BRIAN WILLIAMS: PLEASE DO NOT LET RICK SANTORUM SLIDE TONIGHT

This is the kind of ignorant bigotry in the Republican Party that should no longer be tolerated; don't be intimidated by Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich attacking the media with false charges of a "gotcha" question. Seconding what Bob Schrum said: The question and clarification from Mr. Santorum NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED TONIGHT.

An ignorant, racist woman at a Santorum event falsely charged President Obama with being a Muslim (nothing wrong if he were, other than her bigotry) and OUTRAGEOUSLY charged him with not being legally and constitutionally our President. Even more OUTRAGEOUS, unlike John McCain's honorable rebuttal to similar bigotry four years ago, Rick Santorum said NOTHING to correct these falsehoods. Rick Santorum and Newt Gingrich should be reminded, as Catholics, of their Church calling on them "to reject the politics of racial division":

An Open Letter to Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum

As Catholic leaders who recognize that the moral scandals of racism and poverty remain a blemish on the American soul, we challenge our fellow Catholics Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum to stop perpetuating ugly racial stereotypes on the campaign trail. Mr. Gingrich has frequently attacked President Obama as a “food stamp president” and claimed that African Americans are content to collect welfare benefits rather than pursue employment. Campaigning in Iowa, Mr. Santorum remarked: “I don’t want to make black people’s lives better by giving them somebody else’s money.” Labeling our nation’s first African-American president with a title that evokes the past myth of “welfare queens” and inflaming other racist caricatures is irresponsible, immoral and unworthy of political leaders.

Some presidential candidates now courting “values voters” seem to have forgotten that defending human life and dignity does not stop with protecting the unborn. We remind Mr. Gingrich and Mr. Santorum that Catholic bishops describe racism as an “intrinsic evil” and consistently defend vital government programs such as food stamps and unemployment benefits that help struggling Americans. At a time when nearly 1 in 6 Americans live in poverty, charities and the free market alone can’t address the urgent needs of our most vulnerable neighbors. And while jobseekers outnumber job openings 4-to-1, suggesting that the unemployed would rather collect benefits than work is misleading and insulting.

As the South Carolina primary approaches, we urge Mr. Gingrich, Mr. Santorum and all presidential candidates to reject the politics of racial division, refrain from offensive rhetoric and unite behind an agenda that promotes racial and economic justice.

Francis X. Doyle

Associate General Secretary

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (retired)

Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Institute Leadership Team:

Sisters Patricia McDermott, RSM (President) Eileen Campbell, RSM Anne Curtis, RSM Mary Pat Gavin, RSM Deborah Troillett, RSM