Bob Herbert finds this comment by Glenn Beck to be beyond the pale.

Facts and reality mean nothing to Beck. And there is no road too low for him to slither upon. The Southern Poverty Law Center tells us that in a twist on the civil rights movement, Beck said on the air that he “wouldn’t be surprised if in our lifetime dogs and fire hoses are released or opened on us. I wouldn’t be surprised if a few of us get a billy club to the head. I wouldn’t be surprised if some of us go to jail — just like Martin Luther King did — on trumped-up charges. Tough times are coming.”

He makes you want to take a shower.

I don't know what facts and reality Bob is talking about, but the fact and reality of his column is that he hates 'uppity white man' Glenn Beck with a passion, along with the half million or so people, estimated by the media to be attending the "Restoring Honor" even on the Washington Mall. Enough to let loose the dogs and take a few whacks at the bitter-clingers with a billy-club?

Well, let's see--someone shot out the front door of the Republican headquarters in Maryland. Tea Party protesters have been attacked by crazed left-wingers on several occasions. A gold-star Mom was told by a code-pink protester that her son deserved to die because he had gone to Iraq.

Those are facts. That's reality.

Barack Obama's attitude towards white, bitter-clingers is also a matter of record. Is the President a racist? Well, I guess that depends on how you define your terms. If a white candidate had denigrated black subculture with the terms 'bitter' and 'clinger', would he or she be accused of racism?

Damn right they would.

If Bob Herbert comes at me with a billy club, he'll know he was in a fight.