Signed an online petition to remove it. This comes as the white house announced today president obama and Vice President joe biden will travel to charleston this friday to attend the fuel ran services of the clement pinckney. Joining me is editor in chief of region magazine. Professor at university of Michigan School of public policy. And Washington Post columnist, and republican state representative from South Carolina gary clary. Representative clary, i think a lot of us are just in some ways happy but also still surprised at the very very Swift Movement in your state on the Confederate Flag. What has been your reaction to the developments today . Well to tell you the truth, it is very shocking. When we started talking about this last week we had no idea that it would move this quickly. But, you know, from what im hearing through my ear im delighted to hear that Governor Haley and both of our u. S. Senators are in columbia. And im really anxious to hear what they have to say. And im alsoing forward to inglooking forward to hear what other members of my party have to say about it. This is really not a republican or democratic issue. This is an issue for all of South Carolina. And im just glad my colleague doug brandon and i were out front on this. And its very rewarding to see how things are coming together here today. Representative, are you worried that some conservative south carolinians may be distressed at this decision . This potential decision . Well, you know, any time you make a controversial decision and one that involves so much so much passion on both sides, i think that it is something to consider. But, you know, at the end of the day when i ran for this office and ive only been in office since january. Im a firsttermer. I told the people that were in my district that if they wanted to send someone reasonable and sensible to columbia to vote for me. And you know that is what im trying to do here with this issue. It is unlike any other issue that we faced. But it is so important to our state. And the fact that, you know that flag has been up on the dome since 1962 when i was an early teenager. And it was moved 15 years ago. And it is ironic that when it was moved 15 years ago, a fence was placed around it. And i think it is time in South Carolina for us to stop putting up fences but rather to build bridges. Im going to open it up to my panelists in new york here. Eugene. It bears noting that whatever the governor announces today it will be subject to a vote in the state house. Right . Right. But just the mere fact you have nikki haley up there with potentially Lindsey Graham and tim scott talking about the removal of the Confederate Flag. I did not think is where we would be at on monday morning. If you had told me that the governor and both senators of the state where i grew up were going to call for getting rid of the Confederate Flag from anywhere much less from the state house grounds, i would have been shocked. Says something about how much South Carolina has changed over the years. And it has. And it says a lot about just the shock and horror of what happened in charleston and the realization that yes it was about race and the Confederate Flag to most people is about race. Harold, i know were waiting for the governor to take the mic. We see lawmakers lining up there in the state house. But heraldarold from a sort of political point of view this has been a very very tricky issue for republicans particularly in the south to grapple with. Are you surprised by this today . No. Two things. One, to see the crowd assembled there and a Diverse Group of the lawmakers and Bipartisan Group of lawmakers surround the governor about to come in is a great testimony not only to the south but to america. The fact that no one from the outside had to fly in there and urge South Carolinaians to do the right thing is remarkable. You are confident this is going to pass the state house. Looking at this group and listening to that great representative you had on the first part of the show, his great words and then you watch this great group of lawmakers assemble one would have to believe it would be surprising if it didnt. But the fact you had such catalyst for violence to break out in South Carolina. The context of the country in the last several months as the communities have dealt with mistreatment and misconduct by the police to. See this is reassuring on many fronts as just an american that the notion of reconciliation and peace and progress can all collide as it looks to be colliding. Maybe perhaps be colliding here in South Carolina. But the real test is on families that stood in that courtroom and condemned the actions of this young man, the alleged killer here and then forgave him. I grew up in a church in memphis in a baptist tradition. And to witness that was amazing. And to watch this as this governor comes in as moving. James clooifr, tim scott. Lindsey graham. And now governor nikki haley. Lets listen. Hopefully yall are ready to go. This has been a very difficult time for our state. We have stared evil in the eye and watched good People Killed in one of the most sacred of places. We were hurt and broken and we needed to heal. We were able to start that process not by issues talking about issues that divide us but by holding vigils. By houghing our hugging our neighbors. Honoring those we lost and falling to our knees in prayer. Our state is grieving but we are