lord.”

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From: ndibagno@theeasleyprogress.com [mailto:ndibagno@theeasleyprogress.com]
Sent: Monday, December 17, 2007 09:31
To: wilsonr@atlanticbullionandcoin.com
Subject: powdersville post article