The double standard is alive and well in American politics. Let Joe Biden (D-DE) say that Barak Obama is the first articulate, clean (gasp) African American to run for president. It was a gaffe, not an intentional slur. Let John Kerry (D-MA) say that young Americans who opt for military service are stupid. It’s a faux pas, not intended to denigrate those who serve and protect. These two gentlemen suffer from the occasional foot-in-mouth disease. We’ve all had it.

But what if a Republican made a comparable comment? Immediately the hue & cry would go up for this person to be stripped of any position of power or authority. Right away the press would persecute them. It’s not the same foot-in-mouth disease Dems suffer from; it’s a sign of a deeper, more sinister problem. That person would be vilified.

Oh, right, they did that, didn’t they! Sorry, Mr. Lott (R-MS).