Roger Wicker: Racist Republican

From the Southern Poverty Law Center:

Since then-U.S. Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott got into political hot water in 1998 over his cozy relationship with the Council of Conservative Citizens (CCC), national politicians have generally avoided the white supremacist group like the plague.

The Conservative Political Action Committee called the group racist that same year and barred it from its meetings. The Republican National Committee "forcefully" condemned the CCC in 1999, urging Republicans not to join or attend its functions.

Since then, the group has become even more extremist, writing that blacks are "a retrograde species of humanity," attacking "Jewish power brokers," publishing anti-Semites like Edgar J. Steele, and comparing pop singer Michael Jackson to an ape. But none of this has stopped politicians in four Southern states, especially Republicans in the CCC power base of Mississippi, from attending and speaking at local CCC functions.

What follows is a list of office-holding politicians who have appeared at CCC events since 2000 and their responses to requests for comment. Not included are dozens of mayors, county sheriffs and other lower-level officials. Also not included are politicians who no longer hold office or failed to win election.

The list was derived from reports in the CCC's tabloid Citizens Informer, and most of the politicians who responded to requests for comment confirmed those reports. Thirteen of the 26 officials on this list refused to comment despite messages that were left, in each case, at home, work, political office and via E-mail.

Roger Wicker (R) MISSISSIPPI
Congressman, U.S. House District 1 (Tupelo)

Term ends: 2004

CCC links: Spoke to a combined Sept. 23, 2000, meeting of the West Tennessee and Marshall County CCC chapters in Byhalia, Miss. The meeting was also attended by the CCC's top national leaders, CEO Gordon Baum and President Tom Dover.

Comment: Refused.

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