Black-Face and Oreos: A Republican Hoax?

Political Cortex: Maryland Senator Assault: A Republican hoax?:

"It appears that the Washington Times newspaper is helping the Maryland GOP perpetuate a hoax about Senate candidate Michael Steele, in an attempt to garner sympathy for him. Reporter S.A. Miller has posted two stories in three days claiming that, in 2002, liberals assaulted Steele with Oreo cookies.

Such attacks against the first black man to win a statewide election in Maryland include pelting him with Oreo cookies during a campaign appearance, calling him an 'Uncle Tom' and depicting him as a black-faced minstrel on a liberal Web log."

Here's the original story and the photo that was doctored; here's the doctored photo a liberal site supposedly created. Now here's that supposedly "liberal" site itself...and even without the doctored photo the post seems, er, racist to me...what gives?

[UPDATE--11-04-05] So far this story has no legs; I cannot confirm that a Republican hoax is being perpetrated except for the blog to which this post links. The dKos diary it supposedly originates from, I have yet to find. I do think it is important to know which is actually happening: MSM furthering claims Republicans are making that Steel is being targeted or liberal bloggers claiming such targeting is false. Stay tuned...

[UPDATE--11-05-05] The following clarification has been posted at Political Cortex: "UPDATE: In case it's not clear, the part about the minstrel picture is true. That was from the blog of Steve Gilliard, a black New Yorker."

Apparently the charge of Oreos being thrown (the story was reported on Hannity and Colmes last night) is NOT true.

For me right now, the issue other than the seperate one of a hoax perpetrated to smear dems, is that of one black man criticizing another of being a race traitor based on party affiliation. Isn't racism the domain of white fascists?

[UPDATE 11-07-05] Here is the dKos diary referenced in the first update. There are several links in the diary to support documentation. These links here, here, here and here are to earlier dKos posts on the same subject including ad pulls from the offending liberal site.

[UPDATE 11-14-05]

"There were a lot of things, disturbances, by this group of outsiders who were bent on disrupting the debate," Coleman said. "But I never actually saw Oreo cookies being thrown at him."

As for "raining Oreos," Coleman said, "I can tell you that did not happen."