Obama accepts Reid apology for racial remark

[Nagishkaw 510]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid apologized on Saturday for saying Barack Obama should seek — and could win — the White House because Obama was a "light skinned" African-American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

Obama quickly accepted, saying "As far as I am concerned, the book is closed."

Reid made the comments in private during the long 2008 campaign, according to a new book about that election, which elevated Obama from first-term Illinois senator to the first black president.

After excerpts from the book appeared on the website of The Atlantic, Reid released a statement expressing regret for "using such a poor choice of words. I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African-Americans for my improper comments."

Obama issued a statement saying he had spoken with Reid, who faces a difficult re-election amid frustration from both liberals and conservatives with his leadership in the Senate and his agenda. For Reid, trailing in polls, the comments can't help, even as Obama relies heavily on him to try to pass a health care overhaul.

The revelations — included in the book "Game Change" by Time Magazine's Mark Halperin and New York magazine's John Heilemann — are based on interviews with more than 200 people involved in the campaign, including Obama. The writers' sources were granted anonymity and the writers offer no documentation for their accounts. The book is to be released on Monday and was obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday.

"I was a proud and enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama during the campaign and have worked as hard as I can to advance President Obama's legislative agenda," Reid said in his apology.

Reid was neutral during the bitter Democratic primary that became a marathon contest between Obama and then-Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton. Obama picked her as his secretary of state after the election.

The book also says Reid urged Obama to run for president, perceiving the freshman senator's impatience in Congress.

"You're not going to go any place here," Reid told Obama of the Senate. "I know that you don't like it, doing what you're doing."

The book also dealt with the GOP campaign.

According to the book, aides to Republican nominee John McCain described the difficulties they faced with their vice presidential pick, then-Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin. Steve Schmidt, a senior adviser to McCain, is quoted telling Palin's foreign policy tutors: "You guys have a lot of work to do. She doesn't know anything."

While flying home to Alaska to see her son off to war, she told her team: "I wish I'd paid more attention to this stuff."

At another point, she is quoted as saying she would not have accepted the vice presidential nomination if she had understood the burden.

The former governor's spokeswoman, Meg Stapleton, disputed the version presented in the reporters' book.

"The governor's descriptions of these events are found in her book, 'Going Rogue.' Her descriptions are accurate," Stapleton said in a statement to "60 Minutes," which is featuring the book in a Sunday broadcast.

"She was there. These reporters were not."

The authors also quote Obama's initial reaction to McCain's selection of a little-known governor: "Wow. Well, I guess she's change."

Vice presidential nominee Joe Biden was direct. "Who's Sarah Palin?" the book quotes the then-senator as asking as they left the nominating convention in Denver.

The Reid comments about Obama come at a time that Reid needs the White House's help if he wants to keep his seat. The Obama administration has dispatched officials on dozens of trips to buoy his bid and Obama has raised money for his campaign.

Recognizing the threat, Reid's apologies also played to his home state: "Moreover, throughout my career, from efforts to integrate the Las Vegas strip and the gaming industry to opposing radical judges and promoting diversity in the Senate, I have worked hard to advance issues."

Even before his remarks in the book were reported, a new survey released Saturday by the Las Vegas Review Journal showed him continuing to earn poor polling numbers. In the poll, by Mason-Dixon Polling & Research, Reid trailed former state Republican party chairwoman Sue Lowden by a 10 percentage points, 50% to 40%, and lagging behind two other opponents.

More than half of Nevadans had an unfavorable opinion of Reid. Just 33% of respondents held a favorable opinion.

http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/20...bama-Reid_N.htm

[peejay 327]

WASHINGTON (AP) — Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid apologized on Saturday for saying Barack Obama should seek — and could win — the White House because Obama was a "light skinned" African-American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

I don't see what there is to apologize about. Sounds like an accurate statement to me. It's not like the "N" word was dropped. Geez...the Dumbocrats just show what P.C. nitwits they are with this stupidness.

[Niels Bohr 72]

"To err is human; to forgive is divine."

I thought this came from religious people. Might come in handy.

[Danno 1,228]

I don't see what there is to apologize about. Sounds like an accurate statement to me. It's not like the "N" word was dropped. Geez...the Dumbocrats just show what P.C. nitwits they are with this stupidness.

NO kidding.

I read in a recent news story that the category "Negro" is included on the census because enough people self identify themselves as such.

