There's been a troubling spike in anti-Arab and anti-Muslim bigotry in the last few weeks of the Presidential campaign. The reason is obvious: the Democratic Presidential candidate is an insufficiently blond, insufficiently blue-eyed guy for the tastes of some, and his middle name - don't tell anyone - is Hussein. Quite a few topline GOP surrogates have jumped into that pit with naked feet, gleefully crowing about cough different cough anti-American cough terrorist, as if everyone didn't know exactly what they meant.

It's very tempting to make that sad fact into a blunt partisan cudgel. Tempting, but not up to the historical moment, because something more important is going on here. Witness this video of McCain supporters rejecting and shaming one of their own.

(Via American News Project)

Muslims are in America to stay, just as Japanese stayed after Korematsu, just as Jews a century ago were not deterred from finding their dreams despite a vicious anti-Semitic backlash. Even better, Muslims are organizing politically.

All Americans have a real opportunity in the midst of this intolerant backlash. There are things happening these days that are truly, as Governor Palin would say, anti-American. Now is the time for all Americans of good will to stand up and say that they won't be a part of that.