also coming together. The outpouring of love and support from all corners of the people across this state and country has been amazing. The families who lost loved ones have been unbelievable pillars of strength and grace. Their expression of faith and forgiveness took our breath away. They truly have shown the world what South Carolina looks like at our best. And the Mother Emanuel Church reopened its doors yesterday. Michael and i were there. We took our two little ones. My children saw what true faith looks like. My children saw that true hate can never triumph over true love. My children saw the heart and soul of South Carolina starting to mend. I want to talk a little bit about the heart of our state. I want to talk about the people o of South Carolina im so proud to serve. The country and the world have watched our strength and resilience over the last few days. We are strong people who love god, our families and have a deep faith. We believe in neighbors helping neighbors. We are a state that has held tight to our traditions and continued to grow and change in ways that move us forward. We were recently named the friend lest in the country and most patriotic too. American flags fly proudly from home to home in South Carolina. In just the last few months the nation watched our state go through another time of crisis. When we dealt with the betrayal of one of our own in the tragic shooting of the walter scott. South carolina did not respond with rioting and violence like other places have. We responded by talking to each other. By putting ourselves in other peoples shoes and by finding Common Ground in the name of moving our state forward. The result both republicans and democrats, black and white, came together and passed the first body camera bill in the country. And i stand in front of you a minority female governor, twice elected by the people of South Carolina. Behind me stands my friend senator tim scott, elected by those same people as one of just two African American members of the United States senate. Five years ago it was said in the last 50 years, South Carolina is the state that has changed the most for the better. That was true when i quoted it at my first 2011. It is even more true today. We have changed through the times and will continue to do so. But that does not mean we forget our history. History is often filled with emotion. And that is more true in South Carolina than a lot of the other places. On matters of race South Carolina has a tough history. We all know that. Many of us have seen it in our own lives. In the lives of our parents and our grandparents. We dont need reminders. In spite of last weeks tragedy we have come a long way since those days and have much to be proud of. But there is more we can do. That brings me to the subject of the Confederate Flag that flies on the state house grounds. For many people in our state the flag stands for traditions that are noble. Traditions of history, of heritage and of an ancestry. The hatefilled 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. Those south carolinians view the flag as the symbol of respect, integrity and duty. They also see it as a memorial a way to honor ancestors who came to the service of their state during time of conflict. That is not hate. Nor is it racism. At the same time for many others in South Carolina the flag is a deeply offensive symbol of a brutally oppressive past. As a state we can survive and indeed we can thrive as we have done while still being home to both of those viewpoints. We do not need to declare a winner and a loser here. We respect freedom of expression. And for those who wish to show their respect for the flag on their private property, no one will stand in your way. But the state house is different. And the events of this past week call upon us to look at this in a different way. 15 years ago after much contentious debate South Carolina came together in a bipartisan way to move the flag from atop the capitol dome. Today we are here in a moment of unity in our state, without ill will, to say it is time to move the flag from the capitol grounds. [ applause ] 150 years after the end of the civil war, the time has come. There will be some in our state who see this as a sad moment. I respect that. But know this. For good and for bad, whether it is on the state house grounds or in a museum the flag will always be a part of the soil of the South Carolina. But this is a moment in which we could say that that flag, while an integral part of our past does not represent the future of our great state. The murderer now locked up in charleston said he hoped his actions would start a race war. We have an opportunity to show that not only was he wrong but that just the opposite is happening. My hope is that by removing a symbol that divides us we could move forward as a state in harmony and we could honor the nine blessed souls who are now in heaven. [ applause ] the General Assembly wraps up their year this week. And as governor i have the authority to call them back into session under extraordinary circumstances. I have indicated to the house and the senate that if they do not take measures to ensure this debate takes place this summer i will use that authority for the purpose of the legislature removing the flag from the state house grounds. [ applause ] that will take place in the coming weeks after the regular session and the veto investigation have been