HILL RIPS 'PLANTATION' POLS

    Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton used Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.'s birthday yesterday to blast the Republican-led House of Representatives, charging that it's "run like a plantation."

    Speaking at a Baptist church in Harlem, Clinton used the explicit racial analogy to describe Republicans who she said refuse to allow "contrary points of view" to be heard.

    "When you look at the way the House of Representatives has been run — it has been run like a plantation, and you know what I'm talking about," Clinton said.

    Her comments were met with polite applause from the mostly black parishioners at Canaan Baptist Church — where King once preached.

    Clinton, who is running for re-election and enjoys overwhelming support among the black community, was responding to a question from a KISS FM radio show host who asked her to explain what makes Democrats different than Republicans.


    Republicans in Congress were quick to dismiss Clinton's remarks as racially insensitive.

    "It's always wrong to use the race card for politics by using a loaded word like plantation," said Rep. Peter King (R-L.I.), who also chairs the House's Homeland Security Committee.

    "But it's especially wrong on Martin Luther King Day."

    GOP Senate candidate John Spencer called Clinton's remarks "divisive" and said, "That's outrageously dishonest about our government, and typical Hillary Clinton pandering by the use of a word like that ['plantation'] on Martin Luther King Day and then insidiously saying, 'You know what I mean.' "


If Hillary wants to end "discriminatory" politics maybe she should step aside and endorse Condi Rice (and/or urge her to run) in 08?