"My Soul's Pretty White on That One"

Though most everyone would agree that English is the traditional language of the United States and all immigrants arriving here need to learn it in order to both better themselves economically and fully participate in our multicultural society, I also know that "English Only" movements in America, historically, have given off more than a whiff of white supremacy.

So there I was doing crunches on my floor in front of CNN the other day when Republican Rep. Steve King of Iowa was complaining that his fellow Republicans caved when they didn't outlaw bilingual ballots. "The inertia was all there before I could get my hands on it," he said [emphasis mine]. (For all you English speakers out there I think it is safe to assume that the word that the former earthmoving contractor and attendee (not graduate) of Northwest Missouri State University meant to use was "momentum.")

He and Lou went on:

REP. STEVE KING: "That's what the [Republican] leadership doesn't want to take on. The label of bigotry and racism."

LOU DOBBS: "You'd better have a strong spine in this world."

REP. STEVE KING: "I've been called all of those names and my soul's pretty white on that one."