Civility My Ass

One reason I always worry about Washington doyens lamenting the lack of "civility" in our politics, lay in the fact that they are liable to conflate a lack of "civility," with people who they do not like.  Thus we have the likes of Lanny Davis arguing that, by highlighting racism,  Jimmy Carter "has shamefully contributed to what we would call in in-civil dialogue."

Here are Jimmy Carter's words:

"I think an overwhelming portion of the intensely demonstrated animosity toward President Barack Obama is based on the fact that he is a black man, that he's African-American," Carter told "NBC Nightly News."

"I live in the South, and I've seen the South come a long way, and I've seen the rest of the country that shares the South's attitude toward minority groups at that time, particularly African-Americans."

I obviously disagree with that contention, and have said as much. But it isn't lacking in civility--it's simply lacking in agreement with Lanny Davis. Seriously, I'll take Hitler signs at Tea Parties, Joe Wilson shouting from the floor, over Davis sanctimonious hectoring.