We knew it would happen eventually (emphasis added):
A series of comments from Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, her husband and her supporters are spurring a racial backlash and adding a divisive edge to the presidential primary as the candidates head south to heavily African-American South Carolina.
The comments, which ranged from the New York senator appearing to diminish the role of Martin Luther King Jr. in the civil rights movement — an aide later said she misspoke — to Bill Clinton dismissing Sen. Barack Obama’s image in the media as a “fairy tale” — generated outrage on black radio, black blogs and cable television. And now they’ve drawn the attention of prominent African-American politicians.
“A cross-section of voters are alarmed at the tenor of some of these statements,” said Obama spokeswoman Candice Tolliver, who said that Clinton would have to decide whether she owed anyone an apology.
“There’s a groundswell of reaction to these comments — and not just these latest comments but really a pattern, or a series of comments that we’ve heard for several months,” she said. “Folks are beginning to wonder: Is this really an isolated situation, or is there something bigger behind all of this?”
(h/t: Memeorandum)
First things first, as ya’ll know, I’m no big defender of La Clinton. However, if you read her remarks, she’s pretty close to the mark - and the comments don’t sound racist at all. Both hers and her husband’s comments were made in the context of Obama doing two things: outrageously comparing himself to JFK and MLK, and also touting his Iraq record, with Hillary saying (in so many words) that yeah, MLK did great things, but in the end it took a president (LBJ) with experience to make those civil rights a reality … which was MLK’s goal in the first place. Bill Clinton’s “fairy tale” comment was in reference to Obama’s Iraq record, nothing more.
That said, I don’t feel one ounce of sympathy for the false implied allegations of racism against her, not after what she and her party have done over the years to advance the myth that conservatives are nothing but cold-hearted racists, a vicious tactic liberal Democrats like Hillary Clinton have used routinely for shameless political purposes. I will never forget when Hillary Clinton, along with her husband, piled on during the Trent Lott/Strom Thurmond “praise comment” controversy about how what we heard from Trent Lott in his supposed “praise” of segregation was what the Republican party does on the “back roads” all the time. Here were Bubba’s exact reprehensible remarks:
NEW YORK (CNN) — Former President Clinton said Wednesday it is “pretty hypocritical” of Republicans to criticize incoming Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott for stating publicly what he said the GOP does “on the back roads every day.”
Here’s what Hillary spouted off at the time:
“If anyone thinks that one person stepping down from a leadership position cleanses the Republican Party of their constant exploitation of race, then I think you are naïve.”
And a show of hands from anyone who thought the Obama campaign was above playing the race card in an attempt to gain traction against Hillary going into South Carolina later this month, where the NAACP’s economic boycott against SC over the Confederate Flag contoversy is still in effect, and where both Obama and Hillary both will be marching on January 21st in honor of MLK’s birthday, which will be reminiscent of the Selma march both Hillary and Obama walked in last February?
Remember at that march how chummy Obama and Bubba looked together?
I don’t anticipate a repeat of that performance this time around, although Bubba is trying to “clarify” his “fairy tale” remarks … on the Al Sharpton show (h/t: Mark Halperin).
Amusing. Who’da thought we’d be seeing Democrats using the gender/race/vote-rigging cards against each other anytime, especially during an election year?
Grab the popcorn, ya’ll. Things are startin’ to get real interestin’. 
Read more via Jim Addison at Wizbang, McQ at QandO, TPM Election Central
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And a show of hands from anyone who thought the Obama campaign was above playing the race card…
To be honest - my hand is up. I really thought that the Empty Suit had hit a grand slam when he avoided playing the race card early in his campaign. I am no fan of Obama, but I thought that he had the potential to go all the way to the White House. There is tremendous weariness in America with the constant race-baiting and appeals to ethnic and religious hatreds from Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Howard Dean, the Clintons, and the MSM. Obama seemed to represent a break with that sordid past.
But I was wrong.
A disclosure: As many of you know, my wife is African and I am white. Our biological son is a beautiful combination of both of our features - including skin color. I want him to be judged by the content of his character, and not the color of his skin.
