Yesterday afternoon I wrote about an AP story that implied that the ethnic makeup and racial history of John Roberts’ hometown had affected his positions on affirmative action and Title IX. Since the AP has now declared that public officials’ hometowns are fair game for this kind of guilt-by-assciation speculating, some MB readers want to apply it to other politicians. For instance:

Democratic Presidential nominee Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton (D-NY) and her husband, former President Bill Clinton, reside in a suburb of New York City. Not only does the former President maintain his office in New York City, but according to knowledgeable sources, both Sen. Clinton and her husband “love” the city and spend significant time socializing and raising money there.
New York City was a hotbed of racist violence in the 1860s — culminating in a 3-day riot during July 11-13, 1863 in response to the refusal by New Yorkers to defend the Union and to end slavery in the South. Over 50,000 New Yorkers terrorized neighborhoods on the East Side of New York for three days looting scores of stores. Blacks were the targets of most attacks on citizens; several lynchings and beatings occurred. In addition, a black church and orphanage were burned to the ground. All in all, the mob caused more than $1.5 million of damage. The number killed or wounded during the riot is unknown, but estimates range from two dozen to nearly 100. Eventually, Lincoln deployed combat troops from the Federal Army of the Potomac to restore order; they remained encamped around the city for several weeks. In the end, the draft raised only about 150,000 troops throughout the North, about three-quarters of them substitutes, amounting to just one-fifth of the total Union force.
Mrs. Clinton is originally from Illinois, which despite being the home state of President Lincoln, was also a major source of “copperheads” — northerners who supported slavery.
Mrs. Clinton, as far as can be determined, has never renounced either those New Yorkers who engaged in the 1860s race riots or the “copperheads” from her native state.
For over 20 years, Mrs. Clinton resided in Arkansas. Arkansas seceded from the …..

If they were willing to hide these inconvenient facts, What ELSE haven’t the Clinton’s told us about their states’ dark past?

Over at Confirm Them, Marshall Manson wrote to the AP’s editors to criticize this sleazy story. He got a less-than-convincing response.