A reader writes:

The second generation story emerging from yesterday’s Billy Shaheen story is that African Americans are up in arms over the insinuation that Obama will be asked if he was a drug dealer.  On African American radio stations, callers were correctly observing that not even the most in-your-face reporters asked Al Gore or George W Bush if he actually sold drugs as opposed to using them.  Why is a black candidate who admitted to youthful drug use expected to answer such questions?  I truly think Hillary needs to fire Shaheen to repair the potential rift, and not just make him apologize, which is what they’ve done.  This story really could cause the first serious black flight from Hillary.

That hadn’t occurred to me, but it makes a great deal of sense. For Clinton to be targeting a black man for confessed past drug-use, while white politicians who dissemble (ahem) get a free pass, could be terrible for the Clinton black vote. Hence her sudden apology.

(Photo: Brendan Smialowski/Getty.)