Romney's race card

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

In "Who's a racist?" (Opinion, Oct. 30), Cal Thomas attacked retired Army Col. Lawrence Wilkerson, Colin Powell's former chief of staff, for saying that the Republican Party "is full of racists" who want President Barack Obama defeated because he is black.

"When the race card is played this close to the election, I suspect the pro-Obama forces are sensing trouble," Thomas pontificated. Incredibly, nowhere in his column did the conservative hack note that Wilkerson was responding to a comment by John Sununu, a co-chairman of Gov. Mitt Romney's presidential campaign, that questioned Republican Powell's motive for supporting Obama: "When you take a look at Colin Powell, you have to wonder if that's an endorsement based on issues, or whether he's got a slightly different reason for preferring President Obama."

To elaborate, Sununu said: "I think when you have somebody of your own race that you're proud of being president of the United States, I applaud Colin for standing with him."

It's the Romney camp that is playing the race card. Shame.

Bryce Colby

Salt Lake City