That high-pitched whine is the sound of Martin Luther King, Jr. twirling in his grave

"I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood."

"I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character."

"[L]et freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! . . . When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God's children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual, "Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!"

It's been almost 41 years to the day since Dr. King delivered his "I Have A Dream" speech on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial.

In little more than 41 hours after Denise Majette was declared the victor of the Democratic Primary runoff election for the U.S. Senate, and not too far from Stone Mountain, Alexis Scott of The Georgia Gang this week declared with glee: "The Democratic Party is the party of the blacks."

I don't think this was included in Dr. King's dream. Further, I even suspect Dr. King may have rolled over in his grave when he heard this pronouncement that sounded a bit like a victory speech.

I recognize that in my saying this, some will say that I must be an ostrich with his head in the sand; or that I am a white Democrat in a state of denial.

I respond to this by saying that I consider myself a Democrat, not a white Democrat. That ours is the party of the people, the party of inclusion.

That if we are to be labeled as a racially identifiable party, let it by someone other than those among us who still consider us to be the party of inclusion.

Fellow panelist Bill Shipp was quick on the draw in coming to Ms. Scott's rescue by not missing the opportunity to note that the late Manuel Maloof epitomized everything good about the Democratic Party.

And it was natural that Bill Shipp would be the one who would do this. Not too long ago he reminded his column readers that my favorite low profile political trio – Labor Commissioner Michael Thurmond, Attorney General Thurbert Baker and former state Democratic Party Chairman Calvin Smyre – remain most vigilant in rebuilding our state's white-black Democratic coalition as we all work together in reviving the crumbled Democratic power and putting back together again our Humpty-Dumpty Democratic Party of Georgia following our November 2002 whipping.

In law we often say bad facts make bad law. I am not going to address the specifics behind Ms. Scott's statement other than observe that many factors were involved in Majette becoming our Party's nominee for the U.S. Senate.

And regardless, I do not believe the great majority of Democrats -- white and black -- believe the candidate herself merited Ms. Scott's conclusion. To paraphrase Secretary of Treasury Lloyd Bentsen, Congresswoman, you're no Barack Obama.

(Credit for the title of this post goes to one of two employees of the ajc.)