Lloyd Marcus and Mark Williams take on the NAACP

I love it.

Former Tea Party Express chairman Mark Williams penned a satirical letter about the NAACP, and the race mongers went nuts.  CNN brought Lloyd Marcus on to defend the Tea Party Express, and our guy outgunned them!

Good on ya, guys!  Proud to stand with you, you “magnificent bastards!”

From CNN’s Political website, written in part by CNN political producer Shannon Travis, who traveled as an embed journalist with us on the Tea Party Express III national tour last Spring:

Update 4:41 p.m.: CNN has learned that Williams has removed the version of his blog post that was quoted in this story and replaced it with a “personal note” to readers. (ASK: see Mark’s personal note following Travis’ below)

(CNN) – The war of words between the NAACP and the Tea Party movement has reached a new level, with the spokesman for a national Tea Party organization penning a controversial blog post and a representative of the NAACP calling the post “a feeble attempt at satire” and offensive.

In an effort to mock to the NAACP’s recent criticism of the Tea Party movement, Mark Williams, a conservative radio talk show host and spokesman for the Tea Party Express, published a post on his blog that is a mock letter from NAACP president Benjamin Jealous to former President Lincoln.

“Dear Mr. Lincoln,” the blog post reads, “We [National Association for the Advancement of] Colored People have taken a vote and decided that we don’t cotton to that whole emancipation thing. Freedom means having to work for real, think for ourselves, and take consequences along with the rewards. That is just far too much to ask of us [National Association for the Advancement of] Colored People and we demand that it stop!”

The mock letter continues by taking on several core beliefs and positions of the Tea Party movement including the conservative movement’s desire to end bailouts of big business, to reduce the size and scope of government, to reduce government spending and to cut taxes.

“The racist tea parties also demand that the government ‘stop the out of control spending,’ ” the mock letter says. “Again, they directly target [National Association for the Advancement of] Colored People. That means we [National Association for the Advancement of] Colored People would have to compete for jobs like everybody else and that is just not right.

“Perhaps the most racist point of all in the tea parties is their demand that government ‘stop raising our taxes’ That is outrageous! Totally racist! The tea party expects [National Association for the Advancement of] Colored People to be productive members of society, especially when our mission is to convince them that progress is impossible for them based on the color of their skin?”

The mock letter ends by telling Lincoln he was “the greatest racist ever. We had a great gig. … Please repeal the 13th and 14th Amendments and let us get back to where we say that belong.”

Appearing on CNN’s “American Morning” on Friday, a representative of the NAACP slammed Williams’ blog post.

“It’s a feeble attempt at satire and parody that ends up being offensive in the final analysis,” Hillary Shelton, the Washington director of the NAACP, said.

Shelton added that Williams’ blog post is “yet another distraction from the real issues on the table – the real issues on the table are whether or not racist elements are inside the Tea Party. Our experience, photographs, speeches, and signs and even instances [of racist behavior] tell us that there very well are. And all we are asking, yet again, . . . is that they look from within and repudiate those elements.”

Lloyd Marcus, a spokesman for the Tea Party Express who is African-American, defended Williams.

“I know Mark Williams personally. He is not a racist and he is just being satirical to make a point,” Marcus said Friday on “American Morning.”

Saying he had attended more than 200 Tea Party gatherings across the country, Marcus also insisted that the Tea Party movement is not racist.

“They do not oppose [President Barack] Obama’s skin color. They oppose his policies.”

The latest dust-up between the conservative grass-roots movement and the long-standing civil rights organization comes after days of back-and-forth between the two sides which began with the NAACP passing a resolution asking the Tea Party movement to condemn racist behavior within its ranks. Several leaders of national Tea Party groups, including Williams, responded by denying the NAACP’s accusation.

“The tea party is a truly post-racial movement. Based strictly around the three simple principles of fiscal responsibility, constitutionally limited government and free market capitalism, the movement is uninterested and uninvolved in the politics of race,” the co-founders of Tea Party Patriots wrote in an editorial published earlier this week.

And Michael Steele, the first African-American chairman of the Republican National Committee, said the NAACP should stop “the name-calling.”

“Recent statements claiming the Tea Party movement is racist are not only destructive, they are not true,” Steele said in a statement.

Steele added, “Tea Party activists are your mom or dad, your local grocer, banker, hairdresser or doctor. They are a diverse group of passionate Americans who want to ensure that our nation returns to founding principles that honor the Constitution, limit government’s role in our lives, and support policies that empower free markets and free enterprise.”

***

Mark Williams’ response:

Letter to Lincoln

A personal note from Mark Williams:

At the start of my interview on MSNBC this morning I was informed by the anchor that Ben Jealous, author of the NAACP anti-tea party resolution has offered something of an olive branch and wants to open discussions with tea partiers regarding dialing down the unproductive shots going back and forth. After the interview I contacted his office via email and provided him with all of my contact information, including my private telephone number in order to speak man to man with him and find common ground for progress.   I do hope that he follows through and calls.  The first round of beers at our ’summit’ will be on me.

Following what I believe to be a sincere move by Mr. Jealous I recognize that I have a responsibility to act in kind (just as I did in response to the NAACP’s anti-tea party resolution and what was said about us) and that the continued controversy over this post can only dectract from the discussions.  Furthermore,  I applaud Mr. Jealous and welcome his willingness to help move us past talking points and personalities.  This nation has real problems and we are in real danger.  That is no time for Mark Williams and Ben Jealous to get into a battle of egos and personalities.

Point made now we move forward.

To that end and as a reciprocal gesture I have removed the parody letter you came here to read and urge you to fight those who seek to divide us by race, no matter the color of the racist. Our fight is against tyranny and for liberty and to see that this nation continues the lofty goal of equality for all set for us by our founders.  Make no mistake though, there are those for whom peace and progress is poison and they will continue to circulate the several versions of my article (Yes, there were several versions.  As reasonable people pointed out to me wording that I agreed was indeed objectionable it was removed or changed by me personally.)  I am also very happy to learn that we all agree that the term “Colored People” is offensive, so now would perhaps be a good time to let the National Association of Colored People know so that they may chose a more appropriate moniker.

Now that Mr. Jealous and others realize their error and seek to mend fences it becomes my job to not offend rational people who disagree with me on the relevant issues while not sacrificing the truth.  I heard too from many very sober and thoughtful people who counseled me that my comments were an obstacle to progress and that I missed my intended target.   The day that I cannot learn something new will be the one following the coroner’s signature on my death certificate and this is not that day.  So, with that I reiterate what I and every tea partier have said repeatedly:   We denounce racists of any color and all those who seek to divide the American People along any lines.

I would suggest to those offended by the term “Colored People” (the phrase that made my article so controversial) please contact the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People and join me in calling for an end to their use of the racial slur and that Mr. Jealous take me up on my offer to travel with me on the next Tea Party Express so that he may meet all of you in person.  His contact information is below.

Sincerely,

Mark Williams

NAACP Telephone:  (410) 580-5777  or  (877) NAACP-98

More NAACP contact information and email form here: http://www.naacp.org/page/s/contact

Click here to learn more about the tea parties and what they are about