I don't think he said that for no reason. He's trying to plant a seed of doubt in people. Republicans are so upset they lost this election to a black man that I don't see any end to this kind of low brow attack for a while. It's so childish the way the Republican party has acted since the election. Grow up!

I've never thought Shelby was a genius, but even he's smart enough to know that his non-answer gives the rumor credence among the kind of people who want to believe it - the kind of people who want to hate Obama because they think he's somehow different. Shelby benefits from that kind of hate.

I dont think its hate, its just a question, a rumor that some people feel needs looking into.

amanda, republicans arent upset that they lost to a black man, nor are they all being childish.

We're supposed to have come so far on the whole issue of race, but I hear it come up more than ever. It's frustrating. If we'd come as far as they say we have, they wouldn't even be mentioning the fact that he's black at all.

All of the republicans I know don't have an issue with the fact that he's black. It's his policies they disagree with. As for me, he could be purple for all I care; I still strongly disagree with most of what he's been doing with his position of power.

It's a rumor that has been looked in to and refuted repeatedly for the past two years. That some people absolutely refuse to accept the truth suggests a desire to believe anything bad about Obama. If you only want to believe bad things about a person, that strongly suggests hate, not obsessive curiosity.

I am utterly confused. Why do you need to apologize, I wish people were more candidate and just forth right.

FYI - Senator Richard Shelby, I think people would like to hear the truth and what you think, not something that you think feels the air like musk in the summer.

throwaway definition
1. a leaflet, handbill, etc. distributed as in the streets or from house
to house
2. anything designed or intended to be discarded after use
3. a remark made or made as if casually
4. something included only to fill a gap

Carrie Sue - exactly (re: the race thing).

and so all republicans are white and racists? Based on what Amandaletta said, apparently that's the case. who knew

Coming so far doesn't mean race isn't supposed to be discussed at all. And there is no such thing as being racially blind. While one can learn to NOT judge a person based on the color of their skin, skin color is far to easy to notice. Also with an African-American President in office, of course race is going to be brought up MORE often than before.

It's a rumor that has been dispelled...let it go, and stop with the "us vs. him" bull!

Here, here, tia!

"Proven-American (I assume) senator Richard Shelby has an issue with his President."

I just think that Liberty's note is very biased and therefore unprofessional but that seems to be the standard for the media...oh well.

I think this is such bullsh*t. Its pathetic. My God.

Jeez can we just let him be president and stop with the negativity?

gabiushka,

is it "biased" or is it playing along with Senator Shelby's answer to his constituent's question. In the context, I think it's find for this editorial style journalism.

Amandaletta, I don't think the majority of the republican party is upset that he's black. They're upset because he's been in there a month and is fear mongering to get socialist policies passed. They'd be just as upset if someone who was caucasian was doing the same things. You're stretching if you're finding racism in the fact that people don't like Obama.

That said, this was a stupid comment, and he's an idiot if he didn't think a big deal would be made of it.

momma tikita, there's negativity surrounding every president when they're in office. What makes Obama so special that he should be above it?

Here's the thing: despite the fact that the rumor about Obama's birth certificate has been checked, many people hang on to the slimmest 'evidence' to claim that there's a valid question about his citizenship.

It's the same with claims that Republicans aren't racist.

We hear people say that all the time, but then we also hear Rush Limbaugh playing the Magic N*gro song and Republican party officials pass it on and other Republicans defend it as a joke and tell offended people to toughen up. We hear a Republican congressional candidate confuse Obama with Tiger Woods when he's introducing John McCain. We see things like "Obama Waffles" sold at a family values conference. We learn that the GOP has worked to suppress minority votes in state and federal elections, purging them from voter rolls and placing vote challengers at largely minority precincts.

So while you say Republicans aren't racist, a lot of us look at the evidence and feel as CG says, it's "a rumor that some people feel needs looking into."

I'm not saying that not being racist = not seeing a persons color. You can notice a person's color without mentioning it with every subject that comes up. I'm not saying I don't notice he's black, tia. Just that it doesn't matter -- black or white, I still disagree with him.
But back to the subject of citizenship...I wish they would just clear it up and get over it.

Carrie Sue, let's not pretend here. You know we republicans only hate his socialist policies because he's black. If it were a white man up there telling me that by the time I'm 40, I'm going to be paying 35% of my income to the federal government, we'd be crying tears of joy over how luck we are.

Seriously, I am so sick of hearing that not liking Obama's policies is racist. Men can disagree with my political opinions without being sexist, why can't white and Latino and Asian and Native American people disagree with Obama without being racist?

So steph by that token then if thats all you need, we have plenty of evidence to suggest that all Liberals hate America, so according to your logic that needs some looking into right?

