By CLARENCE MCKEE

Alan Dershowitz in his recent Newsmax blog reacted to what he called the “pandering to Jews” by liberal and left wing groups who attacked White House Press Secretary Sean Spicer’s comparison of Syrian President Bashar al-Assad to Hitler.

As Dershowitz said, Spicer made a mistake in making the Hitler comparison. He added that, given Spicer’s quick apology, and the fact that there was no hint of antiSemitism, Spicer’s apology “should have ended the matter.”

Of course, Democrats, including House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif., and the Democratic National Committee (DNC) took advantage of the situation and played typical politics rebuking Spicer saying his comments were “anti-Semitic.”

Dershowitz rightly accused Pelosi of “exploiting” the Holocaust tragedy and pointed out the hypocrisy of the DNC, whose co-chair Keith Ellison had been an ally of anti-Semite Louis Farrakhan.

The same “pandering” label can be applied to those Democrats and media pundits who are so quick to call any criticism of a black female liberal Democrat racist and sexist.

The struggle for equal voting, educational and employment rights for blacks and women has been hard fought. By implication, such rights and opportunities do not guarantee immunity from criticism of their political viewpoints, actions or policies because of their race or gender.

You would not think so today given how many liberal Democrats, media pundits and others attribute any criticism of a black female Democrat in the political world as racist and sexist. They are put in a liberal bubble of political correctness so that their victimhood can be protected!

When former U.N Ambassador and National Security Advisor Susan Rice was criticized for her proven falsehoods regarding Benghazi and contradictions regarding being involved in the unmasking of Trump officials, liberal media pundits and black supporters suggested it was based on the fact that she is a black woman.

And remember what happened when White House press secretary Sean Spicer told black Urban Radio Networks correspondent April Ryan to “stop shaking your head” during a press briefing? He was accused of being racist and sexist — as if Ryan is too fragile and thin skinned to handle the often heated back and forth of a White House press briefing.

Of course, rather than saying Spicer’s comments were neither racist nor sexist, she played the victim card and said, “But you have to remember, this is a male-dominated town.”

In another case, Fox News’ Bill O’Reilly put a politically incorrect foot in his mouth when he made an intended humorous reference to Congresswoman Maxine Waters, D-Calf., saying that he was distracted by her “James Brown wig.” He later rightfully apologized; said that the remark was “dumb;” and, that he respected her for being “sincere in her beliefs.”

Of course, the usual suspects immediately pounced. Black congresswoman Sheila Jackson Lee sent out a message saying, “I am stunned by the attack on Black Women by the Trump Admin and conservative talking heads: April Ryan, Maxine Waters and now Susan Rice!”

Hillary Clinton could not resist jumping into the fray and, referring to the Spicer and Waters incidents, said they were examples of the “indignities” women — especially those of color — face daily for “simply doing their jobs.”

I don’t recall these and other defenders of black women in the media and political world creating any uproar when former Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice or Mia Love, R-Utah, the first black woman elected to Congress, were the objects of vile racist slurs and comments.

They were not deemed worthy of defending since they do not have the “right” politics and consequently are not included in the protected privileged class of liberal black Democrat political women.

Such political double standards using race and gender as a political crutch is an insult to all of those who fought so hard for equality for blacks, and particularly black women, so that they would be judged based on merit, not their race, gender or politics!

As Dershowitz said: “The fight against bigotry is a bipartisan issue and must not be exploited for political gain.”

Clarence V. McKee is president of McKee Communications, Inc., a government, political, and media relations consulting firm in Florida. He held several positions in the Reagan administration as well as in the Reagan presidential campaigns.