One edged sword
If Thomas had been a Democrat, and Lott et al had voted against him for his liberal politics, every last Democrat and media leftist pundit on the face of the Earth would have said they voted against him because they were "racist."
You know I'm right.
Racism seems to be an amazing one-edged sword that only works when liberals wield it.
It's also worth pointing out that if Lott et al were REALLY racist, they would have voted against Thomas, regardless of his politics.