With the news of the Obama administrations new spending rules for companies that take taxpayer money, I find it ironic that this policy will probably be embraced with open arms but any request of responsibility from individuals on the permanent government dole is often called racist, elitist, and sometimes unconstitutional.  

Take, for example, the continual debates on welfare and birth control.  In the early ’90s, a Kansas legislator tried to allow for women taking government aid to have Norplant injections, paid for by the government, and be given $500 to do so.  It was voluntary, but the ACLU called it “unconstitutional coersion.” 

Back in 2003, Gov. Tim Pawlenty (R) of Minnesota tried to prohibit junk food, like candy bars and sodas, from being purchased with food stamps.  Anti-poverty groups called the proposal a “mean-spirited intrusion into the cupboards of the poor.”

Now, however, taxpayers and the government are crying out to limit executive pay and bonuses and restrict conferences of companies that take taxpayer funds.  Every day, there is another purchase scrutinized (Citigroup’s jet, BofA’s Super Bowl party, Wells Fargo’s Las Vegas junket) by the media. Most stories on Wells Fargo junket leave out the fact that it was one of the banks forced to take TARP funds, even though it didn’t need it at the time, or face being left out in the cold if the time came that it did need help.  Paulson didn’t want TARP-funded banks to be seen as less solvent than other institutions.

At the same time this is going on, the House version of the “Stimulus” package includes billions of dollars in “making work pay” tax credits that go to people who don’t actually pay any income taxes once credits are applied (although one Senator is trying to change that).  They are being given “free” money and being told to SPEND it, and not just on needs.  Go out and stimulate the economy — buy a TV or a new refrigerator.  Heaven forbid they would do something responsible with the money, like save it or pay down debt. It would be elitist to suggest that!

Why is it OK to for taxpayers to decide how a company can spend its money but not an individual?  As even Obama himself has pointed out, it is not OK to have two separate standards.

Update: Allah at Hot Air describes Obama’s plan as a “populist masterstroke,” citing the fact that these rules are not retroactive and have plenty of loopholes.  He’s spot on, as most won’t read past the headlines.

I read this article over at Redstate, and my jaw dropped.  The newly-elected representative of New Orleans, a city that has a majority African-American population, will probably be denied entrance into the Congressional Black Caucus (CBC).  Part of the problem, I would assume, is that he’s Republican.

His other sin?  He’s not black.  His name, as you may recall, is Anh “Joseph” Cao, who is from Vietnam.  Maybe they’re mad he won against one of their members, Rep. William Jefferson, who kept his bribe money in the freezer.  It definitely sounds like they are out to promote African-American Representatives and Senators and not the African-American constituents who helped put most of them there.

These are the constituents who were seen all over television during the Katrina debacle with Kanye West telling Bush what a horrible person he is for letting that happen to them.  And now the CBC won’t let their representative into their caucus?  I would think the CBC would welcome him with open arms, because someone who isn’t African-American might need “help” understanding the plight of an African-American, and they could be the ones to explain it to him. I certainly hope Obama touches them with a little hopenchange to help them welcome the new Obama era and let Cao in.

Incidentally, Cao has accepted an invitation to be a member of the Congressional Asian-Pacific Islander Caucus.  They allow anyone who is of Asian-Pacific Islander decent OR who represents a heavily Asian-Pacific Islander district.  Heck, even if you just care about Asian-Pacific Islander causes, you will be welcomed.  Why can’t the CBC be so open?

I warned you.  Michelle Malkin warned you.  Many others warned you, too.

And it has started.  People are coming out of the woodwork to call Republicans racists.  Spike Lee did it first.  A reporter from the Washington Post called us the Nationalist Party of South Africa.  A few did it before election day, but only in a scare-tactic kind of way.  “If Obama doesn’t win, it’s due to racism” was written all too often in the weeks before the election.  But no one called Republicans racist outright in order to prevent a backlash before election day.  Now that Obama has won, they are unleashing the tides. 

Why weren’t there a sea of minorities at McCain / Palin rallies?  Hmm, let’s see what happens when minorities “come out” as Republicans.  First, we can place a call to James T. Harris.  Then maybe we can get Condi Rice and Michael Steele on the horn.  We can then pull out the laptop and turn to the ‘net to yuk it up by reading one of the many letters that Michelle Malkin has received.   Finally, let’s read a comment left for Zo on his YouTube channel:

… But don’t worry, your white master, McCain, still needs your support. Back to the fields Alfonzo, don’t dissapoint da massa!! …

I’m going to go out on a limb with this post, and it might cause an issue, but I think the message is positive and needs to be said.  Let me begin by saying I was born after the civil rights movement in the 60’s, and I’m Caucasian. 

