Thanks to Newt Gingrichâ??s loose lips, the cat is out of the bag: The Republican Party, answering the call of a large part of its following, will continue its subtle and not-so-subtle uses of the â??race card.â? Gingrich said during the health care debate that â??much as Lyndon B. Johnson shattered the Democratic Party for 40 yearsâ? when Congress enacted civil rights legislation, President Barack Obamaâ??s health care reform will prove as destructive. His audience needs no reminder of Republican divisiveness, but Gingrich, no stranger to distorting history, demands correction.
(Kutler is a UW-Madison professor emeritus of history and author of â??The Wars of Watergateâ? and other writings. This column first appeared on truthdig.com.)