Just when you thought he'd put the kind of mindless race-baiting prevalent in the Tawana Brawley case behind him, Al Sharpton reminds you why he's not a Democratic front-runner.
Jackson Blasts "New Uncle Toms"
Sharpton made some of his most inflammatory remarks of this campaign season Thursday night, disparaging front-runner Dean's record on race issues and mocking African-American leaders who endorse white candidates as a "whole new generation of (Uncle) Toms." Some of Sharpton's remarks drew standing ovations, despite the fact that he showed up about two hours late to the 38th Annual NAACP Connecticut State Conference where he was the keynote speaker. Sharpton's attack on Dean follows the former Vermont governor's recent endorsement by Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr. (D-Ill.). "Let's look at Dean's record," Sharpton said. "I ain't going to argue with Jesse's son. I'm running against Dean. ... Dean said that affirmative action should have nothing to do with race. He said, `No, I don't believe that anymore.' Well, good, when did you change your mind? I believe in conversions. I'm a preacher. But I want to know where you was when you fell off the horse on the road to Damascus." Sharpton went on to say that Dean had injected race into the campaign: "If you hadn't brought it up, I wouldn't have looked it up," he said, explaining that Dean's comments on race at a Congressional Black Caucus debate in Baltimore earlier this year prompted Sharpton to do some research. "Now if you change your mind, good, but don't act like you were always there, and ignore the fact that some of us always was. I always fought for affirmative action," said Sharpton. After the speech, I asked Sharpton if he would bring his attacks against to Dean to a national stage, such as a debate. He said: "If he (Dean) brings it up, I will certainly bring it up. I think he has a responsibility if he brings up race to discuss his record there and if he had not brought it up it wouldn't be an issue. It was fair game when he particularly brought it up attacking others but not having dealt with what he claimed he had dealt with." African-American leaders endorsing white candidates were not only targeted, they were also mocked by Sharpton: "I'm endorsing so and so. ... you are not doing nothing but playing with yourself. These people are not discussing you; they need a few cosmetic pictures to add to their profile. I'm ready to put out ads telling all Uncle Toms at least send me part of the money you get from selling out because if I wasn't in the race they wouldn't be offering you nothing. I put a whole new generation of Toms in business."
You heard it hear first. If you're black and you don't support Sharpton you're officially an Uncle Tom. I'm so glad our candidates are keeping this civil...
