By Antonio D. French
Filed Thursday, November 29, 2007 at 10:00 PM
PUB DEF EXCLUSIVE Labels: Clinton, Events, Exclusive, Francis_Slay, Recall
Hillary Clinton might have picked up more than she bargained for when she accepted the support of beleaguered mayor Francis Slay. A coalition seeking to remove him from office is moving forward with plans to protest Clinton's St. Louis appearance this weekend because he is scheduled to introduce her.
Yesterday, Sean Thompson, with the Clinton campaign, told State Rep. Jamilah Nasheed, who is active with the recall effort, that there was no need for the protest because Slay was no longer going to introduce Clinton because of a "scheduling conflict."
"Upon hearing that news and confirming it myself with his office," said Thompson on a voicemail message, "I called Mr. [Eric] Vickers and talked to him and told him that the mayor would not be in attendance at the Pageant."
"It is my sincere hope that it changes the dynamic of the demonstration that you all had planned," said Thompson.
But when the Clinton campaign was unwilling to confirm in writing that Slay would not be introducing the presidential candidate, organizers moved on with their plans.
Tomorrow the Citizens to Recall Francis G. Slay, the Citizens to Support Fire Chief George, and other organizations and community leaders will hold a press conference to announce their protest plans.
"Mayor Slay, Senator Clinton's top supporter in the City, is scheduled to give the opening remarks at the Clinton Rally. Because of this, Senator Clinton is being placed on notice that protest demonstrations will take place at the rally — both inside and outside the Pageant," said the group in a press release today.
Tomorrow's press conference is scheduled for 10:00 AM in front of The Pageant, 6161 Delmar Blvd.
UPDATE: According to the Post-Dispatch, Clinton's Sunday event at The Pageant has been moved back an hour, to 6:00 PM.
Earlier Story:
Did Hillary Dump Francis?
30 Comments:
The protestors will shut that damn Slay's speech down in front of Hilary,he deserves to be humiliated in front of Hilary and other Democrats for his many misdeeds as Mayor ! If Hilary associates with someone like that damn Slay,then she is not worthy of my vote!
11/29/2007 5:43 PM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
11/29/2007 5:58 PM
What a horrible thing to say. Antonio, please remove the above comment.
11/29/2007 6:02 PM
He is in a better place, now.
11/29/2007 6:19 PM
HRC will kick obama's ass all over the country and slay/rainford will do the same thing to french and the stl american......
so let's start talking about something productive
do you honestly belive HRC is threatened by the professional protesters, er, nasheed, vickers, suggs, etc?
11/29/2007 6:50 PM
This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
11/29/2007 9:41 PM
You have a cokehead,alcoholic,killer of frogs via firecrackers up their anus and Viet Nam dodger who has no qualms about sending soldiers to combat to die when he and Cheney thought they were too good to go to Viet Nam repping you in Washington,D.C.!
11/29/2007 10:37 PM
Congressman Dick Gephardt will be coming from Iowa with Hillary and I see no need for a Protest against Slay at her event on Sunday. Was not her husband considered the "First Black President" by many a Voter and elected offical of this City. It is a paid event and Hillary deserves a Warm Welcome to Our City it belongs to us not Mayor Slay. We showed her husband many hours of Respect and Hillary has earned it all on her own. Besides isn't the Mayor's Christmas Party a better idea or maybe in front of the new house he is to purchase. Support Our Former First Lady and join in History to make her Our First female President and as Martin Luther King, Jr. would have have said "I have a Dream"Make your own History and be proud of Hillary. HillaryClinton.com/stlouis
11/29/2007 11:33 PM
First of all, I'm offended that you come to this site with that "First Black President" crap. Only ignorant people and people making fun of other people's ignorance believe that Blll Clinton has ever been mistaken for a black man is his entire life.
Second, there are people actively working today to really get a "first black president" elected. And Bill and Hillary Clinton are fighting them every step of the way.
