RNC Elects A New Chairman Today-- No Howard Dean-Like Salvation Figures Available

As usual, they've run a classy campaign

I think most Republicans who are even aware that their party is choosing a titular head today, would like to see all the contestants lose. The whole campaign-- or smear fest-- has been a tremendous embarrassment that's done nothing but point out that the GOP is almost as low on star power as it is on viable ideas.

The best news anyone's heard out of this traveling freak show is that one of the more disgraceful of a brace of really disgraceful dim lights, Chip Saltsman, hoisted the white flag yesterday and slinked back under his rock. Best known for his racism and extremism as the Republican Party head of Tennessee, his main campaign theme was a viciously bigoted CD he sent out over Christmas called "Barack The Magic Negro." The CD was played by the actual GOP leader, the pill poppin' pervert Rush Limbaugh, on his demented radio show. And it isn't that Republicans didn't love it; it's just that they were embarrassed to be caught loving it. Saltsman pulled out of the race yesterday because he couldn't even get the bare number of signatures on his petitions to qualify for the ballot.

His departure will probably help the next most vicious neo-Confederate racist on the ballot, far right extremist loon Katon Dawson, chairman of the most reactionary state party in the country, South Carolina's. Dawson is the candidate of the unreconstructed South and his membership in an anti-Black country club doesn't hurt him with his constituency. He is the voice of the old slaveholding coalition that dominates what was, ironically, once the party of Abraham Lincoln.

Still, the favorite-- at least for the first vote-- is the candidate of "No Change, Evah," the Bush appointee, Mike Duncan. Duncan is the champion of the status quo, which would seem to be a bad box to be in for a party that just got hosed on every level-- not just suffering a catastrophic electoral college landslide-- losing even GOP stalwarts like Indiana, North Carolina, Virginia, Florida, etc-- but also suffering its second consecutive wipe-out in Congress, losing high profile incumbents like John Sununu (NH), Elizabeth Dole (NC), Norm Coleman (MN) and Gordon Smith (OR) in the Senate-- plus every seriously contested open Senate seat-- and House members Robin Hayes (NC), Ric Keller (FL), Tom Feeney (FL), Bill Sali (ID), Randy Kuhl (NY), Chris Shays (CT), Joe Knollenberg (MI), Tim Walberg (MI), Virgil Goode (VA) Thelma Drake (VA), and Steve Chabot (OH). But Duncan's strength is how absolutely hideous the alternative look.

Michael Steele walks down the hallway and simply exudes "loser." And for an extremely right wing group like the RNC... well, there are suspicions that he may harbor a tendency to work with Democrats and there's even a rumor that he's... well, you know (not white). Speaking of exuding loserability, Saul Anuzis is the Michigan party chair, and his state just lost all the seriously contested races it was involved in. And then there's Ken Blackwell, famous for having stolen the 2004 election for Bush when he played the Katherine Harris role in Ohio. He's a favorite of the non-Southern/non-racist neo-Nazi branch of the party, all 10 of them. His only role is to hold his 10 votes together and make sure they go to Duncan and not Dawson. He's hoping Dawson will give him some kind of job so he doesn't have to wind up on an unemployment lone, where he might get recognized and... well disrespected.

Right now the pledged votes are Duncan 36, Dawson 19, Steele 18, Anuzis 16, and Blackwell 13. Saltsman had zero. We'll know today but I'll venture that the Party of the status quo will vote for... the status quo, not out of enthusiasm for Duncan but just because he's there and the alternatives seem even worse. We'll post an update if whoever wins is reported anywhere in any reliable media today.

UPDATE: AFTER 3 VOTES... A LOT OF NOTHING

The establishment guy-- Duncan-- just dropped out! Time for an admission: we're half hoping Katon wins and leads his extremist followers in a sucessionist movement.



