Romney's not alone in offensive talk. Speaking to a group of white Republican voters in Sioux City, Iowa, earlier this month, Rick Santorum earned their applause when he targeted "black people" for using welfare programs. "I do not want to make black people's lives better by giving them somebody else's money. I want to give them the opportunity to go out and earn the money," said Santorum. When it was pointed out that more whites use assistance programs than blacks, Santorum complained. The word he used wasn't "black," he said, but "blah."

Former Speaker Newt Gingrich, speaking in New Hampshire a few days later, also targeted African-Americans. Gingrich, who wants to fire union janitors and put their children to work doing hazardous jobs in public schools, complained that black Americans were using food stamps instead of getting jobs.