Lastly, the Clinton campaign has been duly notified and allowed an opportunity to avoid this situation. If they choose to stand by Francis Slay on that stage Sunday... well, that's their choice and they know what to expect.
11/30/2007 1:28 AM
This has got to be the stupidest move ever made. What the hell is wrong with these so-called protesters. All parties associated are democrats. Don't you know Jamillah (Neicy) you are becoming a laughing stock? What does any of this have to do with your responsibilities as a state representitive? I hope you're getting paid to embarrass the democratic party. 2008 is around the corner and we can't afford ignorant overt moves such as this on the state and national level. Don't you know how to work from behind the scenes? It is much more effective and you can save yourself and the Democratic Party from further the embarrassment!
There is a place for you:), but perhaps just not in the legislature.
11/30/2007 6:06 AM
Ha ha gang banging Neicy gonna protest Hillary because she's white! What a surprise.
Ant why you keep deleating posts that call you and your girl out? Are you afraid of the truth?
I thought you were boycotting St. Louis? Good idea, punish St. Louis County because your pissy.
Ant you are a sad little thing aren't you. Go on home to your girl Neicy (Nasheed).
11/30/2007 7:49 AM
jamiillah makes me sick, she is a f'n joke...and making "her people" jokes as well.
Addington Stuart your a dumbass who can't pass a test...who would listen to you?
11/30/2007 10:18 AM
There is such a thing as thinning the herd. Maybe part of what makes the Clintons such heroes to a lot of black voters is in 1992, when they were explaining about Gennifer on cbs tv, back in Arkansas Bill was executing a black man who had already blown 30 percent of his brains out---Ricky Rector had an IQ of 70, but he stated he planned to vote for Clinton, and he saved half his sandwich to eat after his execution. Later that year, his denunciation of Sister Soljah was so dramatic that it is listed in wikipedia as a historic event---when a candidate needs to show that he is not overly concerned with minority agendas---he has a "Sister Soljah moment".
Maybe hillary can have such a moment with some of the demostrators.
11/30/2007 1:02 PM
Antonio,
In the interest of contributing to your blog as a non-anonymous source, I will be candid.
If the black activists really have a desire to bridge the racial gap in St. Louis City, this is not the correct action to take.
I question the motives of the organizers of this rally who tell their followers that this action is intended to embarrass the mayor, knowing full well that in the long run it will indeed hurt the Hillary Clinton campaign.
If the followers are blind to this reality, we are all in trouble as this loyal flock of these shrewd urban shepards are surely going to be led over the cliff.
While pure frustration leads to this type of mistake, the organizers of this action are feathering their own nests at the expense of others who, through desperation, put their faith in them only to be used.
11/30/2007 1:12 PM
Corbett, the activists forced the Clinton campaign to make a choice -- Slay or the black community. The Clinton campaign appears to have made their choice, announcing that Slay will not be at the public event.
I imagine more and more organizations, campaigns and individuals will be asked to make that choice over the next year or so. We shall see how they respond.
The fact is that Mayor Slay's actions have further divided our city. It's done. The rest is just ramifications.
Slay or reconciliation, that now appears to be the choice.
11/30/2007 4:02 PM
Wow.
French, I now see how much of an angry racist you truly are. You are Neicy are made for each other.
11/30/2007 4:11 PM
Antonio,
I respect your opinion, but any action by either blacks or whites, whether intentional or not, that further devides the community along racial lines is wrong.
We can disagree on Slay's actions and still try to solidify the communty in other areas. My suspicion is that the organizers of these rallys have no such intention of ever bringing together the communty as a whole but only to separate us further.
11/30/2007 4:36 PM
hillary still carries the city and the state over obama. nice try vickers.
11/30/2007 4:47 PM
If I were republican I would love for hillary to win the primary. She cant win the general.
11/30/2007 5:08 PM
Corbett, I ask you this: what have Mayor Slay and Jeff Rainford done to bring this city together?
These activists and others have their smaller constituencies, whom they must feel they are serving appropriately by supporting this recall effort.
