In what might be the Alabama Democratic Party’s most aggressive move yet in the era of its new leadership with State Rep. Chris England (D-Tuscaloosa) at the helm, party executive director Wade Perry called for State Rep. Will Dismukes (R-Prattville) to resign given his “public support of the lost Confederate cause.”
Earlier in the week, Dismukes pushed back against House Minority Leader Anthony Daniels’ (D-Huntsville) proposal to defund the Confederate Memorial Park near Marbury. On Friday, Perry took aim at Dismukes, calling him “stuck in the past.”
Perry issued a statement calling on Dismukes to resign if he could not adjust his priorities. However, accompanying Perry’s statement was a photo of what the statement called “Confederate regalia,” which was Dismukes in a short-sleeve button-down shirt with an embroidered “Prattville Dragoons: Sons of Confederate Veterans” logo, and alongside his wife and child, apparently from a March 2 Facebook post.
“We need elected officials who work for a better tomorrow for all Alabamians,” Perry said in the statement. “That should go without saying. If little Will wants to play dress-up and pretend to fight for the lost cause, he should resign. His job is to pass laws that help Alabamians, not honor folks who fought to preserve the institution of slavery.”
Dismukes vowed to have a forthcoming statement, but offered a response on Facebook, as well. In it, he expressed that he had no intention of resigning from his legislative seat.
https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=10158883438093203&id=593673202
Dismukes’ response included a link to a story from Alabama Political Reporter, whose story initially included the photo of Dismukes’ family but with the faces blurred.
@Jeff_Poor is a graduate of Auburn University and the University of South Alabama, the editor of Breitbart TV, a columnist for Mobile’s Lagniappe Weekly and host of Huntsville’s “The Jeff Poor Show” from 2-5 p.m. on WVNN.