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Imagine That... Playing the 'Race' Card Again

Posted By Bobby Eberle On February 20, 2009 at 7:27 am

If there's one thing that really gets under my skin, it's racial politics. Despite the Democrats' claim that they are for equality, they continue to not only promote policies that favor one racial or ethnic group over another, but they also play the "race" card any chance they get.

Forget about having a fair, open, and honest debate. When the stakes are high, you can bet that if the race card can be played, it certainly will. The latest example deals with the GOP governors who are considering rejecting all or part of the stimulus. Forget that they have serious misgivings about the bill and the way the funds must be spent. Clearly their opposition is based on racial prejudice, right? Give me a break!

As I discussed Thursday in GOP Governors Now Faced with Hot Potato, now that the stimulus bill has passed, some GOP governors are considering rejecting all or part of the stimulus funds. Their opposition is due in part to their conservative beliefs, but also due to that fact that the Democrat-backed legislation is loaded with conditions and state matching requirements. In other words, there are plenty of strings attached.

However, opposition based on principle doesn't quite cut it for South Carolina Rep. Jim Clyburn. As the highest-ranking black in the U.S. House, he said that opposition to the stimulus bill is "a slap in the face of African-Americans."

As Fox News reports, "Clyburn said he was trying to protect black Americans when he added a provision to the stimulus package that would let state lawmakers override governors who oppose it." Ah, I see... take power away from governors because surely they are a bunch of racists. That makes perfect sense.

Of course, after saying these comments, a Clyburn spokeswoman quickly stepped forward and said that Clyburn "didn't mean that he thought those governors were racially motivated, but rejecting it would hurt large black populations in their states."

That's another classic tactic... mention race either overtly or in a subtle manner, and then say, "Now, I'm not saying these folks are racists, but..." Nice move.

The governors who have been speaking out have serious concerns. As South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford noted in my report yesterday, for his state to accept some of the stimulus funds for unemployment benefits, South Carolina would have to change its current definition of "unemployed" to include part time workers. The legislation is loaded with these types of preconditions, and these GOP governors have every right to speak out.

Clyburn should be ashamed of himself, and yet those who play the "race" card never are. Rather than playing the hopes and dreams of Americans, they play to darker emotions of fear and guilt. This is utterly pathetic. Yet, so many times, Republicans fall into the trap and give in. Rather than calling these people out, they cave in. Instead of "shame on you," we hear "shame on me."

Clyburn is wrong to use such tactics. Obama was wrong when he alluded to race in his campaign, all the while saying his campaign had "moved beyond race." Whatever. If we have a firm belief in our principles, then we can withstand any assault by the Democrats, even if they play the race card. But we can't roll over and say, "You're right. You win." These racial barbs need to be met head-on.