No Racists Here

Mickey Kaus' rejection of John McCain's effort to make nice on immigration is fascinating:

McCain said he had "respect" for opponents of his immigration plan (which he didn't renounce) "for I know that the vast majority of critics to the bill based their opposition in a principled defense of the rule of law." Not like those others who base their opposition on bigoted yahoo nativism! McCain's semi-conciliatory words aren't what you say when you really respect your opposition--then you say "I know we have honest disagreements." Not "I know most of you aren't really racists." Even his suckup betrayed how he really feels. Which I suspect is sneering contempt!

So he's holding out for McCain to make the extremely implausible claim that there's not a single bigoted yahoo in the anti-immigration movement? I thought Mickey schtick used to be that just because all his favorite causes are also the favorite cause of racists didn't necessarily mean people who agreed with him are racists. Now I guess it's all-or-nothing; either you think there's no racism in the United States, or else he's got no time for you. Weird.