Say, remember that Bill Bennett thing?

Sure you do. Bill "Book of Virtues" Bennett said that aborting all African-American babies, while "an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing to do," would make the crime rate go down.

A probably at least latently racist, but certainly stupid, unfortunate and hurtful comment. But it happened at least three weeks ago, which is like two years in blog time. However, a timely fellow named Todd Manzi has just joined the conversation. He begins:

Everyone is weighing in on what Bill Bennett said on his radio program. Everyone is eager to offer their opinion on his words and whether or not he should have said them. Everyone is missing the point.

Um, no, Todd. Everyone was weighing in and eager to offer their opinion over two weeks ago. Now we're a little more interested in things like:

Bush knowing Rove was the CIA leak
Tom Delay's lawyer making claims he can't justify
Bush's patently unqualified nominee to the supreme court

But none of that lets you work up a head of steam about liberal Democrats, does it? As others have in the past, Manzi contrives to disingenuously miss what many found offensive about Bennett's remarks: The way his brain is apparently wired, black=criminal.

He continues at some length (to the tune of 2,906 words), but his basic point is contained in his affecting to be shocked-shocked! that:

Democrat Congressman John Conyers in a press release disguised as a letter to Salem Radio Network said:

. . . we simply cannot countenance statements and shows that are replete with racism, stereotyping, and profiling. Mr. Bennett’s statement is insulting to all of us and has no place on the nation’s public air waves.

Keep in mind that Conyers released his letter to a wire service with the hope that the story, now with him in it, would get play on the air waves. Conyers was attempting to gain more exposure of Bennett’s statement.

Dear god. You mean...a politican attempted to take advantage of a clumsy remark made by someone on the other side, and get himself a little media spotlight in the bargain? Say it ain't so. Manfred, bring me my smelling salts...

ETA: Oliver Willis adds to the chorus of horror:

It’s not like the right-wing has several hundred non-profit groups and politicians and media outlets that jump on an issue and bray like dogs in heat until it gets covered by the mainstream press no matter how sketchy the actual substance of the issue is - right?

The poor babies.