S.C. GOP chairmen: DeMint like a ‘Jew’ who is ‘watching pennies’

Two South Carolina GOP chairmen declared to a local newspaper that criticism of Senator Jim DeMint is unfair because he is like a "Jew" who is "watching our nation's pennies."

James S. Ulmer Jr., who chairs the Orangeburg County GOP, and Edwin O. Merwin Jr., who chairs the Bamberg County GOP wrote a letter to South Carolina newspaper "The Times and Democrat" that said:

"There is a saying that the Jews who are wealthy got that way not by watching dollars, but instead by taking care of the pennies and the dollars taking care of themselves," the wrote. "By not using earmarks to fund projects for South Carolina and instead using actual bills, DeMint is watching our nation’s pennies and trying to preserve our country’s wealth and our economy’s viability to give all an opportunity to succeed."

The xenophobic stereotype was issued while attempting to rebut and op-ed South Carolina State Rep. Bakari Sellers, the vice chair of the state's Democratic party. In his piece, Representative Bakari wrote that DeMint had done a bad job in bringing federal monies into the state in the form of contracts and jobs, while praising fellow republican Senator Lindsey Graham.

"Sen. DeMint cedes his funding allotments to other states by not requesting projects on behalf of South Carolinians," Sellers opined. "Like Sen. DeMint, Sen. Graham regularly supports measures to restrict earmarks. However, he works vigorously to secure funding for South Carolina because he understands the present reality: If we don't get it, it goes to other states."

The comments have already drawn fire from conservative groups, including the "Palmetto Scoop" a conservative E-zine which showed exasperation over the comments.

Umm… who in mainstream America thinks it’s a good idea to write something like that in a guest editorial? Especially in light of the racially-motivated attention garnered by South Carolina Republican activists over the past few months.