Liberal Website Suggests RNC Spokesman Is a Skinhead

This smear is so profoundly treacherous, that even the DNC spokesman felt compelled to call out the liberal website Talking Points Memo for posting a picture of RNC spokesman Sean Spicer subtly depicting him as a skin head.

Daily Caller:

Democratic National Committee spokesman Mo Elleithee felt compelled to protect his Republican counterpart from a subtle, yet indefensible attack by the liberal Talking Points Memo website, calling their dishonest attempt to suggest he is a skinhead “over the line.”

Like many other outlets, TPM published an account of the fiery Friday morning exchange between CNN anchor Carol Costello and RNC spokesman Sean Spicer over the media’s treatment of Republicans in the wake of rancher Cliven Bundy’s racist comments.

Here’s how Spicer appeared this morning:

Notice the full, if relatively closely-cropped, head of hair. TPM used a slight variation of this image on their original story on the exchange between Spicer and Costello.

Why are we obsessing about Spicer’s hair? Check out the image TPM used while tweeting a link to the same article:

NOT THE SAME HEAD OF HAIR. Not even close. Also no tie, but nice try. TPM clearly took this image of Spicer’s shaved head from an earlier, unspecified date.

Why go through the trouble to dig up an old picture, cleverly disguised with the same background, of the RNC communications director with almost no hair? Raffi Williams, press secretary for the RNC, thinks he knows the answer:

.@seanspicer shaved head for charity. @TPM uses photo to try and make him look like a white supremist. #RealClassy pic.twitter.com/FrXkiiQD3q

— Raffi Williams (@Raffiwilliams) April 25, 2014

DNC spokeswoman Mo Elleithee agreed, tweeting:

Agree, over the line MT @Raffiwilliams: @seanspicer shaved head 4 charity. @TPM uses pic 2 look like white supremist pic.twitter.com/Wt0DKMwVpr

— Mo Elleithee (@MoElleithee) April 25, 2014

TPM has since changed the picture of Spicer to a more contemporary one, but the point had been made. What’s the point?

That freshening breeze you feel is a gigantic sigh of relief from liberals all over America who are now able to avoid a discussion of some of the issues raised by Cliven Bundy. That fact that Bundy uttered some shockingly insensitive comments about race has saved the left from having to debate issues like government overreach, government intimidation, government land grabs, and the Constitution.

Whatever Bundy has said, whatever he’s done, whatever he thinks — it is all a distraction, as I’ll explain on the next page. The issue is not Cliven Bundy’s racism or lack thereof — it is the growing power of government at the expense of our liberty that is the issue. Bundy is wrong about a lot of things, and what’s happening at his ranch — and what is about to happen when the BLM returns — is political theater. It is not germane to the vital importance of some of the issues that have surfaced as a result of his fight with Washington.

Bundy is a messenger. You can discredit him, but how does that change the issues that need to be debated? To distract from the serious issues raised by his futile fight, the left has leaped upon his oblivious remarks about slavery and race and is clinging to them as a drowning man clings to a life preserver. Of course, trying to smear the entire Republican party as TPM attempted is a bonus. And TPM isn’t the only offender on the left trying to tie every last Republican to Bundy’s coattails.

Many conservatives are making the mistake of trying to defend Bundy, or spin his remarks. By doing so, you’re only drawing the connection between Bundy and the responsible right even closer. Let the drama at his ranch play out — hopefully in the courts — and concentrate on what’s important.