Sat, Nov 22, 2008

Tucson Region

Graf campaign says he has no ties to 'white nationalist'

By Daniel Scarpinato
arizona daily star
Tucson, Arizona | Published: 09.21.2006
The Democratic party is upset that former Ku Klux Klan leader and Louisiana State Rep. David Duke put a link on his Web site to District 8 GOP congressional candidate Randy Graf's site.
Graf's campaign swiftly denounced Duke after the Arizona Democratic Party sent out a press release Wednesday afternoon suggesting Graf is associated with the controversial figure. The link on Duke's Web site is the only evidence offered to support the allegation.
"We have no ties nor have we ever had ties with David Duke or any of his racist crazies," said Graf campaign manager R.T. Gregg.
The link to Graf's site accompanies a link to a U.S. News & Report story about Graf, who is running against Democrat Gabrielle Giffords. Both are former state legislators, and the race has gained national attention.
"In this day and age anyone can put a link anywhere to anything," said Gregg.
Still, Democrats want Graf to personally contact Duke and request he remove the link, said Peter Jackson, spokesman for the state party.
Gregg said Graf has no plans to do so.
"David Duke doesn't even live in the district," Gregg said. "He's somewhere off in the deep South."
In their release, Democrats criticize Graf, who has taken a hard stance on border security, as having "extremist" beliefs that would attract Duke and other "racists."
But Gregg said that suggestion is false and offensive.
"Randy's position on illegal immigration has nothing to do with race, creed, color, national origin or religion," he said. "It has to do with whether or not we are a country that lives under the rule of law."
Duke, a self-described "white nationalist" who lives in New Orleans, has made several attempts at running for office, including president, as both a Democrat and a Republican.
Jackson said the party was notified about the link Wednesday by a Democrat who signed up for Web feeds about the District 8 candidates.
● Contact reporter Daniel Scarpinato at 807-7789 or dscarpinato@azstarnet.com.