Former Gov. Arne CarlsonâÄôs endorsement of Obama and his chastisement of some in his own party for waging a mean-spirited campaign was the second time in a week that made me proud of some true Republicans. First it was Colin Powell that made me proud, when he also endorsed Obama. He stood up to accusation and bigotry of some within his own party and said, âÄúSo what if he [Obama] was a Muslim?âÄù Powell also mentioned the ultimate sacrifice of one of the American Muslim soldiers who had died in fighting for the United States in Iraq. As one of 7 million American Muslims, I can fully relate to CarlsonâÄôs statement that some of the recent tactics and hate-filled statements closely resemble those of Joseph McCarthyâÄôs tactics, who would publicly question the patriotism of many Americans. The Republican Party really needs some true mavericks like Carlson and Powell and not another McCarthy. Tam Saidi University alumnus