Dr. Ben Carson, who told reporters this week he’s putting together the necessary infrastructure for a presidential run, on Thursday tweeted his thanks to supporters who spoke up to defend him against his inclusion on the Southern Poverty Law Center’s “extremist watch list.”
Southern Poverty Law Center Apologizes To Ben Carson For Putting Him On Its ‘Extremist’ List https://t.co/9NH6VuMqea
— RockPrincess (@Rockprincess818) February 12, 2015
As the Daily Caller’s Chuck Ross reports, Carson actually made the SPLC’s watch list last October because of his remarks defending traditional marriage, but his presence on the list didn’t draw much attention until Legal Insurrection flagged it this month.
Legal Insurrection’s William A. Jacobson notes that “landing on SPLC’s Extremist list can be politically deadly, and also deadly in the real sense.” Floyd Lee Corkins, who shot a guard at the Family Research Center headquarters in Washington, D.C. in 2012, had found the FRC on the SPLC’s list of hate groups.
The SPLC even issued an apology of sorts to Dr. Carson:
In October 2014, we posted an “Extremist File” of Dr. Ben Carson. This week, as we’ve come under intense criticism for doing so, we’ve reviewed our profile and have concluded that it did not meet our standards, so we have taken it down and apologize to Dr. Carson for having posted it.
https://twitter.com/McGMaryland/status/566088882039443456
Far-Left Group Forced to Apologize to Ben Carson http://t.co/wPji7dbDJA
— Johnnye Burnham (@JohnnyeBurnham) February 13, 2015
https://twitter.com/javaguysammckee/status/566094075171184640
‘Hate’-arbiters give back-handed ‘apology’ to Ben Carson http://t.co/vDJmhCKMvI via @worldnetdaily SPLC IS A HATE ORGANIZATION
— Lorena Covfefe♡♡♡ #MAGA (@LorenaAshcroft) February 13, 2015
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Placed on an extremist list for having biblical values. I guess I should be on the list too. http://t.co/LlSxqZ4RKE
— Martha Pope Gorris (@Marthwrite) February 13, 2015
If left attacks, you're in the right @RealBenCarson I want to thank all the people who have spoken up on my behalf.http://t.co/CeXEHJRvop
— Brad Gay (@bradleygay) February 13, 2015
WATCH Dr. Ben Carson React To Major Smackdown For The Lib Group That Attacked Him http://t.co/QZxlEzEsMg
— Faith? Proud Nationalist ?? (@FreedomChild3) February 13, 2015
Report: Rise of lone wolf domestic terrorists remains ‘substantial threat’ http://t.co/FCQ671EIjs By @jasonsickles pic.twitter.com/3tv4fzGzxg
— Yahoo News (@YahooNews) February 13, 2015
In its reporting, Yahoo! News refers to the SPLC only as “a national watchdog group … that tracks hate activity.”
@YahooNews @jasonsickles you're seriously giving credence to a group that just had Dr. Ben Carson on it's extremists watch list? Disgraceful
— Chris (@CML_Texas) February 13, 2015
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