We're heartened to see a North Carolina newspaper refusing to let Howard Coble off the hook for his recent remarks about Japanese internment camps. Same for its criticism of another U.S. Representative from North Carolina who joins the bigotry remark circle, read on.

After endorsing white supremacy lost Sen. Trent Lott the majority leader's post, one would think everyone in Congress would have gotten the memo: racially insensitive remarks are verboten. Not so, apparently.

Two U.S. representatives from North Carolina have made unthinking comments in the last week, but rather than apologize, have tried to wriggle out of them. Surely, Lott proved that was a losing strategy.

Example No. 1: Rep. Howard Coble, who wisely rebuffed a radio program caller's suggestion that Arab Americans be detained to prevent terrorism -- only to undercut himself by expressing support for Japanese internment during World War II. His idea that forced imprisonment was for Japanese Americans' own good is particularly odious and paternalistic. "We were at war," he said. "They (Japanese Americans) were an endangered species. For many of these Japanese Americans, it wasn't safe for them to be on the street."

Then Coble kept talking and totally negated his earlier disavowal of Arab internment: "Some (Japanese Americans) probably were intent on doing harm to us, just as some of these Arab Americans are probably intent on doing harm to us."

Exhibit No. 2: Rep. Sue Myrick, who confided in a speech that she had been driving, worried, around the country for decades fueled by suspicions about Arab and Arab-looking convenience store owners.

"You know, and this can be misconstrued, but honest to goodness (husband) Ed and I for years, for 20 years, have been saying, 'You know, look at who runs all the convenience stores across the country.' Every little town you go into, you know?"

We know. Myrick, Coble and their aides have backpedaled furiously in a desperate attempt at damage control - but that excuses neither their thoughtless utterances nor the narrow and cruel ideas behind them.