Conservative shock-jock Rush Limbaugh's the hit-person-of-the-day for using a term in a monologue that's generally taken to be racially offensive, even though it's formal definition has nothing to do with race.
On his show, Rush twice used the word "spade," which can be used as a racial slur. Specifically, Limbaugh said that "Obama is holding his own against both of them [Bill and Hillary Clinton], doing more than his share of the 'spadework,' maybe even gaining ground at the moment, using not only the spade, ladies and gentlemen. But when he finishes with the spade in the garden of corruption planted by the Clintons, he turns to the hoe. And so the spadework and his expertise, using a hoe. He's faring well."
But as people are piling on Rush for using the term, they seemed to forget that Senator Clinton's staff used the same words on July 24, 2007....
In a post-debate rebuttal of Sen. Obama, reported by CBS, a member of Sen. Clinton's inner circle had this to say:
"I would think that without having done the diplomatic spadework, it would not really prove anything," former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright said in a conference call with reporters set up by the Clinton campaign. It's not the first time Senator Clinton has done this.
According to Rush Limbaugh himself, Senator Clinton
herself has used the term "spadework" before. Here's Rush:
BEGIN TRANSCRIPT
RUSH: Did you hear what Mrs. Clinton said on the Today Show today with Matt Lauer? She said that Barack Obama "hasn't done the spadework necessary to be president." He "hasn't done the spadework necessary to be president," as though she has. Now, let's imagine, shall we, if Trent Lott, or Mitt Romney, or Ross Perot had said that Barack Obama "hasn't done the spadework necessary to be president." Nothing that happens in the Clinton campaign is coincidence, folks. Barack Obama hasn't done the "spadework"? Whew. Where is the Reverend Sharpton on this? By the way, big story: Reverend Sharpton is waiting on his time to endorse. He's waiting for commitments. That means he's probably waiting for money from one of these two camps. He's right. Where's Al Sharpton on this issue?
And why do the Clintons throw racist barbs into the campaign? Al?
