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Republicans are calling for DNC Chairman Howard Dean to step down after he made insensitive remarks during a recent speech. So what right? How many times has a news story started this way? Too many times to count. There is one important difference this time though. The insensitive remarks were made during a meeting of the DNC Black Caucus, and the Republicans are African Americans from Mississippi.

Mississippi Republican Executive committee Member Charles Evers said Dean should apologize and step down. He told reporters Monday that in a February 11th speech to the DNC Black Caucus, Dean said quote “You think the Republican National Committee could get this many people of color in a single room?” Then added, “Only if they had hotel staff in here.”

If a Republican had made the remark instead of a Democrat, the news coverage would be wall-to-wall. By now Jesse Jackson, Al Sharpton, Kweisi Mfume, and Louis Farrakhan would have logged their 60th hour (each) on the major networks, Nightline would have broadcast a special report and a town hall meeting, and Representatives Sheila Jackson Lee and Maxine Waters would have already called for hearings of impeachment for the president. Perhaps worst of all, folks like Chuck Hagel, Arlen Specter, and Olympia Snowe would have come out publicly calling for immediate resignation.

But no…there won’t be any mention of this by tomorrow. It’s called a double standard, and most of the time, the Democrats are allowed all the room they need.

Oh the irony.