Posted 8:52 AM by Scoobie Davis

Racial Rabblerousing on the Right

I don’t listen much to Rush Limbaugh’s radio show; I’m too busy trying to get the rent paid and he isn’t worth my time. However, I had the radio on this morning for Limbaugh’s morning update. Limbaugh once again hits below the belt. This time it was because prominent Democrats were taking Al Sharpton to task for numerous offenses. Limbaugh had the audacity to accuse the Dems of racism for their rightly criticizing this demagogue. Alluding to the song Old Man River, Limbaugh said that Democrats criticize any minority who doesn’t “lift that bale” the way they want.

What’s wrong with this picture? Here’s what:
1) Limbaugh is a racist (click here and here)
2) For the last decade, Limbaugh had unleashed a torrent of abuse against Sharpton. Some of it Sharpton deserved—such as Limbaugh’s criticisms of Sharpton that mirror the current criticisms of Sharpton by Democrats (whom Limbaugh accuses of racism). Some of it was not deserved, such as when Limbaugh blamed Sharpton for the murder of Yankel Rosenbaum.

It never ceases to amaze me when racists accuse nonracists of racism when they rightly criticize someone who happens to a minority group member. Previously, there was the spectacle of Trent Lott accusing Democrats of racism for opposing Miguel Estrada. Last fall, Sean Hannity, a huge Lott defender, and others were accusing the Democrats of racism for shifting resources from Carl McCall’s doomed campaign in New York to other candidates. Now there’s Limbaugh defending Sharpton against “racist” Democrats. Go figure.