The Flag Flies

Still having internet connection difficulties, so posting has been sporadic of late. But I wanted to follow up on the recent Rudy Giuliani Philly appearance. By way of TPM, Rudy's Man In Philly Hearts Confederate Flag, Greg Sargent notes that Rudy's Philly supporter, Joey Vento is also a big Confederate Flag fan.

I had written about Rudy's visit to Geno's in What's With My Paisans? and my blogging pal QuakerDave asked in the comments if Vento was flying the Rebel flag that day. I responded that I had seen some pictures taken that day which showed old Rebel flying on Vento's Harley. I observed that I was "sure Rudy gave it silent acquiescence, which is GOP Code for approval."

That theme was picked up by former Inky reporter Michael Currie Schaffer, who wrote a piece in the New Republic on Rudy's visit, Rudy's Immigrant-Bashing Photo-op:

For tourists, no trip to Philadelphia is complete without stops at Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell. For presidential hopefuls, meanwhile, the crucial photo-op takes place a mile or so to the south, near the intersection of Ninth and Wharton Streets: The block occupied by Pat's and Geno's, the dueling cheesesteak titans of South Philadelphia. Where the independence-era sites represent the secular shrines of a nation, the cheesesteak corner reflects the more localized civic religion of unhealthy eating.

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Like so many other once-innocuous things in American life, the corner of 9th and Wharton has become thoroughly politicized in recent years. Last year, a local controversy erupted after Joe Vento, who owns Geno's, put a sign in his window advising patrons to order in English. The kerfuffle followed predictable lines: Critics remonstrated, referring the matter to the city's human relations commission; defenders flocked to the restaurant clad in t-shirts emblazoned with the slogan the controversy had made famous: "This is America--Now Speak English."

A born showman, Vento mugged for the cameras all the while. He told a reporter that Mexicans carry disease into the U.S. because they "play and drink out of the same water." He defended himself against critics with a quick recourse to that last refuge of the demagogue: "I say what everybody's thinking but is afraid to say."

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Vento's fame might have presented a certain challenge for a non-immigrant-baiting Republican like Giuliani. Go to Geno's and you look like you're playing to the know-nothings; go to Pat's and you look like you're dissing the guy who got famous for saying what a lot of the GOP electorate appears to think.

But in the case of his trip to South Philly, Giuliani's choice showed more than a willingness to pander to a guy he not so long ago might have rebuked. . . . A little staff work, though, ought to have demonstrated that Vento was more than just another simple restaurateur with his mind helpfully focused on integrating non-English speaking immigrants into the modern U.S. economy. They might, for instance, have simply checked out his arm, which has a tattoo of the confederate flag. Vento says it's an homage to the old cartoon character Johnny Yuma, the rebel. He must have liked that show a lot, because he also had the flag on several of the Harley-Davidsons he keeps across the street from his restaurant.

A careful look at the pictures here shows the flag peeking out.



(Photos via Linh Dinh, who stopped by Geno's during Rudy's appearance, see Blowhards in Philly. Dinh also has a shot of that charmer Joey Vento -- which he notes means "wind" in Italian -- poking some guy in the chest who didn't like the signs on his store).

Tags: News, Philadelphia, Politics, Rudy Giuliani