UPDATE: STEELE BEATS DAWSON 91-77

Looks like Rush Limbaugh's assistant at the RNC will be Michael Steele. I'm sure he's as surprised as you are. In the movie O’ Brother Where Art Thou, the political boss-- Pappy O’Daniel-- is being challenged by a fellow who uses a midget as part of his stump speech. Upon seeing the success the challenger is making, O’Daniel’s son opines, “Pappy, Maybe we oughta get us one of them midget fellers.”

Steele finally won something, likely to be not just a first but his last as well. He just announced he's going to bring the party to every board room. ROTFLMAO! By the way, today's Hill just released the final senatorial fundraising numbers for the last quarter. The Democrats stomped all over Rush's party.

The Democratic Senatorial Campaign Committee (DSCC) raised nearly $7 million, while the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NRSC) raised just more than $1 million, according to numbers provided by the committees.

The drubbing concluded a two-year cycle in which the Democrats raised 70 percent more than Republicans, $163 million to $94 million.

Fox News And GOP Fanatics-- Skunks At The Inauguration

I don't watch a lot of TV. When Joe Scarborough isn't on and I have some need for TV News, I watch MSNBC. I've loved watching Keith Olbermann and Rachel Maddow over the last few months. Sometimes, like when MSNBC has Scarborough on or those shows about living in prison, I'll try CNN. But this morning I did something I've never done before. I actually found Fox News on my TV and watched it for 15 minutes.

Despite the Obama post-partisan mantra I've seen enough anti-American GOP websites and heard enough vicious and obstructionist rhetoric from hard core right-wing fanatics from Jim DeMint (R-SC) and Paul Broun (R-GA) in the Congress to some of the kooks running for RNC Chair to the likes of GOP psychotic drug addicts like Rush Limbaugh, to know that for many Republicans bringing down America so they can blame Obama is the name of the game. One of the extremists running for RNC chair is the former Secretary of State of Ohio who helped Bush steal the 2004 election, Ken Blackwell. Friday he wrote a piece on a neo-fascist website about sabotaging Obama's rescue plan for the economy. Citing John Boehner as his source, Blackwell rants and raves about why Republicans should oppose the stimulus package.

While only a few details are known, one overlooked issue is that it could create a major electoral advantage for Democrats at taxpayer expense. That would be unacceptable for what is being touted as a nonpartisan measure, and gives Republicans yet another reason to oppose it if not restructured... But most federal employees, that are not political appointees, vote Democrat. Since Washington, DC is the seat of government, whenever new federal bureaucrats are created many live in Maryland and Virginia. In 2008, Virginia went Democrat for the first time since 1964, and Mr. Obama won it by 130,000 votes. Creating 600,000 new jobs might help cement Virginia in the Democrat column, making it harder for Republicans to retake the White House.

Clearly, Blackwell has no interest in Obama's post-partisan vision. But neither do the other nutjobs running for the RNC post. South Carolina fringe radical Katon Dawson is a serious contender too. Take a look at his vision of the role of the Republican Party going forward:



Limbaugh:

"My hope, and please understand me when I say this. I disagree fervently with the people on our side of the aisle who have caved and who say, 'Well, I hope he succeeds. We've got to give him a chance.' Why? They didn't give Bush a chance in 2000. Before he was inaugurated, the search-and-destroy mission had begun. I'm not talking about search-and-destroy, but I've been listening to Barack Obama for a year-and-a-half. I know what his politics are. I know what his plans are, as he has stated them. I don't want them to succeed
.
"If I wanted Obama to succeed, I'd be happy the Republicans have laid down. And I would be encouraging Republicans to lay down and support him. Look, what he's talking about is the absorption of as much of the private sector by the U.S. government as possible, from the banking business, to the mortgage industry, the automobile business, to health care. I do not want the government in charge of all of these things. I don't want this to work. So I'm thinking of replying to the guy, 'Okay, I'll send you a response, but I don't need 400 words, I need four: I hope he fails.' (interruption) What are you laughing at? See, here's the point. Everybody thinks it's outrageous to say. Look, even my staff, 'Oh, you can't do that.' Why not? Why is it any different, what's new, what is unfair about my saying I hope liberalism fails? Liberalism is our problem. Liberalism is what's gotten us dangerously close to the precipice here. Why do I want more of it? I don't care what the drive-by story is. I would be honored if the drive-by media headlined me all day long: 'Limbaugh: I Hope Obama Fails.' Somebody's gotta say it."

