Why do Democrats insist on demonstrating they have nothing to contribute to the political discourse in this country? The latest example comes from Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid when told an interviewer with NPR that he “hopes” GOP opposition to President Obama is based on substance, not his skin color. 

For his part, South Carolina GOP Congressman Tim Scott (who is black) called upon Reid to apologize for his comments.

Reid should be able to do better than that. But we know full well that he can’t. 

Indeed, Reid is no stranger to engaging in racial demagoguery. Back in December 2009, Reid likened Republican opposition to Obamacare to those who opposed the abolition of slavery. 

The following month it was revealed during the 2008 campaign that Reid had described Barack Obama as “light skinned” and having “no Negro dialect unless he wanted to have one.” Reid subsequently apologized for the remarks which Obama accepted.

Naturally, if those words had crossed the lips of a Republican politician, he or she would be expelled from polite society regardless of repeated apologies. There would be calls by the likes of Al Sharpton, the Congressional Black Caucus, the NAACP and liberal media elites for yet another national conversation on race.

Alas, Obama, Sharpton. the Congressional Black Caucus and liberal media elites concluded there was no need for a national conversation on race on Reid’s remarks. After all, Obama needed Reid to get Obamacare through Congress and Sharpton, the CBC, the NAACP and liberal media elites weren’t about to let Reid’s ill-chosen words derail that process.  

I am not sure what makes me sadder. That Reid won’t be held to account for his remarks or that sooner or later he will again engage in such behavior.