Don't be surprised if that was the response of state Rep. Alma Adams after she discovered that former House Speaker Jim Black was not a member of the N.C. Legislative Black Caucus, and is not even -- egads! -- a brother.

Adams, a Greensboro Democrat, is ascribing a racial motive to political consultant Joe Sinsheimer's scrutiny of the Black Caucus' scholarship foundation -- as well as investigations of the money-handling of caucus members Thomas "Big Money Grip" Wright and Mary McAllister.

The only evidence for such a serious charge is the race of Wright, McAllister, caucus members and the recipients of their largess.

If they were the only pols targeted by Sinsheimer, Adams' charges might merit consideration. Evidence suggests, though, that Sinsheimer delights in pouncing upon white politicians with fluid morals just as much as blacks. He has done so with equal alacrity.

The biggest fish caught in Sinsheimer's net to date was Jim "nothing but my hair and name is" Black, a fact that undermines Adams' charge.

Adams would be better off counseling caucus members that, as public officials, their relationship with public money -- doling it out or receiving it -- should be the same as mine with marriage: When in doubt, don't.

Black's successor as speaker, Joe Hackney, said keeping the scholarships in the family did not violate any rules but rightly pointed out that it looks bad in an era of heightened sensitivity to political misconduct.

For evidence of an unfair double standard, though, the caucus could consider Hackney's handling of the cases of Black and Wright. He urged Wright (who is not white) to quit before he was charged with anything, yet never suggested that Black (who is white) step down.

I tried Monday to reach Adams, but she was in an Appropriations Committee meeting.

You don't need to be a member of that committee, which controls state purse strings, to know that awarding scholarships to family members is just not done. The amounts of money involved, in the range of $1,000 to $2,000, were too picayune, one hopes, for the motivation to have been greed. Thus, you have to conclude they were guilty of arrogance or monumentally poor judgment.

If Sinsheimer is sinning, or is a closet klansman whose sheet gets all aflutter at the prospect of bringing down influential blacks, show some proof, Rep. Adams. Otherwise, unfounded "racism" accusations not only tarnish him but also undermine claims made by genuine victims.

Too often, whenever some black athletes, politicians or entertainers are under siege for personal moral shortcomings, they drape themselves in the cloak of racial victimhood.

I mean, even Michael Jackson cried "racism." Oy.

To prevent such abuses, I'm suggesting a national citizens review board for blacks, called the Committee to Stop C.R.I.E.S. -- Crying Racism In Every Situation. It would review claims of racism before they are made publicly.

Perhaps then, someone would point out early that, "Representative Adams, Black is just his name."

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