completed. There will be a time for discussion and debate. But the time for action is coming soon. I want to make two things very clear. First this is South Carolinas state house. It is South Carolinas historyics moment. History ics ic moment. And will be South Carolinas decision. To. The state house belongs to all of us. Their voices will be heard. And their role in this debate will be respected. We have made incredible progress in South Carolina on racial issues, yes, but on so many others. The 21st century belongs to us because we have chosen to seize what is in front of us. To do what is right and do it together. I have every faith that this will be no different. It is what we do in South Carolina. It is who we are. Second, i understand that what i have said here today will generate a lot of interest. What i ask is that the focus still remain on the nine victims of this horrible tragedy. Their family the mother emanuel family, the ame Church Family the South Carolina family. We all deserve time to grieve and to remember and to heal. We will take it and i ask that you respect that. We know that bringing down the Confederate Flag will not bring back the nine kind souls taken frommous nor rid us of the hate and bigotry that drove a monster through the doors of mother emanuel that night. Some divisions are bigger than a flag. The evil we saw last wednesday comes from a place much deeper much darker. But were not going to allow this symbol to divide us any longer. The fact that people are choosing to use it as a sign of hate is something we cannot stand. The fact that it causes pain to so many is enough to move it from the capital grounds. It is after all a capital that belongs to all of us. July 4th is just around the corner. It will be fitting that our State Capitol will soon fly the flags of our country and of our state and no others. Glad bless. God bless the people of the great state of South Carolina. Thank you. [ applause ] that was governor nikki haley calling for the removal of the Confederate Flag from the grounds of the state house in South Carolina. Let me go back to state representative gary clary. The governor had strong words. While she did say there were some who may be distressed by this decision who see the flag as part of South Carolinas heritage, she said in no uncertain teams this flag does not represent the future of the state of South Carolina. Is that still a controversial statement in your state . Well, you know alex i dont think that it is a controversial state. I just think that it is a statement. I just think it is a very positive statement of where our governor is in this debate. And i want to say this publicly. I am so proud of Governor Haley and the words that she used today and what she had to say. And, you know, im always proud to be a south carolinian. But i have an even deeper and greater sense of pride today in hearing what she had to say about the need to take this divisive symbol down. You know im a native south carolinian. Im a son of the south. And i even had ancestors that fought for the confederacy. But the time is past for us to take away the symbol and to move it into a museum of proper location and to move forward. You know, Governor Haley has done an outstanding job along with her secretary of commerce in recruiting 21st century jobs to South Carolina. And this only enhances our reputation and our ability to continue to attract top flight businesses. And for people to move here. Because this is a great place to live. Harold you watched that line up that bipartisan, multiracial line up. Women and men standing flanking the governor in that statement. And i cannot imagine first of all i didnt imagine this was going to be happening on a monday right after what was said last week about the flag and the sort of equivocation thats been forced upon a lot of conservative lawmakers in the state to defend the flag on one hand and acknowledge the overwhelmingly racist origins on the other. Theres no doubt. Listening to her i would align myself with the remarks of the representative about how proud he was of watching Governor Haley. As an american and as a son of the south as well you couldnt help but be proud of her, the swiftness in which she acted. The wisdom shes gone about doing it. The equilibrium she brought to the conversation respect for all voters and residents of South Carolina and south carolinians. And then to see that group as you said assembled. Put the politics you asked me earlier about the politics. You have to wonder now and not to inject politics. But the analysis will take place. What happens to the candidates who wouldnt call for the removal. Do they backtrack . I hope they do as leaders. The only one of those who has recent history of borderline pro flagness is mike huckabee. In 2008 he was cutting commercials saying i know what id do with my flag in alabama if outsiders told me. I know what id do with the poll. Right. He made politics out of this and got 38 of the vote in South Carolina. But america is not etched in amber. It doesnt stay still. The politics of the flag in South Carolina in 2015 are not what they were in 2000. John mccain lied about the Confederate Flag. And regretted but lied none the less. One day it was he said it was a symbol of the slavery andand but john mccain who apologized for lying about it he won South Carolina in 2008. In 2012 they held a Republican Debate on m. L. K. Day. The subject di