Glenn Reynolds uses the "Haley's not a racist" defense.

Here we go.

Given Yglesias’ tendency to call mild-mannered bloggers Nazis without reason, I think I’m siding with Halberstam.

Of course, now that everybody who’s ever disagreed with Obama has been called racist, the accusation doesn’t mean much. Just another currency inflated to worthlessness by our political class. . . .

The issue, again, isn't whether Haley Barbour is a racist. We can't know that, unless Haley Barbour says, "I'm a racist."

The issue is whether it's appropriate for a governor of a state to say that Jim Crow Mississippi wasn't "that bad" while saying nice things about hate groups.

"So-and-so's not a racist" is a red herring which absolves the speaker of ignorant/offensive racist garbage any wrongdoing in spewing it.

Note also Putz ignores the substance and just attacks Yglesias.

This is why Republican Southerners deserve every bit of the shit they get. They're always the first to leap to the defense of every redneck who gets caught saying the n-word on tape.