Va. Guv Wanted to Avoid Embarrassing "The Party of Slavery"

RICHMOND, VA -- Virginia Governor Bob McDonnell recently revived the practice of celebrating Confederate History Month, but was quickly embroiled in controversy because the proclamation did not include any reference to slavery.  The Governor later issued an apology for the omission, stating "I did this because I did not want to embarrass my Democratic colleagues, as theirs was formerly the party of slavery.  That is, they are the ones that fought since the beginning of the republic to not only perpetuate slavery, but also extend it to the border states prior to the Civil War.  These actions were directly responsible for the war, in which over 500,000 white citizens died in a struggle to eradicate the institution of slavery in America."

At a press conference about the issue, he continued, "As a member of the party of Abraham Lincoln, I just didn't want to bring it up and remind folks that the Democrats were not only supporters of slavery but also actively opposed civil rights legislation and integration during the 1960s.  We figured it was just better to leave that whole issue alone, rather than embarrass people.  My intent was only to honor the part of the Civil War struggle that dealt with what many people still feel is a state's legitimate right to secede from the union."