Liberal group accuses Rep. Joe Walsh of 'stoking racial fears'

The liberal group Color Of Change blasted Rep. Joe Walsh (R-IL) on Thursday after he made condescending remarks about President Barack Obama, referring to him as "son."

“There’s something different on the ground, and I think it’s going to overtake us all again, think it’s going to overtake the political class," Walsh, a tea party Republican, said Sunday at a campaign event. "I think it’s going to respectfully pick this president up and pat him on the head and say, son, son, son, Mr. President, you were never ready to be president, now go home and work for somebody and find out how the real world works."

Color Of Change alleged the comments were part of a troubling history of "racially inflammatory comments." Walsh has repeatedly said that Obama was elected because of his "historic nature" -- namely because he was half African American. He has also said the media protects Obama because he is black and that Democrats made African Americans dependent on government.

"Once again, Rep. Joe Walsh has decided to stoke racial fears about President Barack Obama in order to leverage support for his own campaign," Color Of Change Executive Director Rashad Robinson said in a statement. "His comments not only demonstrate the lack of respect for President Obama's position, but also for the millions of American voters who elected him into office in 2008. Walsh's attempt to discredit President Obama's leadership succeeds only in demonstrating that he is unfit to lead."

In response, Walsh said the "silly group" should "get a life." He insisted his use of the word "son" was not racist -- it was only meant to imply Obama wasn't prepared to be President.

Watch video, uploaded to YouTube by Color Of Change on August 8, below:

[H/T: Evan McMorris-Santoro]