The Big Issues

by digby

I just heard a bunch of GOP bozos on various networks saying that Obama was out of line when he said that Bill Ayres has become the centerpiece of the McCain campaign. I'm sorry, but the truth hurts. Here's the latest robocall from the Republican National Committee:

Hello. I'm calling for John McCain and the RNC because you need to know that Barack Obama has worked closely with domestic terrorist Bill Ayres, whose organization bombed the U.S. capitol, the Pentagon, a judge's home and killed Americans. And Democrats will enact an extreme leftist agenda if they take control of Washington. Barack Obama and his Democratic allies lack the judgment to lead our country. This call was paid for by McCain-Palin 2008 and the Republican National
Committee at 202-863-8500.

Of course it's the centerpiece of the campaign. It's the only thing they have going for them.

Well, not the only thing. Yesterday, I wrote about the lovely California Republicans who want to "waterboard Obama." Pam Spaulding reports on yet another special mailing from some of my fellow Californians:

How about some Obama ribs 'n chicken...plus a nice slice of watermelon for the darkie? I'm sick of this sh*t:

The latest newsletter by an Inland Republican women's group depicts Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama surrounded by a watermelon, ribs and a bucket of fried chicken, prompting outrage in political circles.

The October newsletter by the Chaffey Community Republican Women, Federated says if Obama is elected his image will appear on food stamps -- instead of dollar bills like other presidents. The statement is followed by an illustration of "Obama Bucks" -- a phony $10 bill featuring Obama's face on a donkey's body, labeled "United States Food Stamps."

And par for the course, the "explanation" for this is just as transparently ignorant as the initial act:
The group's president, Diane Fedele, said she plans to send an apology letter to her members and to apologize at the club's meeting next week. She said she simply wanted to deride a comment Obama made over the summer about how as an African-American he "doesn't look like all those other presidents on the dollar bills."

"It was strictly an attempt to point out the outrageousness of his statement. I really don't want to go into it any further," Fedele said in a telephone interview Tuesday. "I absolutely apologize to anyone who was offended. That clearly wasn't my attempt."


I'm sure this woman doesn't even know she's a racist. That's why you can't depend upon people self-reporting their tolerance for all their dark hued brothers and sisters. They truly do believe they are tolerant. And then they do something like this.

And again, this isn't Alabama. This is California, the bluest state in the nation. They live among us all.

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