Well on Fox News they're afraid to say it-- overtly. But the sentiment is behind every line uttered over their airwaves. Despite approval ratings around 80% for Obama-- compared to 13% for Cheney and 22% for Bush-- and despite tremendous optimism throughout the country, Fox is clearly the skunk at the Inauguration Party. When I watched today they had a right wing radio talk show host, Laura Ingraham, on to diminish and disparage the national joy and to sow discord where Obama is trying to forge unity. Ingraham warned that Obama is lying about wanting to run a post-partisan administration and was moaning and groaning he wouldn't adopt Republican policies. (I can't imagine why not, can you?) Interestingly, Schumer was assuring CNN viewers at the same time that Obama won't be leading a left-wing government. Meanwhile, Ingraham and the crazed, sullen Fox hosts started whining that Jesus isn't welcome and that Bishop Gene Robinson wasn't Jesus-oriented enough and that there was no room at the inn for Jesus and that he had to sleep on the Mall in a sleeping bag. These people are demented and poisonous and having them dominate the public airwaves is harmful to the nation's unity and security. Fox, Limbaugh, Coulter, Hannity, Ingraham... they're the living, breathing best promotion for reinstating the Fairness Doctrine, the far right's greatest fear-- along with taking away roadblocks to unionization (via the Employee Free Choice Act)-- in an Obama Administration. I hope Obama lives up to those fears... but I wouldn't put money on it.


UPDATE: OBAMA'S SPEECH

In his Inauguration Address today President Obama was eloquent and inspiring. He spoke about the greatness of our country and "the need to pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America." He acknowledged that "greed and irresponsibility on the part of some," careful not to mention George Bush, the Republican Party or the banksters, have brought our economy low. But the thrust of his speech was anything but blame; instead it was about going forward and getting things right again-- boldly and swiftly. (From his mouth to God's ear; Obama even honored "non-believers" in his speech.) Here's part of what he had to say:

That we are in the midst of crisis is now well understood. Our nation is at war, against a far-reaching network of violence and hatred. Our economy is badly weakened, a consequence of greed and irresponsibility on the part of some, but also our collective failure to make hard choices and prepare the nation for a new age. Homes have been lost; jobs shed; businesses shuttered. Our health care is too costly; our schools fail too many; and each day brings further evidence that the ways we use energy strengthen our adversaries and threaten our planet.

These are the indicators of crisis, subject to data and statistics. Less measurable but no less profound is a sapping of confidence across our land-- a nagging fear that America's decline is inevitable, and that the next generation must lower its sights.  

Today I say to you that the challenges we face are real. They are serious and they are many. They will not be met easily or in a short span of time. But know this, America-- they will be met.
 
On this day, we gather because we have chosen hope over fear, unity of purpose over conflict and discord.
 
On this day, we come to proclaim an end to the petty grievances and false promises, the recriminations and worn out dogmas, that for far too long have strangled our politics.
 
We remain a young nation, but in the words of Scripture, the time has come to set aside childish things. The time has come to reaffirm our enduring spirit; to choose our better history; to carry forward that precious gift, that noble idea, passed on from generation to generation: the God-given promise that all are equal, all are free, and all deserve a chance to pursue their full measure of happiness.

In reaffirming the greatness of our nation, we understand that greatness is never a given. It must be earned. Our journey has never been one of short-cuts or settling for less. It has not been the path for the faint-hearted-- for those who prefer leisure over work, or seek only the pleasures of riches and fame. Rather, it has been the risk-takers, the doers, the makers of things-- some celebrated but more often men and women obscure in their labor, who have carried us up the long, rugged path towards prosperity and freedom.

