CONSERVATIVE CRACK-UP CONTINUES

Last week I told you that the Reverend Donald Wildmon's American Family Association is P.O.'d at NASCAR because driver Robby Gordon said "shit" on a NASCAR broadcast and wasn't subjected to a draconian punishment. Now I see that there's some red-state grumbling about remarks made by Brian France, the new CEO of NASCAR, on 60 Minutes last week:

NASCAR CEO Brian France doesn't like fans flying Confederate flags at races as he tries to make stock-car racing more appealing to minorities and women.

"It's not a flag that I look at with anything favorable. That's for sure," he said in an interview with CBS' 60 Minutes...

...he doesn’t believe the racial stereotypes associated with the Confederate flag will affect NASCAR.

“I think it’s a fading image,” France said.

A fan in Alabama is not pleased:

...Southerners who have always been the meat and potatoes for NASCAR have made this sport what it is today. Southerners who love the Confederate flag, their history, heritage and culture should boycott NASCAR and keep their money at home for one whole racing season. Then Brian France will know which group of race fans butters his bread.

And a fan writing to NASCAR.com's "Last Lap" column is a bit disgruntled:

I understand that he is trying to grow his corporation by appealing to everyone but he is forgetting how NASCAR made it to the level it currently enjoys: Rednecks. Plain and simple. I am one of them. I grew up on NASCAR, beer, cigarettes and confederate flags.

Now we have to appeal to everyone on the planet. Don't say s*** or you're outta here. Don't want the kiddies to hear it. Well let me tell ya, the folks that watch NASCAR could care less about the odd four-letter word and appreciate a good scuffle in the infield. Soon it will be plain old vanilla television.

And I like this comment at Free Republic:

Don't really like that the Confederate Battle Flag on every truck and moron's hands at the track. Not really the meaning of that flag....

Yeah, that's the real problem -- flying the Stars and Bars at a NASCAR race is disrespectful to the flag.