I can't stand here listenin' to you and your racist friend

GOP: Pandering to Racists. via Calpundit, ArchPundit, and Political Wire:

The smiling guy in the middle is Haley Barbour, chairman of the Republican party from 1993-1997 and currently a candidate for governor of Mississippi. And where was Barbour when this picture was taken? Why, at the Black Hawk Barbecue and Political Rally, held on July 19 to raise money for � wink wink, nudge nudge � "private academy" school buses.

Still not clear on what the problem is? The BHBPR is sponsored by the fine gentlemen of the Council of Conservative Citizens, a bunch of well-known racist neanderthals based out of Missouri. I think most of my readers are probably aware of the CCC's handiwork, but in case you aren't you might want to visit their website and browse around. You can start with "In Defense of Racism," and then head over to "the TRUTH about Martin Luther King," and then finish up with "Angry White Female" and a report from the Mississippi chapter about how Abraham Lincoln was an imperialist warmonger.

You get the picture. As they themselves put it, "The C of CC recognizes that European Christian heritage is essential for the survival of our standard of living and way of life. There is no acceptable substitute for the civilization that has evolved through the Greeks, Romans, Celts, and Anglo-Saxons."

The CCC has a long history with Mississippi politicians - including a recent affair with Trent Lott in 1999. Big surprise, that. As one Calpundit commentator put it, "After expressing regret that a white supremacist failed to win the presidency, Trent Lott was demoted to the 4th most powerful job in the Senate." And hey don't forget Ashcroft's own ties to this group.

By the way, the photo above is taken directly from the CofCC web site, with the following caption:

The election year Mississippi Black Hawk Barbecue and Political Rally held on July 19 drew dozens of political candidates and was attended by a crowd of over 500. The Black Hawk Barbecue is sponsored by the Council of Conservative Citizens to raise money for private academy school buses. (Pictured L-R: Chip Reynolds, State Senator Bucky Huggins, Ray Martin, GOP gubernatorial nominee Haley Barbour, John Thompson, and Black Hawk Rally emcee and C of CC Field Director Bill Lord.

Barbour has feigned ignorance of the CCC, but ArchPundit has the goods. Andrew Sullivan asks, "Who does he think he's kidding?"