For us, they packed up their few worldly possessions and traveled across oceans in search of a new life.

For us, they toiled in sweatshops and settled the West; endured the lash of the whip and plowed the hard earth.

For us, they fought and died, in places like Concord and Gettysburg; Normandy and Khe Sahn.
 
Time and again these men and women struggled and sacrificed and worked till their hands were raw so that we might live a better life. They saw America as bigger than the sum of our individual ambitions; greater than all the differences of birth or wealth or faction. 

This is the journey we continue today. We remain the most prosperous, powerful nation on Earth. Our workers are no less productive than when this crisis began. Our minds are no less inventive, our goods and services no less needed than they were last week or last month or last year. Our capacity remains undiminished. But our time of standing pat, of protecting narrow interests and putting off unpleasant decisions-- that time has surely passed. Starting today, we must pick ourselves up, dust ourselves off, and begin again the work of remaking America.

For everywhere we look, there is work to be done. The state of the economy calls for action, bold and swift, and we will act-- not only to create new jobs, but to lay a new foundation for growth. We will build the roads and bridges, the electric grids and digital lines that feed our commerce and bind us together. We will restore science to its rightful place, and wield technology's wonders to raise health care's quality and lower its cost. We will harness the sun and the winds and the soil to fuel our cars and run our factories. And we will transform our schools and colleges and universities to meet the demands of a new age. All this we can do. And all this we will do.

Now, there are some who question the scale of our ambitions-- who suggest that our system cannot tolerate too many big plans. Their memories are short. For they have forgotten what this country has already done; what free men and women can achieve when imagination is joined to common purpose, and necessity to courage.
 
What the cynics fail to understand is that the ground has shifted beneath them-- that the stale political arguments that have consumed us for so long no longer apply. The question we ask today is not whether our government is too big or too small, but whether it works-- whether it helps families find jobs at a decent wage, care they can afford, a retirement that is dignified. Where the answer is yes, we intend to move forward. Where the answer is no, programs will end. And those of us who manage the public's dollars will be held to account-- to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business in the light of day-- because only then can we restore the vital trust between a people and their government.

Nor is the question before us whether the market is a force for good or ill. Its power to generate wealth and expand freedom is unmatched, but this crisis has reminded us that without a watchful eye, the market can spin out of control-- and that a nation cannot prosper long when it favors only the prosperous. The success of our economy has always depended not just on the size of our Gross Domestic Product, but on the reach of our prosperity; on our ability to extend opportunity to every willing heart-- not out of charity, but because it is the surest route to our common good.

As for our common defense, we reject as false the choice between our safety and our ideals. Our Founding Fathers, faced with perils we can scarcely imagine, drafted a charter to assure the rule of law and the rights of man, a charter expanded by the blood of generations. Those ideals still light the world, and we will not give them up for expedience's sake. And so to all other peoples and governments who are watching today, from the grandest capitals to the small village where my father was born: know that America is a friend of each nation and every man, woman, and child who seeks a future of peace and dignity, and that we are ready to lead once more. 

Recall that earlier generations faced down fascism and communism not just with missiles and tanks, but with sturdy alliances and enduring convictions. They understood that our power alone cannot protect us, nor does it entitle us to do as we please. Instead, they knew that our power grows through its prudent use; our security emanates from the justness of our cause, the force of our example, the tempering qualities of humility and restraint.

We are the keepers of this legacy. Guided by these principles once more, we can meet those new threats that demand even greater effort-- even greater cooperation and understanding between nations. We will begin to responsibly leave Iraq to its people, and forge a hard-earned peace in Afghanistan. With old friends and former foes, we will work tirelessly to lessen the nuclear threat, and roll back the specter of a warming planet. We will not apologize for our way of life, nor will we waver in its defense, and for those who seek to advance their aims by inducing terror and slaughtering innocents, we say to you now that our spirit is stronger and cannot be broken; you cannot outlast us, and we will defeat you.

