Race is now a major part of the Democratic nomination fight and yesterday saw the resignation of Clinton advisor Geraldine Ferraro after a racially insensitive remark. Last night Hillary Clinton herself apologizing to black voters for other statements made by her husband which were seen in the black community as racist.

Many are charging a patter of racism in the Clinton campaign from advisors and see this nomination fight as potentially causing major and possibly long-standing rifts in the party.

The recent news has also brought a renewed interest in the controversial teachings of Barack Obama’s spiritual advisor Rev. Jeremiah Wright, whose name along with Obama supporter Louis Farrakhan was brought up in a recent Democratic debate and whose teachings are seen as anti-white, anti-Semetic and anti-American. ABC News did the following piece on Wright, who married the Senator and was the inspiration for his book title, “The Audacity of Hope”. The piece is linked below.

In the piece Reverend Wright is seen saying the US is under the influence of the KKK and that the US was deserving of of the attacks of 911 because of its foreign policy. Also making its way through the blogosphere is this clip of the Reverend discussing Senator Obama’s campaign against Senator Clinton:

In the clip Wright compares Barack Obama to Jesus Christ and says , “Jesus was a poor black man who lived in a country and who lived in a culture that was controlled by rich white people… Barack Obama doesn’t fit the model, he ain’t white, he ain’t rich and he ain’t privileged. Hillary fits the mold… Hillary was not a black boy raised in a single parent home, Barack was, Barack knows what it means to be a black man living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people. Hillary has never been called a nigger.”

For years Democrats have at best exploited and at worst distorted language by members of the Republican Party, labeling it racist or sexist and using the comments campaign and fundraising issues, often calling upon high ranking Republicans and candidates for office to resign. Democrats have used these various incidents as evidence of a pattern of racial insensitivity within the party.

Interestingly enough, Jeremiah Wright’s comments mirror those made by Pat Robertson and Jerry Falwell after 911, both of whom were condemned by Democrats because they are Republican supporters. Meanwhile the back and forth, “i gotcha” game of taking a quote and charging racism, sexism or anti-Semetism, has been used by Democrats against figures like Pat Robertson, Senator George Allen and Senator Trent Lott in recent years. Now Democrats seem poised to continue this tactic internally choosing to exploit one another rather than their Republican opposition.

Also of note on the subject of surrogates and their influence on candidates, news also sprung up yesterday of John McCain’s spiritual advisor calling for christians to destroy Islam.