Whenever a Sharpton, Jackson, Clinton, Dean, or (now) Obama try to get a quick bump in the polls by playing on racial and ethnic hatreds, it is like trying to get high by taking a shot of heroin. The trouble is that this poison will affect our son much more than myself. Where does he fit in the racial conflict these politicians are (perhaps unwittingly) setting up? Long after the bump in the polls is gone, the poison remains.
Another disclaimer: I am not relating this story to claim Absolute Moral Authority (a position I detest). I tell everyone this because my family is on the front line in this conflict – and we don’t want to be.
Comment by Mwalimu Daudi @ 1/11/2008 - 9:35 pm
Waitasecond. There is grassroots furor over these Clinton statements from liberals of all colors. Just check the left-wing blogosphere. How is responding to a reporter’s question by saying, “Hmm, a lot of people have been complaining about this…” equivalent to playing the race-card? A lot of people HAVE BEEN complaining about the Clintons’ race-baiting. Don’t you read liberal blogs?
Comment by Lars Danniker @ 1/11/2008 - 10:06 pm
I love it when the Democrites fight amongst themselves.
Comment by camojack @ 1/12/2008 - 1:36 am
Payback is a you-know-what. This is going to be amusing to watch.
Comment by Anthony (Los Angeles) @ 1/12/2008 - 1:55 am
Only for comic relief…certainly not for information.
But to give a serious answer, I don’t recall the left-wing blogs getting peeved about racism when loyal democrats were pelting Michael Steele with Oreos, or when Harry Reid was dabbling in thinly veily racist sniping at Clarence Thomas. In fact, the liberal blogs have been a good source of racist drivel - recall the picture of Joe Lieberman in blackface.
So now, suddenly, the far-left blogosphere discovers racism and is horrified by it? For one reason only - their candidate is in trouble. The only surprise here is that it took them so long to play the race card. Most likely that’s because they thought Obama would breeze to the nomination. The Iowa caucuses and the subsequent adoring MSM coverage only reinforced that notion. The New Hampshire primary jarred them out of this blissful dream. Now they realize they’re facing a ruthless machine that will use any clean or dirty tactic to win. So from here on out, expect any criticism of Obama to be labeled as racist.
Comment by Great White Rat @ 1/12/2008 - 8:49 am
So now, suddenly, the far-left blogosphere discovers racism and is horrified by it? For one reason only - their candidate is in trouble.
I’m an Edwards supporter. I still think this stuff is rephrenesible. Many of the people complaining are not Obama supporters. Many are undecided, actually. I’d say revulsion over these tactics by the Clintons is pretty much universal in the left-wing blogosphere.
Comment by Lars Danniker @ 1/12/2008 - 9:07 am
OK. If you’re an Obama supporter, it’s easy to see why you want to play the race card against Hillary. But there’s no less reason to do it if for some unfathomable reason you’re an Edwards supporter. As the race currently stands, Edwards is toast. My chances of being elected president this year are only infinitesimely smaller than his. Would those chances improve if there were no Clinton candidancy? You betcha.
So there’s a sort of perverse logic to this. Regardless of which camp is making the allegations, Edwards supporters can pile on and hope to destroy Hillary by charging racism - because they want to pick up the votes of those racists.
Still, your comment doesn’t address the larger issue I raised. Why, suddenly, is the far-left blogosphere aghast at the allegations of racism? Funny, when there were threads here about the left’s racism concerning Steele or Thomas or Lieberman, I don’t recall seeing anyone from that side of the political spectrum condemning it as “reprehensible”. Maybe you can enlighten us on why racism on a leftist site is a bad thing only when aimed at Obama. And while you’re at it, you might touch on why any discussion at all of Obama’s paper-thin record is de facto racism.
Comment by Great White Rat @ 1/13/2008 - 12:10 pm
I wish we could get past this whole race issue that has been brought up by a non-white running for president. No one should be voting for Obama only because he is black; no one should avoid voting for Obama only because he is black. The voters should be paying attention to his policies. Sometimes, I think this kind of race-consciousness is almost as creepy as outright racism.
Comment by rantingkid @ 1/15/2008 - 3:03 pm
Well said, kid. You would think that would be simple enough, but unfortunately politics in this country is a mess.
Comment by NC Cop @ 1/15/2008 - 3:26 pm