For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus-- and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace. 

To the Muslim world, we seek a new way forward, based on mutual interest and mutual respect. To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict, or blame their society's ills on the West-- know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.

To the people of poor nations, we pledge to work alongside you to make your farms flourish and let clean waters flow; to nourish starved bodies and feed hungry minds. And to those nations like ours that enjoy relative plenty, we say we can no longer afford indifference to suffering outside our borders; nor can we consume the world's resources without regard to effect. For the world has changed, and we must change with it.

As we consider the road that unfolds before us, we remember with humble gratitude those brave Americans who, at this very hour, patrol far-off deserts and distant mountains. They have something to tell us today, just as the fallen heroes who lie in Arlington whisper through the ages. We honor them not only because they are guardians of our liberty, but because they embody the spirit of service; a willingness to find meaning in something greater than themselves. And yet, at this moment-- a moment that will define a generation-- it is precisely this spirit that must inhabit us all.

For as much as government can do and must do, it is ultimately the faith and determination of the American people upon which this nation relies. It is the kindness to take in a stranger when the levees break, the selflessness of workers who would rather cut their hours than see a friend lose their job which sees us through our darkest hours. It is the firefighter's courage to storm a stairway filled with smoke, but also a parent's willingness to nurture a child, that finally decides our fate. 

Our challenges may be new. The instruments with which we meet them may be new. But those values upon which our success depends-- hard work and honesty, courage and fair play, tolerance and curiosity, loyalty and patriotism-- these things are old. These things are true. They have been the quiet force of progress throughout our history. What is demanded then is a return to these truths. What is required of us now is a new era of responsibility-- a recognition, on the part of every American, that we have duties to ourselves, our nation, and the world, duties that we do not grudgingly accept but rather seize gladly, firm in the knowledge that there is nothing so satisfying to the spirit, so defining of our character, than giving our all to a difficult task.

This is the price and the promise of citizenship.

This is the source of our confidence-- the knowledge that God calls on us to shape an uncertain destiny.

This is the meaning of our liberty and our creed-- why men and women and children of every race and every faith can join in celebration across this magnificent mall, and why a man whose father less than sixty years ago might not have been served at a local restaurant can now stand before you to take a most sacred oath.

Bush is finally gone-- and America is safer already!

Will Repugs who see their world ending ever be able to overcome their deep-rooted racism?

Music lover and would-be RNC chairman Chip Saltsman

by Noah

If ever there was a doubt about just how deep racism runs in Republican veins, the Repug reaction to both Barack Obama's campaign and his election present us with a reeking pile of proof. In his post about Coultergeist's latest fetid verbiage, an attack on Kwanzaa, Ken almost rhetorically asked yesterday, "But what would lead an individual, no matter how inappropriately self-important and flat-out deluded, to invest herself in something as harmless as Kwanzaa?" I agree with his hypothesis that she is becoming increasingly more desperate for attention. I also suspect that it goes back to various high school experiences or perhaps something even earlier in her childhood, a childhood that seems to be still in progress.

But I'm not here to psychoanalyze Annie's inner screaming child. It's irrelevant to the bottom line. That bottom line is that Repugs across the country are in shock about Obama's victory over them. They can't stand it. They are incredulous, even if they don't know what the word means. For them, the world is over, under, sideways, down, and they are lashing out -- in Coulter's case, by attacking a harmless holiday because, in her twisted mind it's a symbol for something she doesn't like.

They can't accept that "someone who looks like he does" is about to enter the White House and live there with his family and, worst of all, be president of the country. They bizarrely blame the media, yes, but they are also expressing themselves in some very sad ways, ways that reflect just what it is to be a repug, what's at the very core of being a Republican. Some examples from the list:

* Michelle Malkin's "baby mama" aspersion. Well, to Malkin it was an aspersion, a description of our about-to-be First Lady meant to convey severe negativity. Note to MM: Millions of us who live in the 21st century see nothing wrong with the Obamas and their heritage.

