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White CEO of Republican Think Tank Refuses to Let Black Subordinate Run for Lt. Governor o
by Joe Bast
Sunday, Mar. 29, 2009 at 11:21 AM
Here's the actual e-mail from Joseph Bast, the CEO of a Republican think tank in Chicago, the Heartland Institute, in which he explains why he has stopped his employee, the former Mayor of Maywood, Ill., an all-black suburb, from running for Lieutenant Governor. This was sent to other Republican insiders yesterday morning.
Note the hypocrisy -- Conner ran for Cook County Assessor in 2006 and netted 250,000 votes. He was an employee of Heartland then too.
Guess these low-lifes at Heartland don't want a black man to be one of the leaders of the Illinois GOP.
Subject: RE: Ralph Conner for Lt. Governor of Illinois -- Let Freedom Ring
Date: 3/27/2009 11:19:58 A.M. Central Daylight Time
From: JBast@heartland.org
Lady and Gentlemen:
I appear to have been blind copied on this exchange, so I will speak for The Heartland Institute on this matter. I’m copying Ralph Conner and Dan Miller since they are named in the messages below.
It is the long-standing policy of The Heartland Institute that Heartland staff must request a leave of absence if they decide to “actively campaign” for office. Our policy is due to our status as a tax-exempt charity under Section 501(c)3 of the Internal Revenue Code, not due to any character deficiencies. Ralph Conner is aware of that policy. He may have believed that activities underway did not constitute “active campaigning,” which is indeed a judgment call. His supervisors here felt differently, and asked him to suspend his campaign activities or take a leave of absence.
I am a great fan of Ralph Conner, and nothing in this exchange makes me feel otherwise. I hope he continues to be a valued member of my staff.
That said, I have no interest in pursuing this conversation, so please leave me out of the back and forth that may follow. I leave for the airport in 40 minutes and expect to be off-line until Monday, so I won’t see messages until then in any case.
Joe
Joseph Bast
President
The Heartland Institute
www.heartland.org
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