Let's Lose the "Race Card"

I am disheartened by the subtle and blatant racism that I see bubbling to the surface as reasonable and civil people attempt to debate solutions to the very serious issues we face in this country. And let's be clear here. As I noted in a recent article, when Sean Hannity espouses the view that "he's [President Obama] not one of us" and the birthers question whether or not President Obama is an American citizen, they endorse and encourage a subtle, insidious racism that ultimately is just as damaging as the blatantly racial slurs and signs we see and hear from the dumbed-down bigots that have been given a disproportionate voice in the current debates.

Having acknowledged that, it's time for Dems and progressives to put aside the "race card". While it is certainly a legitimate criticism of the attitudes and tactics of many on the right wing fringe, focusing our attention on this issue is a distraction that our opponents invite and fully use to their advantage to divert attention from what should be the real focus of our debate--our fragile and struggling economic system that continues to be significantly impacted by the exponential rise in health care costs and a broken healthcare system that fails to address the needs of all of our citizens.

It's time to put the "race card" back in the deck and play the "smart card". The facts speak for themselves and they fully support the position espoused by President Obama and his supporters. The current healthcare system is broke. Millions of our fellow citizens lack insurance and access to adequate health care and those of us with benefits should be mindful, particularly in the current economic climate, that we all face the risk of falling into that category. Thousands of Americans (including those with health insurance) each day file for bankruptcy precipitated by their inability to pay their medical bills. The impact of rising health care cost continues to impact the ability of corporate America to compete in a global economy and is crippling the small business sector. Many on the right and the center argue that we're moving too fast and it's foolhardy to tackle this issue at the same time that we're attempting to revive a fragile economy without fully comprehending that true health care reform is vital to the long term viability of our economy.

There exists in this nation an intelligent, rational, responsible and fair-minded majority that is ready and willing to support reasonable solutions to the serious problems we face. It's time to reject racism and the use of the "race card" and get on with a serious debate of how to solve the serious problems our nation faces.

Sunday Morning Talk Show Lineup September 6, 2009

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We can expect to see the health care debate again take center stage this Sunday as tempers continue to flare at heated town hall meetings across the country, President Obama and the Democratic-controlled Congress' polled approval rate declines and negotiations step up as President Obama prepares to use the bully pulpit of a prime time address to Congress to present his case for health care care reform now. Also in the spotlight this week is the US mission in Afghanistan in the aftermath of growing dissent from the left and right factions of the political spectrum, the controversy swirling around President Obama's planned speech to students across the country the following Tuesday and growing concerns regarding the H1N1 flu as students return to school and the nation anticipates the approaching winter season.

ABC's "This Week": White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs. A special health care roundtable with former Senate Majority leaders Tom Daschle and Bob Dole, Rep. Mike Pence (R-IN), chairman of the House Republican Conference and Rep. Maxine Waters (D-CA), Roundtable: George Will ; ABC’s Matthew Dowd, The Nation’s Editor Katrina vanden Heuvel and David Sanger, Chief Washington Correspondent for The New York Times.

NBC's "Meet the Press": David Axelrod, White House Senior Adviser and the roundtable: Rudy Giuliani , Fmr. Mayor of New York City (R); Fmr. Rep. Harold Ford Jr. (D-Tn), Chair, Democratic Leadership Council; Tom Brokaw , NBC News and Tom Friedman, Columnist, New York Times

CBS's "Face the Nation": Secretary of Education Arne Duncan

CNN's "State of the Union": Gov. Tim Pawlenty, R-Minnesota; Sen. Amy Klobuchar, D-Minnesota; Sen. Ben Nelson, D-Nebraska; Center for Disease Control Director Thomas Frieden And a leader in the fight for a public health care option, Rep. Keith Ellison, D-Minnesota

"Fox News Sunday": Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn.; Gov. Howard Dean, former Democratic National Committee chairman; Newt Gingrich, former speaker of the House, and John Podesta, president and CEO of Center for American Progress.Roundtable: Bill Kristol , Weekly Standard & Fox News; Mara Liasson. National Public Radio & Fox News; Stephen Hayes, Weekly Standard & Fox News and Juan Williams, National Public Radio & Fox News