* Alaska state government e-mails have been recently discovered which make racist jokes about how yet another black family will be living "in Washington on government subsidized housing."

* The nonstop use of code words for "he's B-L-A-C-K," words like Muslim and terrorist, and pointing extra attention to his "unusual" name. If any of you listen to righty radio, you know this hasn't stopped one bit with the election.

* Continued attempts to make it more difficult for African-Americans to even vote during the election, by making fewer machines available in certain parts of town or even by sending threatening mail to households in those certain parts of town, mail that threatened arrest if proper ID wasn't shown (may we see your papers, please!) or maybe if you had some outstanding minor traffic-ticket problem.

* The chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party, Katon Dawson, felt he was perfectly qualified to be national chairman of his party, and certainly there was nothing in his resume that would preclude his getting the job. Not only that, many in the party agreed. Until some little irritating so-what of a technicality became public, that technicality being that he belonged to a whites-only club. Let me point out that this wasn't in the distant past, but this year! Repugs apparently see nothing wrong with that and rushed to his defense. Sadly for him, some of us see something wrong in it. Of course, to them it was just one more thing to blame the media for, rather than their own "shortcomings."

* And, now, we've come to the "Barack the Magic Negro" song (sung to the tune of "Puff the Magic Dragon," a former Top 40 hit that is a classroom staple with young children). It's "welfare queens" and Willie Horton all over again. The term "Magic Negro" was coined by an L.A. Times op-ed writer who defined a magic Negro candidate as one who enough white folks would feel comfortable with to vote into office. A certain resentful open racist and Oxycontin freak has been playing "Barack the Magic Negro" on his radio show.

This little slice of bigotry was recently sent out as part of a holiday CD by Chip Saltsman, who "served" as Mike Huckabee's campaign manager and is an RNC official in Tennessee. Saltsman feels like Katon Dawson -- that he too is a perfect fit for the national RNC-chairman slot. The irony is, of course, that being a bigot DOES boost your credentials for the RNC Chair job. Also, think about the fact that this CD was sent out as a holiday greeting, peace and goodwill towards men and all that. Peace and goodwill haven't been Repug attributes in almost 100 years, so maybe this guy is very qualified.

Man, you just can't make this stuff up. If you did, no one would believe it possible -- unless they know some Republicans, that is. I can even see them thinking that this song could be a way to capture minds at an early age. To them it's probably more of that "catapult the propaganda" stuff. It's worthwhile to note that Saltsman's candidacy has been endorsed not only by Huckabee but by former Senate Majority Leader Bill "Let's Play Doctor" Frist, while former House Speaker Newt Gingrich takes a rare reasonable position, saying, "This is so inappropriate that it should disqualify any Republican National Committee candidate who would use it." No wonder Gingrich is on the outs with his party.

Current RNC Chairbozo Mike Duncan says he's "shocked and appalled." Reminds me of the famous moment in the movie Casablanca when Claude Raines says he is "shocked, shocked to find that gambling is going on" at Rick's, when he's bribed to allow it. Imagine that! The head of the RNC is "shocked and appalled" to find racism in the Repug Party! Who knew?

The assclown who sent out the CD to 40 of his dearest fellow Repugs just can't understand why we don't appreciate the "humor" and the "satire." Well, guess what, bozo. We get the humor and the satire. Too bad you don't get that it's still racist. The source of humor in your sick, puny mind is someone's skin color.

Saltsman even tries to explain his actions by bringing up the Repug-talking-point explanation, spewed nonstop on righty radio, that Obama only got elected because of "white guilt," that the senator was considered "safe enough" to enough whites, blah-blah-blah. To Republicans, Obama couldn't possibly have gotten elected on his own qualifications and merits. I guess sometimes it takes a racist to not see that something is racist.

