Barrett Campaign Responds To Aide’s Errant Tweet

This obviously isn’t as cool as Greta Van Susteren giving a “shout out” to FITS this morning for our coverage of the whole “DePassgate” scandal (holla back, girl) but it looks like another racially-charged S.C. Facebook drama is getting some national ink, as well.

This one involves Palmetto political operative Mike Green, who currently works for one of the consulting firms retained by U.S. Rep. Gresham Barrett – one of South Carolina’s alleged “big three” Republican gubernatorial candidates.

As reported exclusively on FITS over the weekend, Green posted a comment on his Facebook and Twitter pages that was eerily-reminiscent of a racist flier found in the office of S.C. Rep. Bill Sandifer last year.

Its inference? That black people are lazy and don’t work.

Green has now apologized for the comment and distanced himself from Barrett’s campaign.

From Talking Points Memo:

Barrett communications consultant Jim Dyke told TPM that while Green’s firm, Starboard Communications, might do the odd bit of work for Barrett (who is on the client list), Green does not work for the campaign.

“I’m happy to make a personal comment about the statement, but he doesn’t have a relationship with the campaign,” said Dyke. “I have to believe that is something that he would like to take back. It doesn’t sound like something that was funny or intelligent or useful. That’s my personal opinion.”

The “odd bit of work?”

Funny … the last time we checked, Green’s job description consisted entirely of extolling the “greatness” of Gresham Barrett to all five people who bother to listen to him, which we suppose is why Barrett feels compelled to use our tax dollars to promote his, um, “record.”

Anyway, it’ll be tough for at least one of Barrett’s rival campaigns to make hay over the flub, as an employee of the firm retained by S.C. Attorney General Henry McMaster – the reputed Republican “front-runner” – noted that he “liked” Green’s comment.

Sheesh.

As another Talking Points contributor noted, it’s a “proud day for South Carolina.”

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