Frank Rich on the Racist 'Idiots' of the G.O.P.

Even more ill-humored than usual, the Times' Sunday columnist rails against Christine O'Donnell, Michael Steele and the rest of the "useful idiots" in a Republican Party that routinely demonizes minorities.

Clay Waters

October 4, 2010 - 12:13pm

In his latest Sunday column, "The Very Useful Idiocy of Christine O'Donnell [1]," Frank Rich argued that liberals mock the controversial Republican Senate candidate from Connecticut at their peril, and went on to insult her, RNC chairman Michael Steele, and the rest of the "virtually all-white party."

By latching on to O'Donnell's growing presence, the Rove-Boehner-McConnell establishment can claim it represents struggling middle-class Tea Partiers rather than Wall Street potentates and corporate titans. O'Donnell's value is the same as that other useful idiot, Michael Steele, who remains at the Republican National Committee only because he can wave the banner of "diversity" over a virtually all-white party that alternately demonizes African-Americans, Latinos, gays and Muslims.