Although it certainly seems plausible that, as former President Jimmy Carter said Tuesday, the intense hostility directed at President Barack Obama of late is partly rooted in racism, Obama apparently begs to differ. –KA

Reuters via Google News:

President Barack Obama’s spokesman publicly disagreed with former President Jimmy Carter on Wednesday over Carter’s contention that some conservative opposition to Obama is based on race.

“The president does not think it is based on the color of his skin,” White House spokesman Robert Gibbs told reporters.

Carter injected race into Obama’s struggle for a healthcare overhaul after South Carolina Republican Representative Joe Wilson shouted “You lie” at Obama during a healthcare speech in Congress last week and thousands of conservatives rallied opposition to Obama at demonstrations in Washington.

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