Does anyone think he used the term "Negro" as an insult in anyway? This guy is old enough to get confused on what the updated term is today.

The only story is the way he is falling all over himself to escape any PC attacks.

Listen Harry, you are a Democrat and a super Liberal at that, you are "safe" dude, relax.

Of course if a Republican had used this out dated term, THEN, WE WOULD HAVE A STORY!

Edited January 10, 2010 by Danno

[Danno 1,228]

Of course it could be Reid recalls the words of Obama from another incident when a Speaker of the House used poorly chosen words at a retirement party.

Obama predictable used it as a tool of politics. (It's only dense Republicans who pass these "opportunities" by)

<<<<Illinois Senator Barack Obama (D-13th), who hosted WVON's Cliff Kelley Show, challenged the Republican Party to repudiate Lott's remarks and to call for his resignation as senate leader.

"It seems to be that we can forgive a 100-year-old senator for some of the indiscretion of his youth, but, what is more difficult to forgive is the current president of the U.S. Senate (Lott) suggesting we had been better off if we had followed a segregationist path in this country after all of the battles and fights for civil rights and all the work that we still have to do," said Obama.

He said: "The Republican Party itself has to drive out Trent Lott. If they have to stand for something, they have to stand up and say this is not the person we want representing our party."

>>>>

Naturally the helpful words of a man who would in just a few years time, bring us into a new era of racial harmony.... or so we are told.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Obama quickly accepted, saying "As far as I am concerned, the book is closed."

Of course. It's not a racist comment when a liberal makes such a comment. Instead, he is just showing the depth of his understanding of the realities in America.

Edited January 10, 2010 by Lone Ranger

[scandal 951]

Of course. It's not a racist comment when a liberal makes such a comment. Instead, he is just showing the depth of his understanding of the realities in America.

Um, no. It was a racist comment that should not have been made. That's why an apology was made and accepted. That's what apologies are for - when people mess up and need to retract something regrettable that they've done. That's why they are accepted - because we realize that people are human and we all make mistakes.

But of course, this is VJ. So everything needs to be politicized into liberals vs. conservatives. Carry on.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

The Democrats have always been the party of slavery and racism. They were the ones that fought the abolition of slvaery, fought the civil rights act and currently fight any effort to eliminate illegal aliens which have taken the place of the African Americans in the underclass. They are the ones that support government housing, welfare, and dozens of programs designed to enslave people and make them dependent onthe government. Is it surprising when one of them is racist? #######??????

Maybe Reid really believes a dark skinned African American who speaks in Ebonics could get elected President. Yeah, that's what he MEANT to say.

[alienlovechild 75]

Reid made the comments in private during the long 2008 campaign, according to a new book about that election, which elevated Obama from first-term Illinois senator to the first black president.

Somebody's desperate to sell a book but not outraged to release this info during the campaign when it would generated some more heat.

More interesting was Bill Clinton's comment about how Obama would have been the guy getting coffee years ago or Hillary Clinton's campaign dropping hints about Obama's use of illegal drugs.

[nowhereman 1]

Summary: Reid made a dumb comment & several VJ posters made even dumber remarks.

[Niels Bohr 72]

Summary: Reid made a dumb comment & several VJ posters made even dumber remarks.

Yes, we know who those two clowns are.

[I AM NOT THAT GUY 5,715]

Um, no. It was a racist comment that should not have been made. That's why an apology was made and accepted. That's what apologies are for - when people mess up and need to retract something regrettable that they've done. That's why they are accepted - because we realize that people are human and we all make mistakes.

But of course, this is VJ. So everything needs to be politicized into liberals vs. conservatives. Carry on.

I thought Harry was just showing some honest analysis, much like Jimmy the Greek, and Rush Limbaugh have done.

[Aniomaman 0]

Sometimes I wonder if some douchebags who make comments on here think before posting

[scandal 951]

Sometimes I wonder if some douchebags who make comments on here think before posting

That would imply that they have the capability of thought.

[Ricardo_C 4]

How was Reid racist? "Negro" is not a politically correct therm at all these days, but his was a very accurate analysis of Obama's electability.

He's light-skinned and doesn't use traditionally "black" speech patterns or vocabulary.

In other words, he has mainstream appeal. Most everyone can relate to the image he projects. He's an everyman.

Is it racist to acknowledge that voters tend to favor those they feel reflect their own values and culture?