In a political climate where President Obama has gotten dinged for "playing the race card" when he acknowledged taking offense at being described as "uppity" by Republicans, I guess it's only fair to ding Herman Cain for playing the race card over accusations that he sexually harassed female employees when he headed the National Restaurant Association in the 1990s.
Never mind that some white politicians have been chastised for similar offenses. Mr. Cain's fellow Republican, Newt Gingrich, was roundly criticized for his serial marriages, although it doesn't seem to have hurt his career much.
Although that's not quite so true for the now-unemployed former Democratic presidential contender John Edwards, don't even mention the slap-on-the-wrist presidential impeachment imposed on Monica Lewinsky's former boyfriend, Bill Clinton.
Still, I wouldn't be surprised if the next edition of Webster's Unabridged Dictionary listed the Republican Party as its example of the meaning of the expression "double standard."
Thad Paulhamus, Baltimore