Presidential Race

The somewhat loquacious former President Jimmy Carter has said that Rep. Joe Wilson’s “You lie” outburst during President Barack Obama’s healthcare speech in Congress last week was racially motivated.

“I think it’s based on racism. There is an inherent feeling among many in this country that an African-American should not be president,” Carter said about Wilson’s incivility during a recent town hall at his presidential center in Atlanta.

The premise for Carter’s statement revolves around what the former president said was a alarming trend aimed at President Obama which have equated Obama to Nazi leaders. Carter described the South Carolina congressman’s comment as “dastardly” and suggested they embedded in racist views that have permeated American politics.

“The president is not only the head of government; he is the head of state. And no matter who he is or how much we disagree with his policies, the president should be treated with respect,” said Carter.

His comments drew the ire of the predictable Richard Steele, the first “African-American” chairman of the Republican National Committee.

“President Carter is flat out wrong. This isn’t about race. It is about policy,” he said in a statement. “This is a pathetic distraction by Democrats to shift attention away from the president’s wildly unpopular government-run healthcare plan that the American people simply oppose.”