Remember a couple of weeks ago when we slammed Jesse Jackson after he attempted to kick Rep. Artur Davis (D-Ala.) out of the Black Race for his refusal to support the health care bill?  Well this time its the Republican Party spearheaded by its BLACK Chairman Michael Steele who are up in arms and demanding an apology from Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid who recently equated opponents of health care reform opponents to the confederate rebels who resisted putting an end to slavery.  WATCH.

Reid made the comment on the Senate floor Monday as part of a legislative plea to overhaul the health care system.   On CBS’s The Early Show Tuesday.  Steele said on “it was an ignorant moment for Harry Reid.” He said that when Democrats get in trouble, “they play that race card, that slavery card, that civil rights card.”I don’t often agree with Steele because to be quite honest I see him as a cartoon character but I think he’s right.  I don’t entirely believe this is a complete “race card” maneuver, Reid is simply making an analogy not using racism as his argument.  However, I do believe that the Democratic party overplay that hand far too often.

Malcolm has pointed out several times that the Democratic party in effort to energize its black base attempts to be “the voice” of the black people when in fact the black political agenda rarely is part of the overall policy and platform of the party.  Its a misconception that black voters often fall into that there should be some forgone conclusion that just because you’re black you should be a democrat.  Historically speaking, it was the Republican Party that supported the black population more than the Dems so the argument is invalid.

Although it might sound hypocritical I ALSO agree with Reid.  His analogy is quite accurate.  Anyone who would be against another American being able to get Health Care services for themselves or family is about as insensitive as someone that would willing approve the enslavement of others.  HOWEVER, that’s not QUITE the argument that the GOP and opponents of the health care legislation pose.  They’re against the language, the budget and the spending not against the institution itself….well some of them at least.   So while Reid is correct opposing Health Care Reform is a bad thing, that’s not exactly what opponents are doing, they’re instead opposing the means to that end (or opposing the fact it wasn’t their party that lead the movement.)