The political world rarely offers examples of projection as perfect as this one.
The clip, by way of my friend Kyle Mantyla at Right Wing Watch, shows scandal-plagued activist Ralph Reed, talking to Republicans in Florida about how dangerous President Obama and his team are in a campaign.
As Reed sees it, "They're coming with a knife in an alley.... Don't underestimate Obama and don't underestimate his team. There is nothing they will not do to win an election. This guy is as tough and as mean and as cynical as any politician you'll ever see. There's nothing he's not willing to do."
Perhaps I'm oversensitive on this, but characterizing the president as a violent thug, ready to strike "with a knife in an alley," seems to come with a not-so-subtle racial subtext.
But even putting that aside, the irony of Ralph Reed, who disgraced himself in the Abramoff scandal, complaining about anyone being ruthless is almost amusing.
Reed did, after all, once describe his own campaign tactics this way: "I paint my face and travel at night. You don't know it's over until you're in a body bag."
Is this guy really in a position to accuse others of being "mean and cynical"?
