such things in our public discourse as Sheila Jackson Lee’s outburst accusing opponents of a debt ceiling increase on our current President’s terms as motivated by racism.  I guess we have to address them, even though time, energy, and attention would be more enjoyably spent on almost anything else.  Honor to Dr. Ceaser for recognizing this.  This feels like a waste of time but..

Then Senator Obama voted against an extension of the debt ceiling in 2006.  Representatives Allen West and Tim Scott oppose a debt ceiling increase on the President’s terms.  So who are the racists here?  We might suspect several reasons for Representative Lee’s outburst.  They might include A) grotesque ignorance of the kind you might find among those who pay no attention to political issues B) ideological extremism that warps one’s ability to think about one’s ideological opponents, or C) a cynical attempt to rally a subgroup to a President beset by a lousy economy by slandering the President’s political opponents.  Having seen Representative Lee on television before, I would rule out A.