From Jason Cabel Roe's January 11 BigGovernment.com post:

Republicans have, of course, drawn parallels to another famous majority leader's race gaffe, Senator Trent Lott (R-MS). There are major differences however that no number of Al Sharptons can - or should be allowed - to paper over.

Lott's comment about America being better off if centenarian Senator Strom Thurmond would have been elected as a Dixiecrat in 1948 was a light-hearted salute to an old man at his birthday party. Rather than being considered an article of faith, it rightly should have been considered a gratuitous tribute at someone's birthday celebration. It is like giving your grandpa a t-shirt that reads “World's Best Grandpa.”

However, Reid's comments show a belief. And further, that belief is a stereotype and it is only made worse that Reid now says that he thought he was off the record - as if that makes it better.