Will Aimee Melton Continue To Stand By Pat McPherson and Defend His Racist Blog?

The NEGOP as of the last few years seems to be in a crisis of conscience. The rise of overtly racist politicians like Pat McPherson, Bill Kintner, and now President-elect Donald Trump has posed a significant moral test on Republican elected officials-do we stand by silently and allow these fellow Republicans to continue spouting off blatant racism?

Norfolk, NE made national news in 2014 when a racist caricature float of President Obama was allowed in their annual parade.

Many NEGOP elected officials have done well in this test. Ben Sasse helped lead the charge in the #NeverTrump movement and was among the most vocal critics of Donald Trump throughout the entirety of 2016. Deb Fischer had a moment of clarity and called on Trump to resign from the ticket, then a few days later rescinded in the face of mounting pressure.

Nebraska State Board of Education member Pat McPherson

Although most NEGOP officials reluctantly supported Donald Trump, most did much better in January 2015 when a similar moral test was put forth.

An actual post from Pat McPherson’s racist blog-The Objective Conservative

Pat McPherson, newly elected State Board of Education member, caught heat for calling President Obama a half-breed on his personal blog “The Objective Conservative.” After reporters searched through the archives of his blog they found dozens of openly racists posts. McPherson admitted the blog was his but claimed the posts were done by an unnamed “ghost writer.” Nearly every NEGOP official in the state has called on Pat McPherson to resign, including Governor Pete Ricketts, Senator Ben Sasse, Senator Deb Fischer, the editorial board of most major Nebraska newspapers, and the Nebraska State Education Association.

One elected official who has consistently stood by Pat McPherson and his racist blog is Omaha City Councilwoman Aimee Melton.

Omaha City Councilwoman Aimee Melton has continued to defend her friend Pat McPherson and his racist blog.

On January 27th, 2015 the Omaha City Council passed a non-binding resolution calling on Pat McPherson to resign. Councilwoman Melton abstained and said it wasn’t the place for the council to call on him to resign.

“I’m not afraid to say Pat’s my friend. … I think he’s a good person. He made a mistake. … It was despicable. … I don’t believe he’s a racist.” -Aimee Melton

Aimee Melton’s Accountability and Disclosure Report, showing she hired Pat McPherson to help run her campaign in 2013.

Melton’s father testified that Pat McPherson was a family friend and questioned why the council would even bring this up.

In 2013 Aimee Melton hired Pat McPherson to help run her campaign. He is a close family friend and she MUST have known full well what other GOP leaders knew, that Pat McPherson was an unapologetic racist.

Melton served as a Donald Trump delegate to the Republican National Convention, and posted this picture calling on Hillary Clinton to be incarcerated on Twitter.

Aimee Melton seems to cater to the worst instinct of the Republican party, she served as a delegate for Trump the the Republican National Convention and posted a picture to Twitter of a Hillary Clinton caricature imprisoned and in shackles. She served on the board of the pro-death penalty campaign and credited her 2013 victory to the Tea Party. She opposed the Equality Ordinance claiming it would grant “special rights” to the LGBT community.

Last November, Pat McPherson’s closest political ally on the State Board of Education, Glen Flint, was ousted by newcomer Lisa Fricke, and his never-ending support for McPherson was a big part of what did him in.

Glent Flint proudly displayed his support from Pat McPherson, even hosted fundraisers for him. He lost reelection. An Ernie Chambers “Erniegram” proclaims “Senator Schnoor, to a Senator no more. He cast his lot with Kintner and got bum rushed right out the door…”

Another example we saw last fall of a candidates proximity to a politically toxic elected officials costing them re-election was State Senator David Schnoor of Fremont. He was the most ardent defender of State Senator Bill Kintner during last summer’s cybersex scandal involving a state laptop and also of his prior well documented bizarre behavior and outrageous statements. This fall he revealed to the Omaha World-Herald that Senator Kintner was helping him manage his campaign. Voters rejected Schoor and elected Lynne Walz in one of the most conservative districts in the state.

Words matter. Associations matter. If Aimee Melton continues to stand by her close friend and former campaign manager Pat McPherson she deserves to be held accountable and be removed from office.

Omaha is at a crossroads. The city general election is in May, and Councilwoman Melton is up for reelection. We need to decide whether we want to be an inclusive, welcoming, modern city that celebrates diversity and promotes fundamental decency and respect for all, or if we want to

Aimee Melton credits the Tea Party for her 2013 win. She is up for reelection in May 2017.

keep electing officials who deal in the politics of division, intolerance, bigotry, homophobia, and racism. Aimee Melton is cut from the same cloth as Pat McPherson, Bill Kintner, and Donald Trump, and will continue to support and enable them until voters rise up, reject radicalism, and demand more from their leaders.

Opposition to Donald Trump doesn’t start in 2020, it starts right here, right now. Omaha is one of the very first major metropolitan areas to hold an election after Trump’s win in November, and Omahans have a real opportunity to send a message to the entire world that the tide has turned, the torches and pitchforks are out, and the Trump Resistance Movement will rise up and mercilessly toss out any politician who enables his white nationalist politics.