Let’s imagine for a moment that there’s a fictional Senator John Smith (R-VA). And let’s imagine he’s minority or majority leader (hey, we’re imagining). Okay.

Now let’s imagine a new book was being published that revealed Senator Smith had said that a certain black candidate had a chance to win the presidency largely because he’s “light-skinned” and lacks a “negro dialect” except when he wants to have one.

While we’re at it, let’s imagine Senator Smith tried to get ahead of the controversy by apologizing to the black candidate for the years-old comment he had no problem having made until now.

Who here thinks Senator Smith, Republican from Virginia, would easily be forgiven by the Congressional Black Caucus and NAACP? Who here thinks Al Sharpton would be apologizing for Senator Smith?

Of course, all of the aforementioned groups and individuals would be demanding his resignation from party leadership, if not the U.S. Senate. As Mark Knoller of CBS News wrote this morning:

Would Reid defenders feel the same way if a top Republican had made the same remarks about Obama in 2008?

Of course not. The Republican would be labeled a racist, trashed in the media, condemned by the NAACP and Congressional Black Caucus, and suffer the wrath of Al Sharpton and his merry band of race-baiters.

But Harry Reid is a liberal who votes for a liberal agenda, so his blatantly-racist and offensive comments will be forgiven. Just as long as he keeps toeing the liberal line.