Louis Farrakhan, leader of the famously anti-Semitic Nation of Islam, is a repulsive figure on the fringes of American politics. But he’s not as much on the fringes as he should be. Rep. Todd Rokita (R-IN) introduced a resolution in the House formally condemning Farrakhan for “promoting ideas that create animosity and anger” aimed at Jewish Americans and Judaism, and condemning “all manifestations of expressions of racism, anti-Semitism, and ethnic or religious intolerance.” It was a politically shrewd move, because so many Democrats just can’t bring themselves to denounce Farrakhan. Indeed, as our Arnold Ahlert wrote last week, the entire Democrat Party is slouching towards anti-Semitism.

That became even more clear Monday when Black Lives Matter, the New Black Panther Party and Al Sharpton’s National Action Network led a lobbying effort on Capitol Hill not about denouncing Farrakhan’s racism but to block Rokita’s resolution condemning it. Instead, these rabble rousers want a resolution condemning President Donald Trump for his perceived racism.

Gary Bauer noted the sad truth in the form of some questions: “Did they lobby for criminal justice reform? Better school safety measures in the inner cities? Expanding enterprise zones to boost economic opportunity in black communities? Sadly, their presence on Capitol Hill had nothing to do with any of those causes.” Instead, they’re defending a reprehensible man.

Several Democrats have met with Farrakhan, including perhaps most prominently DNC Deputy Chair Rep. Keith Ellison, but also Representatives Maxine Waters (CA), Barbara Lee (CA), Danny Davis (IL), Andre Carson (IN), Gregory Meeks (NY) and and Al Green (TX). Ellison in particular has sought to dismiss those connections, but he’s been caught in the lie. Even The Washington Post gave him “Four Pinocchios.” In a blog post this past Sunday, Ellison continued to protest too much, and Davis recently defended Farrakhan as “an outstanding human being.”

Also recently, a 2005 photo surfaced of an up-and-coming Barack Obama smiling next to Farrakhan. If only he had been vetted sooner.

To sum it up, the fundamental problem is that elected Democrats are either unconvincingly distancing themselves from a racist reprobate or they’re utterly embracing him and calling him good. And they want us to trust them with governing.