Race-baiting a U.S. Senator

The race issue has always been there, but polite people weren't talking about it, except to say "Why, yes...some of my best friends..." or lines to that effect.

Add to that his birth father's Muslim roots and his connection with the wrong kind of mainline Protestant denomination and Senator Obama is about to confront the most formidable challenge of his career.

I'm not wasting blog space and energy this morning preaching, but in the short space of the last two hours I have come across all I need to find letting me know that the gloves are coming off and the primary season is gonna get ugly.

The Obama racial subtext surfaces in Iowa

...“Obama,” the man said, “has never said anything about payback for the problems the blacks have had getting their foothold in society.” It wasn’t exactly clear, but the man seemed to want Barack Obama to denounce the “not guilty” verdict in Simpson’s 1995 trial.

Where a presidential contender stood on O.J. had apparently become this voter’s litmus test. There was also the implication in his question that if you vote for Obama, you get Sharpton and Jackson in the bargain.

Bob Kerrey Goes for Clinton (but he still has a few poison pills for Obama)

"The fact that he's African American is a big deal. I do expect and hope that Hillary is the nominee of the party. But I hope he's used in some way. If he happens to be the nominee of the party and ends up being president, I think his capacity to influence in a positive way without spending a penny the behavior of a lot of underperforming black youth today is very important, and he's the only one who can reach them."

Kerrey continued, "It's probably not something that appeals to him, but I like the fact that his name is Barack Hussein Obama, and that his father was a Muslim and that his paternal grandmother is a Muslim. There's a billion people on the planet that are Muslims and I think that experience is a big deal." He added, "He's got a whale of a lot more intellectual talent than I've got as well."

Ooh! Lemme go give him a big hug while I'm at it...maybe kiss him on the cheek.

Hillary’s ‘Southern Strategy’: Muslim-Baiting

Oh, isn’t it just charming that Obama (rhymes with Osama) just happens to have the middle name of the former Iraqi dictator. Muslims, you gotta love ‘em. And there’s a billion of them, you know. Very important experience that young Barack HUSSEIN Obama has there. Wonder why he doesn’t make more of it?

Later...Kerry apologizes...

Kerrey: I meant no disrespect at all

Riiiight.