I know the significance of the moment of electing an African-American after what this country has been through, but am I alone in thinking it’s not THAT big of a deal?  I never had a doubt that an African-American would be president.  The fact that people thought it would never be possible tells more about the perception than the reality. 

People in America, by in large, are not racists.  I’ve heard words and jokes through the years in private, but I’ve heard worse from Chris Rock about Caucasians on television.  However, I can honestly say that I have never personally witnessed anyone I knew treating another individual differently because of race.  I know I’ve heard of acts like this in the media, but they are rare and the exception, which is why they make news.  And the stories I’ve seen have been ALL kinds of racism, not just from a Caucasian directed at an African-American.

This is why I don’t see this election in the same light as maybe the generation before me.  I always knew it would happen, so it is not a surprise.  I can understand those who suffered before the 60’s doubting it, but I’ve heard so many people of my generation who say the same, and I don’t get it.

My only perspective comparison is being a woman.  I don’t have a doubt that a woman will one day run this country.  I don’t need to have a female president to point to in order tell my daughter that she can be there one day.  The defeat of Sarah Palin is not a defeat for women. 

One thing I hope happens from this election is that racism can be discussed in public and without fear of retribution.  Before the election, we saw so many writing articles warning that the only reason Obama wouldn’t be elected was racism (which I took as a scare tactic more than anything).  But look at the facts.  All races, all ages, and all areas voted for Obama. 

The election was about ideas, not race.  And that’s what this country needs to take to heart moving forward.  If something happens to you individually, don’t just ASSUME it was because of your color or your gender first.  I think that is one big step we can all take to recognize true racism and sexism and point it out rather than believing it is always there.

Footnote: This is what I mean.  On Fox and Friends, Al Sharpton just said “whites are beginning to … judge people by the content of their character and not the color of their skin.”  Beginning?  This is the kind of language that FEEDS the perception that Caucasians by in large are racists, and we’re not.

And here’s the Obama-worshipping Spike Lee on “Morning Joe.”  Just another example of the hate-filled crap that African-Americans spew freely about Republicans.  No one on this show questioned him!  His Republican bash starts at about 4:55. 

Minorities don’t come out as Republicans because this and this happens to them.  Lee talks about Republicans being hateful.  I wonder what he and his Hollywood friends say about people like Kelsey Grammer behind his back.

Are you Caucasian, and do you want to vote for McCain?  Watch out, because you’ll be called racist.  That is, of course, the only way McCain can win. 

At least, that’s what Jonathan Alter is intimating.  In one passage in the article regarding Florida, he writes as if the election has happened and McCain has won:

[Obama's loss was caused by] erosion in the critical I-4 corridor near Tampa and in the Panhandle, where the astonishing Republican margins among whites could be attributed only to race. 

When writing about Virginia, here comes this little diddy about Southern Virginians:

They weren’t the racists of their parents’ generation, but they weren’t quite ready to vote for the unthinkable, either.

Talk about scare tactics!  The left complains about Palin scaring voters into thinking Obama pals around with terrorist, but being labeled a racist is probably the second worst thing you can tack onto someone’s character in this country (child molester is the worst).  Many have had a hard time outrunning that racist label (think Imus and Michael Richards). 

And this guy from Pennsylvania thinks that Caucasians shouldn’t be allowed to vote because they can’t be trusted to not let those racist tendencies out.  He admits he’s only half joking about this one. 

People, I’m telling you, this is only a GLIMPSE of what will happen during an Obama reign presidency.  The left often complained they were being called unpatriotic any time they questioned Bush. That, my friends, is NOTHING compared to the right being called racist for questioning Obama. 

H/T: Newsbusters for both links.

Update: Ed over at Hot Air gives his take on the Pennsylvania story.

I don’t know if she thought she could help (she did admit to having mental health issues), but Ashley Todd really screwed things up by hurting herself then blaming a “black man” who hurt her because of politics.  Hopefully, the hoax will be reported today, and the story will be forgotten tomorrow. 

Hopefully.

