Wilson's Son to Carter: Dad's No Racist

They reject his 'legitimacy as president'

(NEWSER) - Jimmy Carter was right when he said racism fuels some of President Obama's critics, Eugene Robinson writes for the Washington Post. Carter may have overstated it—plenty of naysayers have legit policy concerns over issues such as health reform—but "the most vitriolic attacks" reject Obama's "legitimacy as president," Robinson writes. "I can't find any explanation for it other than race." More»

(AP) - Former President Jimmy Carter says Rep. Joe Wilson's outburst during President Obama's speech last week was an act "based on racism." Carter says Wilson's comment was part of an "inherent feeling" of some that a black man should not be president. In responding to a question at a town-hall meeting at his presidential center in Atlanta, Carter also called Wilson's comment "dastardly" and said the president should be treated with respect. More»

SC Republican accused of sins from beer-spitting to newspaper theft

(NEWSER) - A website born overnight fires back at Rep. Joe Wilson, the South Carolina Republican who accused the president of lying, the Huffington Post reports. The site makes shocking accusations consistent with its slogan: “You dissed America, we’ll dis you right the f--- back.” A few gems from joewilsonisyourpreexistingcondition.com:

• Joe Wilson yells while adults are talking
• Joe Wilson stole your newspaper
• Joe Wilson didn’t refill your Brita pitcher

Racially charged attacks on Obama show scourge of racism is still with us

(NEWSER) - Racism is alive and well in today's America and the Republican Party is feeding off it, Bob Herbert writes in the New York Times. Nobody should need Jimmy Carter—who wasn't above pandering to racists himself in his 1976 presidential campaign—to point out the racist undertones behind many of the attacks on Obama, Herbert writes, or that many Americans see the president only as "that black guy in the White House, and they want him out of there." More»

(NEWSER) - Sorry, Jimmy Carter: The White House doesn't think hostility toward President Obama is motivated by race, the Washington Post reports. “The president does not believe that the criticism comes based on the color of his skin,” said Robert Gibbs. Carter started a firestorm by asserting just that—the fervent anti-Obama animosity, he said, "is based on the fact that he is a black man." Administration officials say that while race might be a factor for some, people are mostly upset at his sweeping reform proposals. More»