Fanning the flames

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/10/10/AR2008101002456.html?hpid=opinionsbox1

There is a good piece in the Wapo today by Hosseini about the nasty turn in the McCain campaign in their fanning the fires of xenophobia and racism. There are clips on the web of a woman in Minnesota who says to McCain that Obama is an Arab. He supposedly corrects her saying, "...No M'am, he is a family man..." This is a somewhat bizarre response - as my husband pointed out, an Arab can't be a family man? There is some debate as to whether the woman said Arab terrorist. She might have when she was interviewed later, but I don't think she did when she was talking to McCain. Now I have heard various people write that McCain is no racist, but I am not so sure. He sure doesn't have a stellar record for civil rights, and anybody who didn't harbor some sort of racial feelings wouldn't have such a tin ear and demonstrate such a lack a sensitivity for things racial, witness his condescending manor to Oliver Clark, his lack of support of MLK holiday, his embrace of the Confederate flag, until it was convenient to disavow the flag, etc.