Tar Baby

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Here we go again, Rep. Lamborn likens Obama to a "tar baby". Here's the allegedly offensive yet appropriate use of the term,
LAMBORN: Even if some people say "well, the Republicans should have done this, or should have done that," they will hold the President responsible. Now, I don't even want to be associated with him, it's like touching a, a tar baby and you get it...you know you're stuck and you're part of the problem and you can't get away.

Use of the term "tar baby" is apparently, for certain folk of a certain persuasion, a tar baby. Just lettin' y'all know before some other poor unsuspecting soul goes and gets themselves tangled up with that particular tar baby.

I wonder which is more problematic here. Using the term "tar baby" to describe a sticky situation (for those who don't know tar is notoriously sticky) or assuming that the term "tar baby" is a reference to color and is therefore racist?

More discussion of the Congressman's race faux pas at the following:
Is Colorado Representative Doug Lamborn a racist? (UPDATED)
“Tar Baby” Nonsense

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