You know the political season is is in its home stretch when folks are either this desperate to tar their enemies with anything they think might stick—or they figure that they have no credibility left to lose—when you read something like this from Lewis Diuguid, Kansas City Star Editorial Page columnist:

Shame on McCain and Palin for using an old code word for black

The "socialist" label that Sen. John McCain and his GOP presidential running mate Sarah Palin are trying to attach to Sen. Barack Obama actually has long and very ugly historical roots.

J. Edgar Hoover, director of the FBI from 1924 to 1972, used the term liberally to describe African Americans who spent their lives fighting for equality.

Those freedom fighters included the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., who led the Civil Rights Movement; W.E.B. Du Bois, who in 1909 helped found the NAACP which is still the nation's oldest and largest civil rights organization; Paul Robeson, a famous singer, actor and political activist who in the 1930s became involved in national and international movements for better labor relations, peace and racial justice; and A. Philip Randolph, who founded and was the longtime head of the Brotherhood of Sleeping Car Porters and a leading advocate for civil rights for African Americans.

McCain and Palin have simply reached back in history to use an old code word for black. It set whites apart from those deemed unAmerican and those who could not be trusted during the communism scare.

Shame on McCain and Palin.

At the risk of stating the oh-so-obvious, Barack Obama has been black a lot longer than he has been identified as a socialist. In fact, as recently as 10 days ago, he was a democrat, an extreme liberal, inexperienced, naive, rabidly pro-abortion, but not a socialist. He has himself to thank for that label. What makes people say he is a socialist--the reason he comes across as so dangerous to small business and the economy in general--are the things that come out of his mouth, the positions he espouses, his proposed tax and spend plan, and the questionable company he keeps. Of course, what brought it to a head was the response he gave to the much maligned and abused Joe the Plumber, who sought to challenge That One (or, The One, if you prefer), over the problems his tax plan would pose to Joe's plans for future business ownership. I am sure you remember the response. Obama told him that he (Obama) was going to tax Joe to “spread the wealth around.”

Regardless of what J. Edgar Hoover said, white or black, that is an admission of socialist thought. It will hurt US businesses, especially small businesses, it will ruin our chances to regain prosperity and it will limit the opportunities of average Americans to realize the American Dream. The Chinese have realized the drawbacks of socialism, the Russians and their satellites have as well. Now, if we could only convince Obama, Pelosi, Ried and their media protectors and apologists like Diuguid, MSNBC and The New York Times, we might get somewhere.