But Mayor Slay is supposed to represent the entire city. After 7 years, I ask you this: has he brought us together, or further divided us?
And if you think he has further divided us, why aren't YOU publicly criticizing his leadership?
11/30/2007 5:40 PM
hey anon 5:08-----is your name Jay Nixon, or are you running for a lesser office in 2008?
Either way----good point. Hillary will bring 4 more years of Blunt and other republicans.
11/30/2007 7:18 PM
Antonio,
I really do not believe that the mayor can bring the two races together. It appears that no matter what he does, he will be wrong in the minds of these so-called leaders of the black community. If it wasn't the Sherman George issue, it would have been something else that they found fault with.
It is not in the best interest of these "false prophets" to have peace and harmony between the races here in St. Louis.
Antonio, I must say that your blog certainly gets more hits when there is a racial issue to talk about and you certainly promote these issues with your editorializing. Allowing inflamatory anonymous posters to fan the flames of racism (both ways),in my opinion, delays future closure to our problems.
That said, I do believe that you are sincere in your opinions and I certainly respect that! Just agreeing to disagree is a start and we can set an example as to the proper discourse to take on hard issues.
11/30/2007 9:13 PM
The nasty anonymous postings that contribute nothing but hate should not be allowed at all.
11/30/2007 10:39 PM
Anonymous, it's ironic that your criticism about anonymous postings is posted anonymously.
Believe me, I'm not thrilled with a lot of the comments posted anonymously on this blog. But many of the most insightful comments and tips would not have been posted if not for the anonymous option.
I try to catch the ones that I feel cross the line, but then I can't spend hours patrolling the comments section everyday. There's news to cover.
So what would you suggest I do?
12/01/2007 10:43 AM
Antonio, I must say that your blog certainly gets more hits when there is a racial issue to talk about and you certainly promote these issues with your editorializing.
Check the archives. The public schools---until recently---drew the most comments---and when there is an article about them, they still do. Two black men lost their jobs due to the actions of a mixed race board, which hired a white superintendent, a board which was taken over in a very hostile manner by a white mayor and a white governor.
It is tricky to apply a racial scorecard to the most widely discussed situation on this site.
12/01/2007 1:19 PM
Antonio,
It is not ironic that my posting is anonymous because my post is not contributing hate.
My belief is that if a posting does not deal with constructive thought (or at least humor)it doesn't need to be included in the conversation. Signed or anonymous.
The people who get on here just to badmouth another person, and not contribute something other than hate, should not be allowed to post.
You have a couple of people who just get on here and tell people to f*** off or make up bull**** about people. They have no right to do that. Also, it makes others not want to participate.
That is what I meant. I used to sign my postings, now I rarely participate at all.
12/02/2007 5:08 PM
Apparently they do have a right to do that, according to the majority of posters on the article Antonio posted regarding harassment on the internet and whether it should be a crime. Most posters over there think anonymous, meanspirited postings on the web are fine and if it bothers someone (or ruins their life) it is the person who is bothered's fault for being too sensitive.
12/02/2007 6:40 PM
Last anon. You are correct...and also,
Antonio,
I understand how being timely is important to the new internet generation, but the price you (anyone, not just you) pay for not taking the time to prevent libel can be the possible ruin of peoples' lives.
That is too high a price to pay for being "first" to a story.
My suggestion? Don't worry so much about being first and worry more about being the most accurate and constructive.
Perhaps a program that automatically kicks postings which contain certain words to the side before posting could save you a little time. You could look at them and post them later if you wanted. Does that exist?
Thanks for your work.
12/02/2007 11:48 PM
Anony, timeliness has nothing to do with it. Post comments come minutes, days and even months after I post my story.
Time is only a factor is as much as it takes a lot of it to patrol the nearly 2000 stories I have posted over two years. Each one represents an ongoing discussion in which anyone can post whatever they desire.
I will note 98% of those comments are on-topic (even if not everyone agrees with the opinion expressed).
12/03/2007 7:20 AM
whatever 98%?
12/03/2007 10:27 PM
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