Something tells me that Timbo's "I'm-not-a-racist, no really, I've-got-black-face, um, I-mean, black-friends" moment yesterday won't generate Ray Wonka or Willie Nagin-like publicity...even though it's FAR more indicative of the sort of ignorant, institutional racism in this country than Nagin's poor choice of words.
Jane Hamsher's response is very good:
What the hell is Tim Russert asking Barack Obama to express his opinion about Harry Belafonte for? Harry Belafonte said George Bush was the "greatest terrorist in the world" this week, but it was virtually identical to a comment he made two weeks ago in Chile. Russert has had two weeks to ask anybody on his show about it; why does he save this particular question for Obama? What sort of special expertise does Obama have about Harry Belafonte, a private citizen with no connetion to the Democratic party, that none of Russert's other guests would have?
It's interesting to note that the only other time Russert questioned anyone about Harry Belafonte before, according to what Glenn Greenwald (via email) could find was when he asked Colin Powell. I doubt if Timmeh thinks of himself as a racist. It doesn't mean he isn't one.
Update: Reader Robert W. sends this: "We should not forget that, unlike the president, vice-president, and chickenhawk neo-conservative war pushers such as Paul Wolfowitz, Douglas Feith, Bill Kristol, Michael Ledeen, and Lewis Libby, Harry Belafonte enlisted in the United States Navy." Harry Belafonte did, in fact, serve in WWII.
But Steve Gilliard really makes the point:
Obama, like too many liberals, try to play nice when asked stupid questions, which implies weakness.
All he had to do was ask: "did you ask me that question because I was black? Because as I understand it, Mr. Belafonte is entitled to his opinion, and is alone accountable for it. When was the last time you asked a white Senator to account for the ravings of Pat Robertson, who unlike Mr. Belafonte, has the ear of the President and the national media."
Yes.
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