This column reflects the opinion of the writer. Learn about the differences between a news story and an opinion column.
GOP, clean your house
In her June 9 column (“Headlines on ‘hate marcher’ hyped up?”), Sue Lani Madsen works pretty hard to scrub clean the misinformation stain caused by a fake “Republican” and avowed white supremacist, James Allsup.
Okay, Allsup isn’t really a Republican, according to Madsen. He just says he is. And apparently he faked his GOP identity to become an uncontested and certified Republican precinct official in Whitman County.
Never mind that Allsup recruits other like-minded racists to similarly infest the GOP. Not to worry. Madsen assures us we can rely on local Republicans to “neutralize this self-important punk.” There is no place for white supremacy in the local GOP. Good.
That’s the right response. But not exactly a confidence builder. After all, the Republicans’ supreme leader in the White House seems to be quite friendly to white supremacy - excusing neo-Nazis in Charlottesville, disparaging “s—t-hole” countries in Africa, and longing for more Norwegian immigrants. Ultimately this emboldens racists like Allsup.
So, yes, local Republicans, clean your local house from this racist’s influence. And then go to work on the White House - because that’s where the suggestion of Republican tolerance for white supremacy got started, and where it still festers today.
Steve McNutt
Spokane