National Democrats tried Monday evening to raise funds off the South Carolina Confederate flag flap.
In a blast email sent after 7 p.m. Monday, the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee said the issue of the Confederate flag, which zoomed to the front of national consciousness after a white supremacist was charged with nine counts of murder after a shooting at a historic black church in Charleston, was “not over yet.”
The email says Gov. Nikki Haley’s announcement is not legislation and asked recipients to answer the question, “Should South Carolina take down the Confederate flag from its state Capitol?”
It reads, “41,338 people have recorded their answer — but we still haven’t heard from you,” it asks the subscriber by name.
A person cannot answer the survey question at the DCCC site without putting in an email address, which gives the DCCC the ability to solicit contributions.
Once the person answers the question and provides an address, the page reads, “Thanks for taking the instant poll today! Now take the next step: Donate $3 or more to support Democrats, and we’ll send you this free ’Yes. I Voted Obama’ sticker in the mail!”
That page also defaults to having the person agree to give the DCCC a recurring $25 monthly contribution.
Liberals and Democrats say the Confederate flag is part of the reason for the Charleston massacre, in which nine people were killed at Emanuel African Methodist Episcopal Church in the worst hate crime against blacks committed by a single person since the Civil War.
Suspect Dylann Storm Roof appeared in photos waving Confederate flags and wearing symbols of racist white regimes, and reportedly wrote of fomenting racial violence. According to survivors, the church gunman blamed blacks for taking over the country and raping white women.
• Victor Morton can be reached at vmorton@washingtontimes.com.
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