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In a startling bit of racism, Manuel Miranda, a former aide to Republican Sen. Bill Frist told conservative bloggers that, “We aren’t like African Americans. We think like everyone else.” This begs the question, for Mr. Miranda how do African Americans think differently from everyone else? I’d love an explanation.

At the Heritage Foundation, Miranda said, “Hispanic polls, Hispanic surveys, indicate that Hispanics think just like everyone else. We’re not like African-Americans. We think just like everybody else. When I was on the leader’s staff, someone called me once and asked me: ‘What’s Senator Frist’s Hispanic agenda?’ I said, ‘low taxes, better education, more jobs … what are you talking about?’ And that’s how Hispanics are. This is an opportunity to educate them on all of our issues and they will resonate in the way that they resonate with everyone else.”

Miranda was discussing how Republicans can argue against Sonia Sotomayor without alienating Hispanic voters, when he managed to slip in that racist jab. Do Asian-Americans think differently from everyone else too? How about Native Americans? Who is everyone else? Miranda’s entire point was lost the second he let out his inner racist.

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Is this the way that some Republicans think of Barack Obama? Does the president think differently because he is half African-American? Even though, Miranda himself is Hispanic, he is ignoring reality. Hispanics will never come back to the GOP until Republicans adjust their hard line stance on immigration.

When Republicans started treating Hispanic immigrants like criminals, they lost the Hispanic vote. There is a way to argue against Sotomayor without offending anyone. The GOP should drop the racial and gender attacks, and stick to discusses her record and judicial philosophy. However, Rush Limbaugh and the right wing media are going to continue to put the Republicans in an impossible position, and Sotomayor will be easily confirmed.

(H/T: Think Progress)