I couldn’t make this up. When oh when will Peak Wingnut be reached?
Wonkette’s viciously biting piece on this:

Part of the MaoBama Obamacare Pelosicare SOCIALISM SOCIALISM SOCIALISM Plan was a 10 percent surcharge on the use of tanning beds. Smart conservatives are now beginning to figure out that this is yet another example of Obama’s “reverse racism,” which is racism against white people, as it’s impossible to be regular racist against white people because they are so awesome.

I thought this had to be wonkette snark. What kind of nut seriously would think that he can claim the tanning tax is evidence of *cough* “Obama’s deep-seated hatred for white people” or something like that?

Well, as usual, there’s no nuttery like wingnuttery in the age of Obama. WaPo reports:
‘Tan tax’ discussions include allegations of reverse racism

Mention the new “tan tax” in a major news outlet and cries of discrimination and reverse racism often follow.

The complaint surfaced on reader comment boards to blogs and news Web sites back in December, when it became clear that the levy — a 10 percent surcharge on the use of ultraviolet tanning beds — was likely to be included in the new health-care overhaul bill. Since then, it’s been repeated by conservative commentators such as Rush Limbaugh and Doc Thompson, a fill-in host for Glenn Beck who intoned in March, “I now know the pain of racism.”

Because a tax on tanning is just like Jim Crow!

The case can seem deceptively simple: Since patrons of tanning salons are almost exclusively white, the tax will be almost entirely paid by white people and, therefore, violates their constitutional right to equal protection under the law.

But does the argument have any merit? Not remotely said Randall Kennedy, a professor at Harvard Law School specializing in racial conflict and law.

It doesn’t? You mean bigots can’t claim that hate crime laws violate their constitutional right to equal protection? Since the people who engage in hate crimes are exclusively bigots, doesn’t targeting them violate THEIR right to equal protection?

This is the way these people think. I have to not do that again because it hurts.

What else does this smartypants law professor at Harvard say?

“To say that this health rationale was a mere pretext for wanting to stick it to white people is completely implausible,” Kennedy said.

Hmm. Why would wingnuts be so eager to claim this? Could it maybe have something to do will fueling racist teabaggin’ anger against the black guy in that White House?

The “Obama hates whitey and is gonna GIT YOU” meme has been around since the campaign. It shows no signs of abating and I fear we can expect to see ever more silly and ridiculous permutations of it. Add this to the file under Fear of a Barack Planet.