Over the past week, I’ve seen at least one Obama commercial during each of the prime time broadcast television shows that I DVR.  I usually scan past them, but I’ve noticed something.  In each of the two different commercials I’ve seen, I’ve only noticed one minority person in each.  He is completely surrounded by Caucasians!  At the BBQ, at the manufacturing plant, at the mini-townhall meeting, walking down hallways — they are all Caucasian in Obama’s ads. 

I find it funny because recently, McCain-Palin have been accused of having “all-white” crowds that are hostile and angry.

I’ve about had it with this whole thing.  In the past week alone (ed: originally posted 10/7), here’s a list of what has made us all racists.  This doesn’t include all of the things that came up during the primaries about Obama’s wife and pastor for which we were called racist when we pointed them out (Patterico has a list of those here).

Call out the Democrats for encouraging loans to people who can’t afford them. You’re racist.
Call out Obama for the people he chooses to hang out with. You’re racist.
Call out a debate moderator for her book about one of the Presidential candidates. You’re racist.
Call out Obama’s campaign for accepting donations without checking citizenship. You’re racist.

But you know who is the only person in this campaign who has actually made a racist statement during this election?

And he fucking got away with it!  In fact, we were called racist when we played the clip!

“Words matter.”

And just to show how “racist” I am, here’s a great video showing Obama’s associations.

Update: Here’s another one to add to the list. 
Use the terms ”hockey mom” or ”Joe six pack.”  Yep, you’re racist. 

You know what?  Keep it up.  White, blue-collar, Regan Democrats are the ones still on the fence that Obama needs to win over.  If criticism of him is going to lead to this every time, they won’t want to be called racist for the next four years.

Update II: Are you now scaring us with race riots?  Seriously?  Like I said, keep it up.

Update III: Link Obama to one of his own economic advisors.  You’re racist.
Discuss a rumor that Obama is not a Christian. You’re a racist trying to hide your racism by proxy of religion.

That’s eight — EIGHT — calls of racism this past week.

Update IV: Will it ever end?  Call John McCain an “American President Americans have been waiting for.” Yep, racist again.  This quiz is getting very predictable.

Update V: Here’s one from the debate I forgot. Be flippant and call Obama “that one.” Of course – racist.

Then, there’s a new one from a man who John McCain called one of the people he admired during the Saddleback forum – John Lewis.  He flat out compared John McCain to George Wallace.  He says McCain is creating an “atmosphere of hate,” and practically warns that it will lead to violence agianst African-Americans, like Wallace’s comment lead to the bombing of a church and the death of four little girls.

Update VI: The hits just keep on coming!  At least this one has a new twist. 
Stand up as an African-American and support John McCain and BEG him to continue his exposure of Obama’s associations despite the cries of racism.  You’re a race TRAITOR.  Allah makes a very astute observation on the irony of the situation at the link.

OK, McCain, time to find the pair you lost sometime between the convention and now.  MSNBC reports a quick turn-around after McCain was the Maverick for a moment when he said, “After I whip his you know what in this debate, we’re going to be going out 24/7!” He was speaking to some supporters in campaign offices in Virginia.

After he realized that someone was going to call him racist for saying he was going to “whip” Obama, he backed off and became McSquish and blah-blahed about respecting Obama. 

Ugh!  Sen. McCain, don’t you realize you can’t win for losing?  Don’t you realize that each time these cries of racism happen for dumber and dumber reasons it benefits you and makes them look bad?  Americans DO NOT want to be called racist for four years especially for using common terms like “whip his you know what.”  Don’t be afraid!!  Let them come after you!  Tamp down idiots who cry “kill him” or “terrorist” if you wish, but don’t be afraid to be called racist if your arguments or phrases are clearly not!  LET IT HAPPEN!  SHOW THEM FOR WHO THEY ARE!!  AMERICANS ARE SICK AND TIRED OF BEING CALLED RACIST FOR POINTING OUT FACTS!

We have just over three weeks to go.  Find that man who wouldn’t give up in the POW camp.  If a supporter tells you he is angry and wants you to fight for him, bring out that man who gave the “Fight with me!” speech at the convention.  Find him.  Channel him.  Become the McMaverick again!

Over the last few weeks, Republicans have been accused of using “code words” to inject racism into this race without being overt (“hockey mom,” “that one,” among others). 

So, what is Obama doing with “hoodwinked” and “bamboozled?”  According to a story at Hot Air, those are well-known code words to call covertly call Caucasians racist.  Read through the links in the story and watch the video there. 

I’ll add this one to my racism list.