Pinky Goes Off-Color
(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."
Nevada Sen. Harry 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 Web site 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 liberal frustration with his leadership in the Senate and conservative ire toward 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 Time Magazine's Mark Halperin and New York magazine's John Heilemann "Game Change" to be released on Monday and obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday—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.
"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, whom Obama picked as his secretary of state after the election.
The book also says Reid urged Obama to run, perceiving the freshman senator's impatience.
"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."
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9D4FDLG1&show_article=1#email_sub
Obama quickly accepted, saying "As far as I am concerned, the book is closed."
Nevada Sen. Harry 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 Web site 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 liberal frustration with his leadership in the Senate and conservative ire toward 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 Time Magazine's Mark Halperin and New York magazine's John Heilemann "Game Change" to be released on Monday and obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday—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.
"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, whom Obama picked as his secretary of state after the election.
The book also says Reid urged Obama to run, perceiving the freshman senator's impatience.
"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."
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=D9D4FDLG1&show_article=1#email_sub
Labels: Harry Reid Negro Barack Obama Time Magazine Game Change
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