Former President Claims There Is “Racist” Tone Against Obama by Gregory Hilton

In an interview with NBC’s Brian Williams, former President Jimmy Carter said he has been extremely bothered by the heightened climate of racial and other hate speech since the election of President Barack Obama. Several lawmakers are in agreement with Carter and this was mentioned in yesterday’s debate today regarding the Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC) “Resolution of Disapproval.” I know many people who are opposed to the Obama agenda, but it has absolutely nothing to do with race. We would be opposed to the same policies if they were advocated by John Kerry, Al Gore, Michael Dukakis or Hillary Clinton. I do not know any racist, and I certainly would never associate myself with such a person. Do the Democrats really want to argue that if Barack Obama were not African-American we would unreservedly embrace his policies?
The only race based rhetoric I know of is on the left. The New York Times article below is an example. It is about one of the closest Congressional primary races in the nation. Liberal Rep. Steve Cohen (TN) is being challenged for the Democratic nomination by Willie Herenton who served five terms as Mayor of Memphis. Cohen is white and Herenton is black, and they agree on all the issues. Cohen’s voting record is awful but there is no evidence he is a racist.
This is how Herenton explains his candidacy: “To know Steve Cohen is to know that he really does not think very much of African-Americans.” He says his campaign is “going to be about race.” The Herenton campaign believes the “seat was set aside” for black people, “It wasn’t set aside for a Jew or a Christian. It was set aside so that blacks could have representation.” I could never imagine any conservative candidate making statements similar to this. http://www.nytimes.com/2009/09/14/us/14memphis.html?bl