WEEKLY EDITORIAL RECAP

THURSDAY

THROWING Down the race card

No one was naive enough to believe that Mr. Obama's inauguration would suddenly instill tolerance in this country's small number of hard-core racists. But there was legitimate hope that the politics of race -- which create conflict, distract from honest debate, instill fear and empower groups at the expense of individuals -- might begin to wane. ...

The spike in public protests to Obama administration policies did not commence with the election or inauguration of a black man. It was started by the unrelenting tide of taxpayer-funded bailouts of failing companies and the nearly $800 billion "stimulus" spending spree that amounted to debt-funded welfare for bloated government agencies. Now the president is pitching greater government involvement in American health care even though Congress is already poised to run annual trillion-dollar deficits. ...

Americans are justifiably afraid that their battered economy can't resume growing under such crippling liabilities -- and they're angry that President Obama doesn't seem to think it's a problem. Cries for fiscal responsibility and limited government powers are no more racist than demands for more social programs and the withdrawal of American troops overseas. This is a highly emotional political and policy struggle, not a racial one.

The fact that some Democrats and their foot soldiers have now deployed the tired race card is a sign of their sheer desperation and an indication that the constituents of identity politics seek to distract the public from the cold, hard facts of an important debate.

These allegations of racism are downright despicable and should be seen for what they are: Obvious attempts to intimidate the opposition into slinking away in silence lest they be branded bigots, or worse. Such slanderous attacks can't be allowed to stand. They disgrace the message of hope that came with President Obama's election.