Day After Accusing Obama Of Race-Baiting, RNC Asks 'Why No Blacks' On Supreme Court Shortlist?

One day after it accused DNC Chairman Tim Kaine of playing the "race card" from the bottom of the deck, the Republican National Committee is blasting out an op-ed that accuses the president of ignoring African-American candidates for the Supreme Court.

On Thursday, RNC Coalitions Director Angela Sailor sent out a column written by former Virginia Governor Doug Wilder titled "Why no blacks on SCOTUS shortlist?" The piece attacks the administration for putting together a short list of potential nominees that lacks "even the hint of a mention of a single African-American."

A Democrat and frequent Obama critic, Wilder's charge is debatable itself. While the top echelons of likely court candidates include three prominent white candidates, the so-called "short list" drafted by the White House does include Leah Ward Sears, the former Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the U.S. state of Georgia and an African-American female.

The more interesting story, however, is that the RNC is implicitly endorsing Wilder's argument that the Obama administration was slighting black court candidates.

On Wednesday, RNC Chairman Michael Steele accused Kaine and other Democrats of trying to polarize the country "on the lines of race." The offending crime: Kaine had outlined a mid-term election strategy that is premised on turning out "black, Latino or young voters" and warned of potential "voter suppression" by Republicans. As one GOP strategist explained to the Huffington Post, Democrats were trying to drive up minority turnout through fear tactics.

By sending out Wilder's column to their email list-serve, the RNC appears to be engaging in the type of racially tinged politics they criticized the day before.

"This is politics 101." said a senior Democratic operative. "If you do the exact thing you feigned indignation over within hours of feigning indignation, it not only proves that the thing you feigned indignation over was not worthy of it, but it also proves you are a political idiot."

Comments

[Omnix]

04:31 PM on 06/01/2010

If the Republican's are slinging an accusation, it's usually only a diversion from them doing the same thing.

How nice of them to perpetuate the social rancor and thrust the wedge into our society even further... God bless the Divided States of America!

[DrDemon]

05:39 AM on 05/01/2010

I cannot be any more blunt than this:

I ABSOLUTELY DETEST the GOP with the exception of maybe 1 or 2 of those hypocrites!

[stoptalkingdosomething]

02:49 AM on 05/01/2010

Good for you Toa Reap, very well spoken. I guess now you can really see why our country is in such a bad place. In the past 40 years this country had only Carter 4 years, Clinton 8 years and now Obama a little over a year. The republiciains have dominated the most power position in the world. Now look at the world and look at this country. The rich has gotten richer and the poor has become poorer. They search the globe for cheap labor, they pit races against each other, they try to pretend they are holier than thou, have family values, but don't give a damn if the next man family is hungry or without health care. I could go on and on.

[stoptalkingdosomething]

02:29 AM on 05/01/2010

President Obama, please pick the best qualified for the job. It does not matter the race. But, it would be nice to pick a Black so he/she could further show how unqualified Clarence Thomas is, he is a disgrace and I am Black.

[Alberto Kang]

11:42 PM on 04/30/2010

yes well written

[andycan]

10:23 PM on 04/30/2010

It's as absurd as the KKK accusing their lynch-victims of anti-black racism.
They must be talking to retards!

[rosiebond007]

10:04 PM on 04/30/2010

Hate to say it but the Republicans still have seen Obama's vision of a Supreme Court that is for the people not for a particular party.

He is taking care I am sure, with his vetting and choice to get that person seated before Sept/Oct.

Of course, THE PARTY OF NO will say NO so there will be work to be done.

[sixtiessoul]

07:40 PM on 04/30/2010

HAHAHAHAHA. Seriously? Why does the RNC care what race *any* nominee is. Oh right, that whole "I'm troubled by your 'wise-latina' comment thing." Disingenuous, and hillarious.

[sistahfriend]

06:52 PM on 04/30/2010

People keep saying that there is not AA on Obama's short list for the Supreme Court. Here is the evidence from HP:

Ann Claire Williams, Chicago Judge, On Supreme Court Short List, Says White House
Will Guzzardi - 04/22/2010 11:51 AM
The White House has released more information about its short list of nominees to replace John Paul Stevens on the U.S. Supreme Court. One of the names reportedly being considered -- a name that had been largely overlooked by political observers -- is yet another appellate court judge with Chicago ...

[kandlefly]

06:39 PM on 04/30/2010

Ha,Ha,Ha, Republikkkans fighting a Black cause, I must be going out of my mind.
What are these people smoking, tell them to drop this fight because they may upset Scarborough and Barnicle. These Republikkkans cannot even stand the sight of their token Black, but they are campaigning for a Black Liberal Chief Justice. STOP THE WORLD AND LET ME OFF.

[hagagaga]

05:44 PM on 04/30/2010

Why do the Republicans always have to play the race card?

[blinkthink]

10:46 PM on 04/30/2010

Best way to divide people-wedge issues=Republicans.

[doctorzap]

05:30 PM on 04/30/2010

On Thursday, RNC Coalitions Director Angela Sailor sent out a column written by former Virginia Governor Doug Wilder titled "Why no blacks on SCOTUS shortlist?"

Shoot, that's an easy one. There's already the politically correct number of blacks (Justice Thomas) on the SCOTUS. Any more and it would be unbalanced. And we couldn't have that now, could we?

[MWChris]

03:23 AM on 05/01/2010

There hasn't been a black on the Court since 1990...

[Damon Cooper]

05:13 PM on 04/30/2010

Well I am a Big Democrat! Obama Supporter! However I was a little puzzled too that there were no Black Folks on his short list. Everytime Clarence Thomas nmae is said Thurgood Marshall turns over in his grave. I mean no qualified black women either. I'm just saying. I'm black as well.

[sistahfriend]

06:46 PM on 04/30/2010

People please read. Former judge and professior in Atlanta, a Black woman is on the short list. I can't remember her name, however please check the facts.

[Toa Reap]

06:53 PM on 04/30/2010

That's just it - In a perfect USA if I'm picking someone who will be the best for the job and it just so happens that no white or black or any other ethnicity is included it is because "that is not part of my criteria".

And imagine that - we have a president that seems to feel the same.

God Bless America :)

[Toa Reap]

06:58 PM on 04/30/2010

By the way... just FYI

I'm Half Black, Half Irish. just so you know :)

[TracerTong]

05:10 PM on 04/30/2010

The Republican left hand has no clue what the right hand is doing. One is trying to extend a hand to minority voters while the other is simultaneously flipping them off.

[Omnix]

04:21 PM on 06/01/2010

And here I thought one hand was choking the middle class, the other was picking our pockets, another was cracking a whip to make us work harder, and another was busy pleasuring the corporate demi-gods... But then that would presume that the Repubs had the mental capacity to handle doing four things at once, and I don't think Rush can't give directions that fast.

[mikegriffith]

03:35 PM on 04/30/2010

Come now. Isn't this article the height of disingenuousness and hypocrisy? Democrats are constantly, constantly making the charge of racism against officials, businesses, and government agencies that don't at least interview one or two minorities for this or that appointed position. Who screams bloody murder when some NFL team fails to follow the Rooney Rule? Come on. . . .

Personally, I don't care about the race of the people on Obama's potential nominee list. I don't care if they're all brown, all white, all whatever, or any mix of any race. Race simply should never be a major criterion. I think it's ok to *consider* race when making such a selection, but that should not be the main criterion.