What is a Hate Crime?

Call me thick, but I never understood the whole idea of a hate crime. If someone assaults an innocent victim walking down the street, should he receive a more lenient penalty because it was random? Why is it worse if the attacker knows the race or sexual orientation of his victim? Anyway, that's beside the point. Michelle Malkin asks "When is a hate crime not a hate crime?" and posts this story about the double standard of hate crimes.

I think the reason it wasn't considered a "hate crime" at first is the same reason that it's ok to bash Jews and Christians but is forbidden to mention a disaparaging word about Muslims. It's also the reason it's ok for Democrats to talk about God and religion but it is "right wing theocracy" when Republicans do it. (Note the hype over Bill Frist's speech this weekend to a religious group vs. John Kerry's sermon at a church, which went largely unnoticed.) I just haven't figured out why this is the case...