Former President Carter has caused a fuss with claims that much of the opposition to Obama is racially motivated.

Yesterday the BBC went into overdrive over the wider issue of how racist is the USA, highlighting the home state of the Congressman who called Obama a 'liar'. Its South Carolina, where after much argy-bargey, the Confederate flag still flaps (or wilts in that heat) next to the State legislature after being removed from the roof.

The reporter also sought the views of patrons of Maurice's Piggy Park B-B-cue. Now as it happens, we've been there, to eat revolting pork burgers, lavishly covered with a unique yellow sauce. My wife kept a beady eye on the other diners, some of whom seemed to have strayed from the movie Deliverance.

The BBC man found a diner who indignantly told him that of course no one really knew whether people like himself were 'racist', and that he might have quite legitimate reasons for not supporting Obama's policies. Yes, yes, this is all true.

Maybe its not there on the wall anymore, but among the framed testimonials that caught my eye (for Maurice's joint flies the world's biggest Confederate flag) was a letter.

I remember it well, not least because the writer was semi-literate. It was from a former customer from New York. It said, 'although I am a Jewish person, I'd like to support your efforts to stop those murdering, raping Blacks from ruining our country'.....