I rather wish that The Politico’s Ben Smith would have been a lot more honest in this post of his. But given the self-admitted bias of The Politico in favor of Barack Obama, that is just wishful thinking. Here’s the quote, about the election of Michael Steele as chairman of the Republican party:
One immediate consequence of Steele’s ascent, though: Real hysteria on the racist fringe of the Republican Party, where David Duke (still around!) branded Steele a “black racist” and his fellow Republicans “traitors.”
David Duke is not a Republican, regardless of what he calls himself – or what Ben Smith calls him. He ran for public office first as a Democrat. He only switched parties to get on the ballot. He has repeatedly been disowned by the Republican party.
Duke is a small-time, local politician who can’t get more than a small amount of votes when he runs. He is not a national figure, except in the minds of the MSM – Politico, included. He certainly does not speak for the party that just elected Steele as chair. He is not a “fellow Republican.”
Nice tar brush, Benny.
I’ve been grappling with how to respond to that BS, feeling more and more like I have to say something, because nobody I read has said anything.
But I have trouble giving crap like that a legitimacy it doesn’t deserve by arguing with it.
I’m glad to see somebody trying.
The best I’d been able to do is put Ben Smith in the box with Andrew Sullivan, which I’m sure nobody noticed.
Only a pinko newsie would think that Duke represented any kind of Republican faction. In fact, I know of no evidence that he leads, or speaks for, any kind of group or even grouplet at all. However — sigh! — whenever liberals want to score against us, there they will be, eagerly wetting their pencils and soaking up his every word, photograph included.