When liberals use the word "racist" these days, they normally do so in two contexts First, they use it to end discussion of a vexing issue such as racial preferences or even tax cuts or welfare reform (per Charlie Rangel and John Lewis). Second, they use it as a gratuitous insult, one that they, by virtue of their status as liberals, feel entitled to hurl indiscriminately at conservatives

Comedian Al Franken is an insult man, not a commentator on vexing issues. Thus, it is not surprising that his gratuitous reference to David Horowitz as a "racist" falls into the second category of usage described in the previous paragraph. As Jay Nordlinger points out, however, Horowitz does not take such insults without fighting back. Thus, as Nordlinger puts it, Horowitz has answered "in a big damning way." The response includes this:

As it happens I marched in my first civil rights protest in 1948 before Al Franken was born. For more than fifty years I have supported minorities and defended their civil rights in public word and deed, and raised millions of dollars to help inner city minorities whom racism has scarred. In fact there is no single cause – except America’s wars against totalitarian foes – to which I have devoted myself more consistently that than that of racial equality. Not a shred of evidence exists to the contrary. I have written more than a million words on racial and political matters -- all of them public record. There is not a single sentence, or phrase, or comment of mine that could be cited to justify Franken’s attack. . . .

My answer to Al Franken is this: I am going to post your photograph on FrontPageMag.com, which is viewed by a million visitors monthly. The photo will be identified with these words: “Al Franken,: Racist.” The photo will be prominently posted until you apologize to me publicly for this attack. When you have made an apology, I will disclose my evidence for characterizing you as a racist or withdraw the charge.

I'm guessing there will be no Franken apology given what likely would follow. So I'll have to get used to seeing Franken's mug on a daily basis.

UPDATE: David Horowitz writes: "Thanks for the support. As the hammering I've received in the last two days from MediaMatters [shows], Al's pals are not going to take this rebuke lying down."