Today some Repugs are saying that the reaction against this incident is overblown and that some people are just being oversensitive. There they go again, blaming the victim. But what should we expect from a party that runs a guy for President who tells jokes about a woman enjoying being raped on the sidewalk by a gorilla?

What does Peter Yarrow (of Peter, Paul and Mary), one of the writers of "Puff the Magic Dragon," think about all of this?

"I and my co-writer of 'Puff,' Lenny Lipton, have been eagerly awaiting an end to the mean-spiritedness, outright disrespect and bigotry that was commonplace prior to this last presidential election. What might have been wearily accepted as 'the way it was' in the campaign is now unacceptable. Obama is not a candidate. He is president-elect, and this song insults the office of the presidency, the people who voted for him, as well as those who did not -- and taking a children's song and twisting it in such a vulgar, mean-spirited way is a slur to our entire country and our common agreement to move beyond racism."

Well said, Peter. Too bad, though, that Republicans obviously do not agree about that moving-beyond-racism stuff. This sort of thing has a proud history in the party of Trent Lott, a man who still wishes Strom Thurmond and his segregationist party had won the Presidency back in 1948 when things were more like they should be and everyone knew their place. The Republicans welcomed racist "Dixiecrats" to their ranks after LBJ signed various civil rights bills into law back in the 1960s and racist Democrats fled to a place where they could be more comfortable.

Current Louisiana Repug and KKK Grand Whizz David Duke has boasted that Senator Obama's election is boosting enrollment in the KKK as we get ready for the January 20th inauguration. Then there's the infamous anti-Harold Ford "call me" ad that actually helped elect Bob Corker to the U.S. Senate in Tennessee. This sort of thing goes on and on and on. Repugs even do it to each other, as evidenced by the Bush "McCain fathered a black child" phone calls during the 2000 South Carolina primary.

I'd like to point out at this point that while there are no Republican African-Americans in Congress, there are actually two Republican African-American candidates for the party chairman position. One is Ken Blackwell of Ohio 2004 fame. The other is former Maryland Lt. Gov. Michael Steele. Watch the Repugs trip all over themselves to choose one of the two and get all smug and tell us, "See, nasty racism all gone -- it's a brand new day."

So, my questions to Coultergeist and all these others who are bashing at various things African-American start with: What are you afraid of?

Is this fear of a black planet? Fear of the unknown? Just plain fear? Well, look around you. Why do you fume about Kwanzaa? Why do you still fume about Martin Luther King Day? Does it hurt so much that your presidential candidate, who voted against MLK Day, not only lost but lost to "one of them" (aka "that one")?

Why not join the great American experiment where all are created equal? You were the party of Lincoln once. Wake up! It's not a Dobie Gillis world anymore. In fact, Zelda Gilroy might have another surprise for you that you can't handle. You are acting just like your forebears did when Jackie Robinson broke the color barrier in major league baseball back in 1947, when things were more like you would apparently like them to be now. Many major leaguers threatened to refuse to play on the same field with Jackie. Some, even among his own Brooklyn Dodger teammates, would not even shake his hand.

It was damn ugly then, and it's damn ugly now. How'd that all work out for you? You can slow social progress down, but you haven't been able to stop it. You'll keep trying, though. But you just might chose to look at this "magic negro" thing the way I'm about to suggest. Warning: This might cause you to convulse at the horror of the truth.

Yes, racism is still very much a problem in our society, but Senator Obama's election is a sign of progress to many of us. Some, apparently, even overcame lingering misgivings about voting for a, er, a "you know." Maybe you should look at it this way. (Remember, I warned you.) Maybe you think your feelings are the norm. Sadly, that may be true, at least for too many people in our country, but -- are you sitting down? -- maybe your guy Bush was so bad that America did the unthinkable (to you) and voted for a black man.

If you do think, in your warped little minds, that it was unthinkable, then enjoy your own personal hell that you set up for yourself.

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