It goes without saying that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's comments were inappropriate. They were wrong. I think pretty much everyone can agree on that. But some Republican leaders want to see Reid resign over the incident. Give me a break. This smacks of typical inside the beltway political posturing.
Let's not beat around the bush here. Republican leaders want to deliver a little payback here because of what happened to former Republican Senator Trent Lott when he had his own insensitive racial incident a few years ago. They also would love to see Reid resign so it can throw the Democratic Party for a political loop right in the middle of sensitive healthcare negotiations. It ain't gonna work.
Why won't it work? Because the Trent Lott situation is different than the Harry Reid situation. Harry Reid has built relationships within the black community for decades. His voting record is popular with the majority of black voters and black members of Congress. That counts for something and it's the main reason Reid will hold onto his job.
Some Republicans say if Reid holds onto his job that it will reek of a double standard. Hold on a moment. If you're going to make the argument that Democratic politicians are given more slack than Republican politicians on sensitive racial issues well guess what? You’re right and there's a reason for it. Republican politicians have to deal with the reality that the GOP has not seriously courted the black community for decades. If you don't build sustaining relationships, you're not going to be able to dip into the reserve tank when you need it most. So in this case, Harry Reid has a "love bank" full of good deeds and good will. It's really that simple.
I'm not saying that Republican politicians don't care about the black community but if you have an "R" next to your name, it comes with a perception problem and a lack of trust. Maybe Republican congressmen need to spend less time whining about a double standard and more time forging relationships and selling their political agenda to the black community.