The code was well received, communicated and most of all it worked. Reagan got himself elected, and true to his word he didn’t mess with Southerner’s heritage. Thompson, seems to have been communicating a code all his own. According to CNN.Com , Thompson is quoted as saying: “I know that everybody that hangs a flag like that in their room is not racist,” Thompson said, acknowledging that others may be offended by the flag. He also said he is “glad that people have made the decision not to display it as a prominent flag, symbolic of something, at a state capitol.”
While portraying himself as a Reagan Republican, Thompson is quietly indicating that he supports a very Neoconservative political philosophy. If Reagan in his “I’m for State’s Rights” statement, was saying trust me I’m one of you , Thompson is quietly, symbolically stating, put the flag away, and become one of us, trust me, I know what’s best for you.
The really interesting thing about this whole story is the history of Missouri during the past four years. In early 2004, Governor Bob Holden, received U.S. Rep. (and Presidential Candidate) Dick Gephardt’s code loud and clear, when he went to South Carolina and called the Confederate Battle flag “divisive”. In no time he had ordered the removal of the Confederate Flags at Higginsville and Pilot Knob , Missouri. Republicans quietly played upon the outrage, and let Missourians know in their various political circles and conversations that they would restore the flags. (Missouri Rep. Rod Jetton , promised me this personally at a Super Bowl party), such is how things are done in Missouri.
It wasn’t long before Bob Holden was defeated and the Republicans swept into power across Missouri. In an Op-Ed published in the Southeast Missourian Newspaper on December 12, 2004 Peter Kinder (now Lt. Governor) wrote:
“Today, as with the rest of rural and small-town America, all of rural Missouri is red. More than 13 decades after Appomattox, the Missouri Senate is Republican by a 23-11 margin. The Civil War era has finally ended in Missouri. “
Following his 2004 victory , Governor Matt Blunt could not commit himself to fully restoring the flags, but rather tried to appease the electorate by “allowing” the Confederate banner to fly during the annual Confederate Memorial Day Service in Higginsville, Missouri, but this too proved to be too much to ask of our new Governor, as the pole that used to fly the banner at Higginsville ,has been removed.Our House Speaker who once promised me that I would once again see our Southern banners flying again in 2004, sung a very different tune in 2007 when he co-sponsored Radical Muslim Representative Talibdin El-Amin’s (a Democrat from St. Louis) Slavery Apology Bill.
Former U.S. Senator Jim Talent a so-called Conservative Republican publicly stated that he agreed with Bob Holden’s decision to remove our Confederate flags in 2004, and was promptly defeated in 2006.
Earlier this year both Governor Blunt and House Speaker Jetton endorsed Mitt Romney for President. On Romney’s Missouri expense report appear two very familiar names:
“Jill A. Blunt, wife of Andy Blunt, has her expense listed as “In Kind - Travel” for $1411.80 on 3/29/07.Jim Talent also had a travel expense, to the tune of $800.20 on 1/02/07.”
Blunt and Talent have both openly supported Freedom’s Frontier National Heritage Area, a program born in Lawrence , Kansas used to re-write history, threaten property rights and implement global programs in Missouri.Our Lt. Governor, Peter Kinder has endorsed, (you guessed it) Fred Thompson.Peter Kinder stated that the Civil War ended in Missouri in 2004. It is most evident that the Reconstruction of our state hasn’t.