Look, you can choose to believe the actions of a few make up the entire party or you can look at the facts. Its one's choice to believe the lies and plenty here love to eat that up with a spoon!

Steph, I agree, there are some republicans that are seemingly racists, doesnt make the party tainted it just makes those individuals so. Isnt the point of trying to be equal, saying "dont judge us based on color culture beliefs etc" kind of negated when people are now lumping all republicans in with a couple of bad apples? how can you judge a whole party based on a few? We are going to have differences and they shouldnt include looking at color, but i say they shouldnt include looking at prominent "republicans" and grouping all republicans in with them!!

And the ones that arent saying these bad things, shouldnt have to come forward everytime and say "thats not us!" because our time is spent better elsewhere on issues that matter.

Disagreeing Obama's policies is not racist.
Selling, and defending, t-shirts with Obama as Curious George is racist; suppressing minority votes is racist; playing and defending the Magic N*gro song is racist - the problem is many Republicans who disagree with Obama's policies do or have displayed actual racist behavior so it's hard to totally discount the continuing rumors that Republicans are racist.

Steph's saying that this guy isn't exactly doing the GOP any favors. And, she's right, IMO.

That's OK Steph, I find the evidence that liberals are socialists hard to discount as well.

I haven't seen anyone defend this guy yet. I do see certain individuals painting the entire GOP party with a single brush.

You can judge a whole party based on what it does, the people it puts in leadership roles, how its leadership behaves, the people its members associate with, products party members sell and exchange at public events or among themselves, products the party chooses not to criticize, policies a party endorses and who benefits from them...

And when 'a few' becomes a noticable percentage, it can raise legitimate questions about a party's unspoken agenda.

"you can judge a whole party based on what it does" ....and what does "it" do?

That few, ISNT a noticable percentage except in your world.

"And when 'a few' becomes a noticable percentage, it can raise legitimate questions about a party's unspoken agenda."

You're right so no one should act surprised when people think Republicans are racist and Liberals hate America and/or are socialist.

I think I've already listed a sizeable number of things that 'it' does.

As skb said, she believes all liberals are socialists. I could say that only a few liberals are socialists and that it isn't a noticable percentage, except in the world that conservatives have created for themselves. It's not going to stop her from thinking that liberals are socialists, is it?

Thanks Haus, had I known you were coming I wouldn't have needed my last comment.

I'm interested in this concept of notable percentage though.... all those example is like what? 200 people maybe max? Out of what? 60 million??

Soooo..... .0000033% WHEW!!! WATCH OUT!

Even if we were to WAY overinflate the numbers and say that 1 million republicans are racist, that would be approx. 1/100th of the party.

Hardly a notable percentage.

Kind of a matter of perception isn't it Haus?
You think there's a healthy percentage of socialist liberals and I think there's a healthy percentage of racist republicans. Guess we both have to watch out.

well approx .016%

thats right Steph! they're all coming to get us!!

whats that saying, i'm paranoid, they're just all out to get me??

hehe!

Have you ever seen a valid, non-biased count of Americans who are liberal and socialists?

No steph you pointed out what a few people have done, "it" is the republican party as a whole...what has "it" done?

agh! dang it! it should say I'm NOT paranoid.... they're just all out to get me.

steph is 38 directed at me?

Umm, hello, this country is already partly socialist. We have had social security, medicare, and welfare for decades. Republicans didn't repeal them, in fact Bush added to our socialist ways with his prescription drug coverage.

Conservatives trying to turn the world socialist into a word as dirty as communist or racist is completely lost on me.

but if our justifications for a thought are the actions of a few, there were people at the obama rally waving communist flags and the american communist organization endorsed him.

sooo.... if you only need a few crazies, then there ya go!

Some of us would like to see the country survive and not self-destruct. The more socialist we go, the better the chance. When you have more people expecting handouts than people working to put money into the system, the sytem doesn't work anymore.

I watched Alexandra Pelosi's documentary on HBO the other night. Some of the comments reminded me the rallies during the election that appeared on youtube. It's hard not to view a significant % of republicans as racist or bigoted wheb you hear what they have to say. Especially when republicans in office echo those sentiments with songs like Jose Can You See and Barack the Magic Negro. Or when republicans defend Rush when he tells a black woman to take the bone out her nose.

Richard Shelby used to be a Democrat for like 15 years.

So shoot. Now I don't know if he's racist or socialist.

maybe he's a racist socialist.

I think that makes him very confused.

tried to comment but I got flagged. I think it was because I used the word negro.

Shelby's office is denying it and the Cullman Times is looking for video or audio supporting it since apparently they have none (not fishy at all) - http://www.cullmantimes.com/local/local_story_053205749.html

I tried to comment but I was flagged. I think it was because I used the word negr@.