EDITORIALS
REID, LOTT AND RACE
Jan. 11, 2010 - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid set the media buzzing when some remarks he made
about then presidential candidate Barack Obama were revealed in a book about the 2008 campaign. Reid
said Obama, was electable as president because he is “light skinned” and speaks “with no Negro dialect,
unless he wanted to have one.”
Democrats and other liberals are trying to put the incident aside pointing out that Reid has apologized to
Obama and the Presdient has accepted the apology. But that doesn’t dispose of the issues. Reid’s apology
to Obama is immaterial.. He did not insult Obama, he complimented him. He insulted all the black people who
are not Obama. While he was at it, he insulted white people by suggesting they would vote against a man
because of his skin color and his accent rather than his position on the issues.
Republicans are claiming a double standard and cited the forced resignation of Sen. Trent Lott for racially
tinged remarks he made as majority leader. On the occasion of former Sen. Strom Thurmond’s 100th
birthday, Lott recalled Thurmond’s 1948 presidential campaign as the States Rights Democratic Party
candidate. If Thurmond had won that race, Lott said, “we wouldn’t have had all these problems over all these
years.” Thurmond’s break with the Democratic Party and his presidntial campaign were to protest the
Democratic Party's support for ending racial segregation in the South.
Lott’s claim that we would have been better off if the segregationist Thurmond had become president is worse
than Reid’s offense. Reid’s remark was personally insulting, Lott was recommending a public policy that was
blatantly unfair and racist.
Some Republicans, including national chairman Michael Steele, have called on Reid to resign. They would be
better off if he does not. Reid is likely to lose his bid for re-election in November. If he resigns he could be be
replaced on the ballot by someone who could win.
Jan. 11, 2010 - U.S. Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid set the media buzzing when some remarks he made
about then presidential candidate Barack Obama were revealed in a book about the 2008 campaign. Reid
said Obama, was electable as president because he is “light skinned” and speaks “with no Negro dialect,
unless he wanted to have one.”
Democrats and other liberals are trying to put the incident aside pointing out that Reid has apologized to
Obama and the Presdient has accepted the apology. But that doesn’t dispose of the issues. Reid’s apology
to Obama is immaterial.. He did not insult Obama, he complimented him. He insulted all the black people who
are not Obama. While he was at it, he insulted white people by suggesting they would vote against a man
because of his skin color and his accent rather than his position on the issues.
Republicans are claiming a double standard and cited the forced resignation of Sen. Trent Lott for racially
tinged remarks he made as majority leader. On the occasion of former Sen. Strom Thurmond’s 100th
birthday, Lott recalled Thurmond’s 1948 presidential campaign as the States Rights Democratic Party
candidate. If Thurmond had won that race, Lott said, “we wouldn’t have had all these problems over all these
years.” Thurmond’s break with the Democratic Party and his presidntial campaign were to protest the
Democratic Party's support for ending racial segregation in the South.
Lott’s claim that we would have been better off if the segregationist Thurmond had become president is worse
than Reid’s offense. Reid’s remark was personally insulting, Lott was recommending a public policy that was
blatantly unfair and racist.
Some Republicans, including national chairman Michael Steele, have called on Reid to resign. They would be
better off if he does not. Reid is likely to lose his bid for re-election in November. If he resigns he could be be
replaced on the ballot by someone who could win.