Since the posting of the story about Republican US Senate Candidate Chris McDaniel headlining a pro-gun event that featured a ‘white pride’ vendor called Pace Confederate Depot on the invitation, there has been a great deal of movement to the story.
This morning, TPM posted a story updating our original story.
There is now some conflicting information about whether or not Chris McDaniel was scheduled to keynote the Fire Arms Freedom Day event on May 17, 2014 at 3:00 p.m.
Shortly after our original story ran, at 3:30 p.m., the campaign emailed a statement and in reference to Chris McDaniel’s attendance to the event said, “He is not confirmed.”
Then at about 6:00 p.m. the campaign issued yet another statement to YallPolitics via email. “Chris McDaniel never agreed to attend the event and will not attend.”
In the TPM story, McDaniel campaign manager State Senator Melanie Sojourner responded to the campaign dropping the event.
By about 6 p.m. on Wednesday, the flyer for the event dropped McDaniel’s name (but it still included the name of McDaniel’s campaign manager, state Sen. Melanie Sojourner). Sojourner said that she saw that she and McDaniel had been listed as planning to attend the event.
“I saw that they had. Neither one of us were confirmed and that call has been made and supposedly they’re putting out the correction,” Sojourner said. “There were several Second Amendment groups that were planning different events and we’re both very strong Second Amendment supporters and so there were several events that were planned and it was basically just kind of the discussion was ‘well when you get some things done and scheduled let us know’ but there was never any confirmation on exact events or what was happening.”
However, event organizers on Facebook said McDaniel confirmed the event on Feburary 15.
The following day, Sunday Feburary 16, MS Gun News but also posted on the site that McDaniel was listed as the keynote speaker for Fire Arm Freedom Day and that Pace Confederate Depot was listed as a vendor.
So the original invite to the event with Pace Confederate Depot as a vendor and Chris McDaniel confirmed as the keynote speaker was out there for about six weeks with neither the event organizers nor the McDaniel campaign uttering a sound about any ambiguity on McDaniel’s attendance. Additionally, the flyer was revised several times adding additional Tea Party groups and other attendees. Pace Confederate Depot’s name was on each subsequent invite until the story ran.
Facebook activity since the story broke
The organizers of the event have also made several comments regarding the status of the event.
First, they stated that they do not research or underwrite their vendors, but that in light of the story several attendees including the McDaniel campaign had pulled out of the event.
Then, about 5:00, the event organizers then posted this on Facebook.
“when a vendor asks to set up and sell lawful merchandise at one of our events,we don’t run a background check into their personal lives.that’s not our business.What is,is how they conduct themselves publicly at one of our events.period.To avoid controversy,some have been removed. ”
They also posted a revised copy of the invitation without Chris McDaniel as the keynote speaker and without Pace Confederate Depot as a vendor. However, the updated invitation still had McDaniel’s campaign manager Melanie Sojourner listed to attend.
Later, they posted,
“NOTICE: because of A false story printed by a robt.lange of y’all politics,saying one of our vendors for the rally was a sponsor,and his personal life involved white hate,we made this statement:
our statement ” when a vendor asks to set up and sell lawful merchandise at one of our events,we don’t run a background check into their personal lives.that’s not our business.What is,is how they conduct …themselves publicly at one of our events.period.To avoid controversy,some have been removed. ”
however,many now are running scared and have pulled out of rally.tupelo tea party,mcdaniel campaign and ms.for liberty,naturally thad’s minions have the liberal organizations all over jumping on this which is what they want. anything to disrupt the mcdaniel campaign.however another thought is if mcdaniel runs scared from a false story here in Ms.before he is even elected,what would he do in D.C.?? dilemma..
SO,we are asking YOUR opinions our patriot members,rally on….
or cancel? call the ball……
Finally, word came via Facebook, that Melanie Sojourner had messaged organizers yesterday evening that neither she nor McDaniel would be there.
