Bill Bennett is a racist

BENNETT: Well, I don't think it is either, I don't think it is either, because first of all, there is just too much that you don't know. But I do know that it's true that if you wanted to reduce crime, you could -- if that were your sole purpose, you could abort every black baby in this country, and your crime rate would go down. That would be an impossible, ridiculous, and morally reprehensible thing to do, but your crime rate would go down. So these far-out, these far-reaching, extensive extrapolations are, I think, tricky.

It's not political correctness to point out that a hypothetical suggestion that we could reduce crime by aborting all black babies shows a blatantly racist belief that there is connection between blackness and crime.

Moreover, there is literally no context in which one could place such a remark to remove its racist overtones. Economic arguments aside, the fact remains that Bennett singled out African-Americans, which implies a belief that crime is somehow inherent to that group.

Vilifying someone who would make such a ridiculous statement is therefore neither context-dependent nor based on political correctness.

The White House has the right idea.

UPDATE: Added the full quotation.