Dean: McCain Needs to Show Real Leadership on North Carolina Ad

According to reports, the chair of the state Republican Party in North Carolina is planning to move forward with its plans to air its racially divisive campaign ad despite John McCain's emailed complaints.  While the McCain campaign made a show of protesting the ad, McCain made no mention of the fact that key officials in the North Carolina GOP are members of McCain's state steering committee and McCain donors.  Nor did he mention the fact that the state chair who is bucking his leadership is a member of the arrangements committee of the Republican National Convention.  Given his ties to state Republican leaders, if McCain is serious about making sure this ad never airs, he should have no trouble making it happen.  If not, McCain should return their contributions, remove them from his campaign committees, and strip the state chair from her role on the GOP's convention committee.

Democratic National Committee Chairman Howard Dean today issued the following statement calling on McCain to exercise real leadership and pull the plug on this ad:

"This is a test of leadership for John McCain. If he can't pick up the phone and make members of his own party stop airing a television ad he claims to oppose, how can he lead our country through an economic crisis or the war in Iraq?  After shifting his positions on gun control, immigration and tax cuts throughout this campaign, McCain should not equivocate on this issue.  Making a show of releasing your emails to the press is not leadership. If he is serious, he will get this ad pulled."

McCain Supporters Help Fund North Carolina Ad

Several Prominent McCain Supporters Including the Former Chair of the Party and the Current RNC Committeeperson Have Given Thousands to the North Carolina Republican Party.

In March 2007, Former North Carolina Republican Party Chairman Ferrell Blount and Former Charlotte Mayor Richard Vinroot Joined the McCain North Carolina Steering Committee. A March 2007 McCain press release noted, "Blount and Vinroot will serve as state steering committee members for Senator McCain's presidential campaign in North Carolina. Ferrell Blount served as the North Carolina Republican Party's chairman for over three years. Prior to serving as chairman, Blount also represented the Tar Heel State as national committeeman where he chaired the Republican National Committee's (RNC) Resolutions Committee, as well as the RNC Committee on Call for the 2004 National Republican Convention. Richard Vinroot has an impressive record of public service, most notably serving as the Mayor of Charlotte from 1991 to 1995." [McCain Press Release, 3/8/07]

• Blount Has Contributed Over $22,000 to the North Carolina Republican Executive Committee Including $1,000 in 2008. Blount has contributed $22,562 to the North Carolina Republican Executive Committee. [Political Moneyline, FEC Filings]
• Vinroot Contributed $500 to the North Carolina Republican Executive Committee in February 2008. [Political Moneyline, FEC Filings]
• Blount Gave $2,300 to McCain in March 2007. [Political Moneyline, FEC Filings]
• Vinroot Contributed $1,000 to McCain's Campaign in March 2007. [Political Moneyline, FEC Filings]

State Chair a Member of the Republican National Convention's Arrangement Committee.   "Linda Daves was elected Chairman of the North Carolina Republican Party in December of 2006 after being elected Vice Chairman of the Party in May 1999-2005. Prior to serving the North Carolina Republican Party, she served in several positions in the Mecklenburg County Republican Party including serving four years as Chairman after two years as Vice Chairman. Chairman Daves is also a Committee on Arrangements Member, 2008 Republican National Convention.' [NC GOP website, accessed 4/24/08: http://www.ncgop.org/leadership/ncgop.asp]

McCain Supporter, Linda Shaw, an Officer of the North Carolina Republican Party, Is a McCain Supporter and Donated Over $1,300 to the North Carolina Republican Executive Committee.  Linda Shaw, the RNC Committeeperson for North Carolina, has contributed $1,324 to the North Carolina Republican Executive Committee including $250 in October 2007. [McCain for President website, Accessed: 4/23/08; Political Moneyline, FEC Filings]

McCain Supporter Senator Burr Has Given Almost $15,000 to the North Carolina Republican Party. Burr gave $14,570 to the North Carolina Republican Executive Committee in 2004. [McCain for President website, Accessed: 4/23/08; Political Moneyline, FEC Filings]