Kerry Attacks College Republicans Over Convention Vendor's T-shirts
By Jeff Gannon
Talon News
September 29, 2003

Democrat presidential candidate Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) issued a condemnation of the College Republican National Committee along with an appeal for contributions last week over some T-shirts sold by a vendor at their convention in July. Kerry says the T-shirt slogans, creations of a Florida company, are racist and anti-gay.

Several T-shirt images appear on Kerry's campaign website. One has a photo of filmmaker Spike Lee and the message "Bring back the blacklist." Another says, "No Muslims No Terrorism." Rosie O'Donnell and her lesbian partner appear on another questioning which one is "Mr." in the relationship. A fourth shirt shows the World Trade Center after a plane crashed into it with the caption, "The Clinton Legacy."

The Massachusetts Democrat's appeal pleaded, "I need you to join me in showing we reject the divisive politics some in the GOP are passing on to a new generation of Republicans."

Kerry's e-mail declared, "The divisive slogans and graphic pictures are not to be laughed off as campaign rhetoric -- they are racist, anti-gay and violent."

Having been stung over the past several months over criticism of his positions and claiming infringement of free speech, the candidate wrote, "I support the First Amendment, and I am using my right to free speech to protest their politics of division. But our protest must come in actions not words. Click here to contribute now."

Kerry laid claim to the "high road" in the campaign and asked donors for their support "to send George Bush and his right-wing friends back to Texas."

A spokesman for the Kerry campaign told Talon News that the T-shirts were spotted at the College GOP convention by a Kerry supporter who bought one each of the shirts said to be offensive.

The CRNC fired back at Kerry, issuing a press release that accused the candidate of attacking them simply to raise funds. Eric Hoplin, chairman of the organization said, "I hope bullying college students makes Senator Kerry feel big and strong after months of being beaten to a pulp by Howard Dean."

Hoplin added, "Just as Senator Kerry and the DNC could not possibly monitor or be held responsible for every item sold at next summer's convention in Boston, we simply did not have the manpower to approve the contents of every book, t-shirt, and bumper sticker sold by every vendor present at our convention,"

"Had these items been brought to our attention at the convention, we would have removed the products and/or the vendor," Hoplin said.

The press release noted that over 50 vendors attended the national convention in Washington, DC and that none of them were affiliated with the Republican organization. The t-shirts were sold by Ocents, a Florida company operated by Gene McDonald. McDonald did not respond to Talon News's calls and e-mails requesting information.

Over 100,000 students on 1,200 college campuses make-up the College Republican National Committee. The CRNC membership is comprised of students of nearly every race and religion in America, and it prides itself on developing a successful minority outreach program -- My Party Too/Mi Partido Tambien -- that brings thousands of minority students into the Republican Party every year.

Leaders of the CRNC attribute their growth in recent years to the popularity of President Bush among young voters. In 2002, the national organization recruited over 22,000 new members in an 11-week field program. The July convention hosted over 1,000 college students from every state in the nation, more than doubling previous conventions.

Talon News provided extensive coverage of the College Republican convention but did not observe the T-shirts being sold.