Harry Reid’s remorse is prompted because these unfortunate comments recorded in a book coming out soon.  His remorse and apology is at least in part meant to preempt any political fallout.  President Obama has immediately and unconditionally accepted this apology.  So have those on the left who derive their political influence by being arbiters of who is and who is not “correct” on matters of race. These same actors are not so forgiving of those who are not politically useful to his party members and leaders like Speaker Pelosi and President Obama.  If there is power to be gained by such hustlers, don’t count on the same kind of graciousness.

Harry Reid’s comment would lead a rational person to understand that the senator believed that there is some set of attributes by which a black man is authentic, and absent those attributes, he is not.  It is contemptuous of individuality, it is at odds with the profoundly American ideal that we are each our own man and are born unencumbered and free and able to be who we will.

This was not a youthful indiscretion.  Less than two years ago, one of the most powerful men in America thought that there was a right way and a wrong way to be a black man.  Hopefully, even at this late stage in his career, Senator Reid can update his prejudices to include men like our president.  Fortunately for Harry Reid, he is politically useful and won’t have his career destroyed.

Will Russ Carnahan reflect publicly on the prejudice of his own party’s leadership?  Will his sister Robin who hopes to be our state’s junior senator?  I stand ready to be proven wrong, but I won’t be holding my breath.  Russ Carnahan’s party has a well-established pattern of  only denouncing prejudice – real or imagined – when there is a political advantage.