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UPDATED: Do the right thing

South Carolina governor: Tear down this flag

Good for South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley...with an assist, maybe, from Mitt Romney?

UPDATE: I watched Haley's news conference, and of course I still applaud her action, even though it was years overdue and finally is happening -- the South Carolina Legislature willing -- only because of the heartbreaking actions of a mass killer. I do take issue with one of her comments. She said:

"For many people in our state the flag stands for traditions that are noble—traditions of history, of heritage, and of ancestry. The hate-filled murderer who massacred our brothers and sisters in Charleston has a sick and twisted view of the flag. In no way does he reflect the people in our state who respect and in many ways revere it."

I strongly disagree with her assessment. In fact, the Confederate battle flag was the emblem of people determined to fight to preserve a system of racial bigotry and inhuman bondage. And it only returned to the state capitol in the 1960s, as a symbol of Southern resistance to civil rights. Dylann Roof himself was clearly twisted -- but his view of the flag was pretty darned accurate.

What did disgust me, though, was the coverage on CNN. Haley's words were barely done echoing when the network analysts started hailing her as newly minted vice presidential timber for the 2016 ticket. Really, CNN? That's what you think this was all about? It may shock you but some things are actually more important than the White House horse race.