In response to reckless and unsubstantiated charges by the NAACP that the Tea Parties are 'racist', Andrew Breitbart put up a video snippet ostensibly showing a minor Obama appointee describing her racist behavior. When viewed in context it is clear she did no such thing. The Obama administration fired here anyway.
Hurling unsubstantiated and slapdash charges of racism has historically been a way that the left has tried to smear the right. Turnabout is NOT fair play.
Shannon Coffin has more here. Her key points:
Finally, the conservative media has some ’splaining to do. It is dangerous to run with a story based on a snippet — and our colleagues on the right have as much of an obligation to investigate before rolling out an expose on someone (especially someone as obscure as Sherrod) as do those on the left (e.g., Dan Rather). Sherrod was a low-level bureaucrat, apparently appointed to the position of Georgia director of rural development by Tom Vilsack; it is a stretch to attribute the views of such a low-ranking functionary to President Obama.
An accusation of racism is serious business, one which neither white nor black should throw around willy-nilly. (I’ll note that Sherrod herself has been willing to use those accusations to her benefit in the past. According to this website, she was at least indirectly part of the plaintiff class of black farmers in the Pigford litigation, which dealt with claims of racial discrimination against black farmers. She personally received $150,000 in a settlement for her pain and suffering associated with denial of loans.) But in this particular episode, it would appear that Sherrod is owed an apology.
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