Colin Powell takes on Prejudice

I'm rather pleased that General Powell endorsed Senator Obama for president today. I think it helps in two ways: it may prod undecideds who prioritize national security in their votes, such as people in Virginia (the real parts). Furthermore, it dominates the news for one or days at least, and McCain can't have that.

However, I really like that Powell took head-on the ugliest prejudice that McCain's campaign has fully, joyously endorsed: that against Arabs and Muslims in our own country.

I'm also troubled by, not what Senator McCain says, but what members of the party say. And it is permitted to be said...is there something wrong with being a Muslim in this country? The answer is "no, that's not America." Is there something wrong with some 7-year old Muslim American kid believing that he or she could be president someday? Yet I have heard senior members of my party drop this suggestion that he is a Muslim and might be associated with terrorists. This is not the way we should be doing it in America.

Not content with hating Hispanics and African-Americans, Republicans are seizing on hatred of American Muslims -- a group as large as Jewish Americans. Filthy.