I've already made it clear that for Harry Reid to stay on as Senate Majority Leader following the disclosure of his racial comments about Barack Obama would be indicative of rank hypocrisy on the part of the Democrats, the media, and the civil rights establishment. But it also raises another issue, one that is ugly and unpleasant, and indicative of another double standard on the part of the liberal troika mentioned above -- the issue of racism and Harry Reid's Mormon religion.

Now mind you, I do not believe that being a Mormon is a bad thing, though I reject that faith for a variety of theological reasons. But I cannot help but be struck by the fact that, during the race for the 2008 GOP presidential nomination, that same liberal cabal made much of the fact that Romney was a Mormon and that there was a history of racial exclusion within Mormonism -- a history that led to accusations that Romney was presumptively racist for remaining in the faith in which he was raised and for not denouncing its past. And note, please, that the accusation was based merely upon his having been raised a Mormon and remaining in that faith, not any words or actions that could be in any sense described as racist in and of themselves.

Then what of Harry Reid? After all, by his own admission he made a conscious choice as an adult to become a Mormon. What's more, Harry Reid has an objective record of racially insensitive words and actions. Will the Left make the same sort of attack upon Reid for his faith and link these incidents to that faith? Will there be an inquiry into why he has not publicly made a denunciation of the past practices of the LDS Church -- practices that were ongoing when he converted to that faith as an adult? Or will his membership in the Democrat Party be sufficient to shield him from such accusations and inquisitions?

Mind you, I'm not attempting to link racism and Mormonism. I do not believe there is a link. Neither do i believe that Harry Reid and his religion should become a matter of inquiry regarding his fitness for office. Rather, I simply want to remind people that there is an objectively different standard applied to Republicans on matters of race and religion than there is to Democrats -- and the time has come for Americans of good will to either hold Democrats to that same standard or acknowledge that it is illegitimate to apply it to Republicans.