Membership in all-white club isn’t a “racially insensitive comment” of course. But, depending on the circumstances, it’s not the greatest thing in the world either.

C – on the fair criticism scale.

Making fun of a liberal opponent for wanting to send money to Washington DC where the crack-smoking mayor is in all the headlines? Sounds like it’d be good politics if Barry was white.

D- on the fair criticism scale.

A heart surgeon who’s had his arms in countless blacks’ open-chest cavities says he doesn’t want to get stuck by sharpened pencils. Good lord! Alert the NAACP!

Incomplete. Perhaps with effort could be bumped to F-

A supporter makes an ill-advised but hardly outrageous comment, which might have been bad if actually uttered by Frist himself.

F

Republicans want to discourage a core Democratic constituency from voting Democratic. In other words, they treat blacks like any other voting bloc. Frist gives some money to some candidates who do this.

F+