Memphis Race-Baiter Sings the Blues

Memphis is the home of W.C. Handy, father of the blues. It is also the home of Rep. Steve Cohen, the only white Congressman to represent a majority-black district in the South (hat tip: BV reader Sandy Koss).

After the votes were counted in the 9th Congressional District Democratic primary election, Cohen's closest challenger, attorney Nikki Tinker, was singing the blues. In a rematch of their 2006 primary race, she found out that Cohen still was not someone to be, well, tinkered with. Cohen handily defeated Tinker 79 percent to 19 percent.

In a racially-charged campaign, Tinker tried to link Cohen to the Ku Klux Klan. She also released an attack ad that many believed used racial code to smear the Jewish Cohen as anti-Christian.

Tinker's race-baiting attracted national attention and widespread criticism. Barack Obama, the de facto head of the Democratic Party, said in a statement:

These incendiary and personal attacks have no place in our politics, and will do nothing to help the good people of Tennessee. It's time to turn the page on a politics driven by negativity and division so that we can come together to lift up our communities and our country.

Indeed, the community came together in Memphis and kicked Nikki Turner to the curb – again. In declaring victory, Cohen said:

It says Memphis has come a long, long way and that people who were counting on racial voting to prevail are thinking of a Memphis that doesn't exist anymore. The people of Memphis are more sophisticated voters that deal with issues and someone's record and not simply race.

They are also dancing in the street in another music city. Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick was sent to jail yesterday for violating the terms of his release bond. Kilpatrick faces perjury, obstruction of justice and other felony charges stemming from an affair with his former chief of staff.