Bush campaign denounces Dallas NAACP comments on Lieberman

August 9, 2000
Web posted at: 10:29 p.m. EDT (0229 GMT)

DALLAS (CNN) -- Jumping into a controversy over race, religion and politics, a spokesman for Republican presidential nominee George W. Bush Wednesday denounced comments made by a local NAACP leader, who had earlier criticized Democratic vice presidential candidate Joe Lieberman.

Calling the remarks "anti-Semitic" and "foolish," Bush spokesman Ari Fleischer made it clear that Bush, the governor of Texas, did not agree with the statements from Dallas NAACP President Lee Alcorn, who had raised questions about Lieberman's Jewish faith during a local radio interview.

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"In the strongest terms, the Bush-Cheney campaign condemns the anti-Semitic remarks made against Senator Lieberman by the Dallas, Texas NAACP President Lee Alcorn," Fleischer said. "When it comes to fighting anti-Semitism, Governor Bush and Secretary (Dick) Cheney stand shoulder-to-shoulder with all Americans in condemning such foolish utterances."

In the radio interview with KHVN-AM, Alcorn described himself as "concerned" with "any kind of Jewish candidate" and explained why.

"If we get a Jew person, then what I'm wondering is, I mean, what is this movement for, you know?...I think we need to be very suspicious of any kind of partnerships between the Jews at that kind of level because we know that their interest primarily has to do with, you know, money and these kinds of things."

National NAACP President Kweisi Mfume also condemned Alcorn's statements, denouncing them as "repulsive" and "anti-Semitic.

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The NAACP suspended Alcorn Wednesday afternoon and he resigned from the group a few hours later.

"I cannot be bought. For this reason I gladly offer my resignation and my membership to the NAACP because I cannot work under these constraints," Alcorn said, adding he was starting a new state-wide group called the Coalition for the Advancement of Civil Rights.

Mfume said of Alcorn's statements: "I find them to be repulsive, anti-Semitic, anti-NAACP and anti-American. Mr. Alcorn does not speak for the NAACP, its board, its staff or its membership."

Alcorn has been disciplined in the past by the NAACP. He said Wednesday that his comments had been taken out of context -- that he meant to say in the radio interview that, given the loyalty black voters have shown to Democrats, Vice President Al Gore should have picked a black running mate instead of a Jewish one.

"I'm not sure how you can criticize or make comments about Lieberman the politician and not be cast as anti-Jewish. I think that's unfortunate," he told the Morning News.

Reuters contributed to this report.