Reply #10: "None of the reports at the time about Shaheen's miscue mentioned... racial overtones."

[VolcanoJen]

None of the reports? Right. Except for just about every African-American blog in the country. Jack&Jill, Halfrican... they called it what it was from the get-go.

Shaheen suggested that it may come out that Obama "dealt" drugs. Now, we all know Bill Clinton and George W Bush were drug-users. And I don't recall anyone taking it further at the time and suggesting it possible that either of those two men may have "dealt" drugs.

Here's a "report" on what Shaheen said, when he said it:

Shaheen said Obama's candor on the subject would "open the door" to further questions. "It'll be, 'When was the last time? Did you ever give drugs to anyone? Did you sell them to anyone?'" Shaheen said. "There are so many openings for Republican dirty tricks. It's hard to overcome."

Sean Wilentz conveniently left the "drug-dealer" suggestion out of his piece. At the time of the comments, it was specifically Shaheen's "drug dealer" suggestion that infuriated the African American community. Wilentz is re-packaging Shaheen's actual comments to fit his meme.