Dean calls the GOP out

Dean laid down the gauntlet on the Republican's Southern Strategy in a speech delivered at the opening of his South Carolina office (o-blog post on it here). In this speech Dean openly declares that the Republican party has built their coalition, in part, on a deliberate attempt to appeal to racist tendencies among some voters. This is one of the biggest open secrets in American politics of the last 40 years. But this is the first time I can recall a presidential candidate making this a centerpiece of his campaign against the Republicans.

Good for Dean! It's long past time that this ugly truth sees the light of day. It is now up to the Republicans to deny that this is what they have been doing. For once it is them that is being put on the defensive.