Then at 6:00 a.m. this morning, the organizers of the event posted a copy of a message they stated they had sent to the McDaniel campaign expressing their frustration that McDaniel had pulled from the event.
(SIC) Scott i’m Jay the organizer of Firearm Freedom Day rallies–we got on top of this all yesterday immediately.1st,story from Mr.Lange is full of lies and untruths and was never vetted apparently. Mr pace was NEVER a sponsor of rally,FFD is,plus city of Guntown & Chad McMahan.Mr.pace also does not sell or promote hate group material at his vendor booths either.however,because of controversy,he was immediately removed from flier.when a vendor,or even a musician asks to set up a booth at our rally,to sell lawful merchandise,or play the event,we do not run background checks into their private lives.that is not our business.what IS our business tho,is how they conduct themselves in public at OUR events.Chris has attended two.not a whisper of A problem.A good time had by all.OUR political concern is only gun laws ect.in Ms..however we support Chris.Thad,in fairness too was invited to rally however we doubted his appearance.
Now,as to late last nite i was kept on FB here till going on 11 pm and this morning i see more traffic on this.we have received over 700 messages from folks probably stopping their support for Chris because he bailed so fast over a blog story.Folks wonder if he bails and runs like this in his home state before he is even sent to Dc,how fast will he run there over a confrontation.This is why so called TEA party candidates keep losing.They run and do not stick together.To stick it out and attend and speak anyway,and address the issues,even MORE support would have come Chris’s way.look at the liberals,when confronted,at least they stick together.In any event,the whole situation is sad,that it could go this far over a blog by an admitted Cochran donator.Robt.Lange,who’s story was full of lies on OUR part at least.The musicians and many more want to keep rally on,even if we have to create a new flier to switch venue to mostly A music fest.This is our stance as of 6 AM
please take under advisement.
YallPolitics requested comment from the campaign about the apparent contradiction between the FireArmFreedomDay facebook confirmation of McDaniel’s attendance on February 15 and the campaign’s official statement that McDaniel never confirmed. The campaign has yet to respond.
Again from a subsequent update to the original post this morning on our website,
We found from subsequent postings on the FireArmFreedomDay Facebook page that Pace Confederate Depot was only a confirmed vendor at the event and not a “sponsor”. Those changes have been made to the original post. We stand by the rest of the story. Another major update will be coming shortly.
We will update the body of this post as more information comes through.
Update 12:45 p.m. 4/3/14
Brian Pace, owner of Pace Confederate Depot, alsocommented on YallPolitics facebook page. So that he can represent his position fairly, his comments are included below verbatim.
Brian Pace – My business Pace Confederate Depot was listed as a sponsor of the event (no money was paid) as a supporter of Open Carry in Mississippi. My business or organization has no connection and doesn’t endorse candidates. My business is set up in different categories ranging from Confederate, Civil War Relics, American Revolution items, and White Pride Merchandise meaning merchandise related to European Heritage & Culture. That has nothing to do with a “racial” term only meaning our European ancestry. Same goes for out outspoken support of Native American heritage & Culture by way of us selling arrowheads and things like that. We support each individuals right to preserve their own unique heritage & culture around the World. When our business sets up at events we focus on the topic at hand instead of selling everything. At a firearm freedom day it would be only tea party items, a Civil War event would be Confederate items, a Civil War Relic Show would be relics, and things like that. Anyone attacking our business as setting up at an event is a poor decision on the part of the establishment. Not only are you attacking your own people in your own state but attacking a common man trying to make a living for his family. What ever happened to Free Speech in America?
Veiled threats of legal action against YallPolitics are also now showing up on Facebook. Both the threats and Pace’s comments are located in the same string below.
Update 1:50 p.m. 4/3/14
NBC News has now picked up the story.
Again, the author of this story has made a reportable contribution to the Thad Cochran campaign in this cycle. Please do your own research and factor that into your consideration.
Magnolia Tribune
