Michael Steele: The Signifying Monkey

"Ayo Michael Steele, I know you love kissin' ass for Republicans and all, and imma let you finish, but Chris Brown's bow tie was the greatest of all time!!" - Kanye West

So lets recap recent events shall we?

Ok, crazy "fringe" members of the republican party have been protesting Obama well before the health care debate and invoking race or a racial slant into our discourse. You've seen the signs; you've heard the talk.

Former President Jimmy Carter comes out and speaks truth to the ignorant.

The White House releases a statement which pretty much said that Jimmy Carter was full of shit and that there is no racial undertone to any of these protests (shit, what else did we expect them to say.).

Then in steps RNC Chairman Michael Steele calling Jimmy Carter ignorant and wrong, and alluding to all of this being some sort of Democratic party distraction from the all too important discussion or debate on health care reform of which his party doesn't support.

"President Carter is flat out wrong. This isn't about race. It is about policy. This is a pathetic distraction by Democrats to shift attention away from the president's wildly unpopular government-run health care plan that the American people simply oppose. Injecting race into the debate over critical issues facing American families doesn't create jobs, reform our health care system or reduce the growing deficit. It only divides Americans rather than uniting us to find solutions to challenges facing our nation.

Characterizing Americans' disapproval of President Obama's policies as being based on race is an outrage and a troubling sign about the lengths Democrats will go to disparage all who disagree with them. Playing the race card shows that Democrats are willing to deal from the bottom of the deck. Our political system has no place for this type of rhetoric. As the leader of the Democratic Party President Obama should flatly reject efforts by those in his Party, including Jimmy Carter and Tim Kaine, to inject race into our civil discourse in ways that divide, not unite, Americans." - Michael Steele [source:msnbc.com]

Wow, Steele called them out didn't he? Way to go standing up for unity within the nation and calling out those racist Democrats. Yeah, the last thing those racist asshole Democrats would like to do is have a meaningful debate on health care reform, right? You tell 'em Iron Mike! Yep, they're always pulling the race card those silly Democrats.

Ok so never mind Republican smear tactics of old. Yeah never mind the Southern Strategy of days gone by. Yep, never mind this picture of Michelle Obama that's being used down in Virginia where Democratic National Chair Tim Kaine happens to be governor and lives. Nah, that poster is all about Obama's policy and has nothing to do with race. I don't know about you, but I think the White House should not have issued a statement in referrence to, or addressing Jimmy Carter's statement.

But hey, we've come to see the White House Barack Obama forever be the "nice guy" unless he's questioned about his racist pastor and is forced to give a great speech on race so he can get elected. In that now famous speech during his campaign, he said that could no more denounce Jeremiah Wright than he could his grandmother, who even she was without fault as a "typical" white woman as he put it. I guess that's about as close as Obama will come to addressing race and racism personally; minus an occasional beer at the White House of course. Could it be that Barack Obama has bought into this post-racial concept as shaped by the media?

Surely Michael Steele has, and me calling him a monkey isn't racist.