http://trailblazersblog.dallasnews.com/archives/2008/06/stick-a-pin-in-it.html

Here's the button in question:



Here we go.

I don't expect the Republican party to really do much of anything to combat this type of stuff except when they're caught red handed. If they really wanted to fight racism and bigotry they would have prevented vendors from selling this type of nonsense at their convention to begin with.

I find it extremely hard to believe that the organizers of the event were unaware that this button (and others similarly bigoted) were on sale at the convention. If they didn't, was there really not one person there who saw it and thought it was a bad idea to be giving these ideas a voice by allowing a vendor to display them at their convention? No one thought to say anything to those in charge?

Of course, the Republican party has long been to eager to exploit people's irrational fears of those who are different for political purposes, and I certainly don't expect that to be any different this time.

I believe this campaign season will unfortunately be rife with similar incidents. Maybe not directly from the Republicans in the spotlight, but by those affiliated with them, 527's with little accountability, and of course individuals who'll cower behind the anonymity provided by the internet to continue adding to the flood of inaccurate and misleading smears already out there.

Racism is just the next step after all the insinuations disguised as questions about whether or not he's a secret Muslim, a terrorist, has terrorist connections, and the like that we've already seen.

While I don't expect Fox News to participate in the racist smears, I do expect them to play a major role in helping the GOP dispense other bigoted smears against Obama to the masses. It was only a week or so ago we saw one of their anchors question whether or not Obama and his wife were performing a "terrorist fist jab" on national television as Obama clinched the nomination.

While reports have said that Fox has taken steps to remove the anchor in question, they continue to actively distribute factually incorrect information about Obama's background, continuing their role of misinforming the American people in the hopes of benefiting the Republican party and its political ambitions.

I find it pathetic and I hope the Republicans on this site and elsewhere will denounce these tactics now and moving forward.

Personally I think John McCain, as the nominee, should make some type of statement, not about this button specifically, but about the situation in general. As the newly crowned leader of the GOP, it is his primarily his responsibility to take a stand against racism and bigotry coming from within.

McCain has said he wants it to be a civil campaign, but unless he's willing to stand up and reel in those affiliated with the party who want to make it anything but, it certainly wont be.