Clinton Apologizes to Black Voters for Racial Comments
WASHINGTON — Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton did something Wednesday night that she almost never does. She apologized. And once she started, she didn’t seem able to stop.
The New York senator, who is in a tight race with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination, struck several sorry notes at an evening forum sponsored by the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a group of more than 200 black community newspapers across the country.
Her biggest apology came in response to a question about comments by her husband, Bill Clinton, after the South Carolina primary, which Obama won handily. Bill Clinton said Jesse Jackson also won South Carolina when he ran for president in 1984 and 1988, a comment many viewed as belittling Obama’s success.
“I want to put that in context. You know I am sorry if anyone was offended. It was certainly not meant in any way to be offensive,” Hillary Clinton said. “We can be proud of both Jesse Jackson and Senator Obama.”
“Anyone who has followed my husband’s public life or my public life know very well where we have stood and what we have stood for and who we have stood with,” she said, acknowledging that whoever wins the nomination will have to heal the wounds of a bruising, historic contest.
“Once one of us has the nomination there will be a great effort to unify the Democratic party and we will do so, because, remember I have a lot of supporters who have voted for me in very large numbers and I would expect them to support Senator Obama if he were the nominee,” she said.
The Clintons long have enjoyed overwhelming support from black voters, but that has been eclipsed during the primaries and caucuses by enthusiasm and support for Obama, who has pulled huge margins among black voters. Arguments over the role of race and gender have flared up repeatedly throughout the contest between Obama, who would be the nation’s first black president, and Clinton, who would be its first female one.
Earlier in the day, Hillary Clinton supporter and fundraiser Geraldine Ferraro gave up her honorary position with Clinton’s campaign after she said in an interview last week that Obama would not have made it this far if he were white. Obama said Ferraro’s remarks were “ridiculous” and “wrong-headed.”
Of Ferraro’s comment, Hillary Clinton told her audience: “I certainly do repudiate it and I regret deeply that it was said. Obviously she doesn’t speak for the campaign, she doesn’t speak for any of my positions, and she has resigned from being a member of my very large finance committee.”
As first lady and senator, Clinton rarely cedes an inch to her critics. On the issue of her vote to authorize the Iraq war, for instance, she steadfastly has refused to apologize, coming close by saying she regrets it, despite calls from many anti-war voters in the party to make a more explicit mea culpa.
Her third conciliatory statement of the evening was more in keeping with that fighting stance.
Asked about the government’s efforts in the Gulf States after Hurricane Katrina, Hillary Clinton turned an apology into a criticism of President Bush, who happened to be speaking at a Republican event in another room at the same hotel.
“I’ve said it publicly, and I say it privately: I apologize, and I am embarrassed that our government so mistreated our fellow citizens … It was a national disgrace,” she said.
I apologize my ass!, I watched for four days Katrina headed for new Orleans. Just another example of sit on your ass and say poor me. Mr. Bush is not responsible for people who sit with there thumb up they’re butt!
I believe Hillary’s apologies are nothing more than “damage control” little to late. She is damaging the Democratic Party beyond believe. How can she sell the stupid idea that this dirty campaing make the candidates stronger?…perhaps by that comment she meant the Republican Party is the one getting stronger by her showing Obama’s weaknesses. No wonder why she is not a likeable person!!! Duh!!!!!!!!
Artic Warrior
Hillary let’s see if this tatic works for you regarding your somewhat apology to the blacl voters. Release your white house papers and your tax returns. That’s right your White House papers can’t be released until after the election. That’s odd. If you don’t get the presidency is it bye bye Bill.
The Clinton campaign has numerous time referred negatively to the African-American population as well as the Hispanic population. I would come to believe that the Clinton Campaign apologize and withdraw. We due not need a President with those type of bigotries in office.
Simply stated Hillary and Obama wouldn’t be where they were if people weren’t “wouldn’t it be cool if we had a women or black person as a president”. But now i hate black people and women for saying this……..RRRRRIIIIIIGGGGHHHHHHTTTT. SO LAME.
I can’t believe what I am reading! I am a republican and proud of my stand but I am so concern about Sen.Obama getting into office. I can’t believe that Geraldine Ferraro made a comment and every jump on her (not one came to her defense) shame on us!!!!! I believe that what she said is true is the respect that Sen. Obama is getting the attention of those Americans that really don’t read much about anyone person-most of these people don’t know much about him or his wife. It’s o.k. for her to talk in a paper she wrote at Harvard about black power and how blacks need to be united etc. but it was not OK for Mrs. Ferraro to give her view of things. I have a niece that is black and I am Mexican Americana - but they cannot tell me that all these blacks are voting for one of there own doesn’t matter what he stands for. This to me is so stupid we are truly stupid. It’s o.k. if they say things that are truly offensive and write papers that scare me (because being in the white house is not about black power but about taking a position to lead America and that means all races…I can’t believe that Hillary apologize she should have apologize to Geraldine Ferraro she had the guts to stand up for what was true. Sen. Obama is going to destroy this great country if people don’t wake up!!!!What happen to his ties with that gangster in Chicago? and the fact that this guy was a gangster.
I wish someone would ask Senator Clinton what she would have done. Because of the wind, airplanes couldn’t fly and heliocopters couldn’t fly. The Louisana State police stopped relief trucks from going to New Orleans. The mayor of the city across the bridge stopped p[eople from coming into his town. If he had let them in relief could have been trucked in to them. I do not blame President Bush. LET’S ASK SENATOR CLINTON WHAT SHE WOULD HAVE DONE.
I’m white and still say this woman will say whatever she needs to say in order to get her way.
I do not trust her.
btw, I’m not actually an Obama supporter eiter. In fact I am still undecided except where she is concerned.
Best of luck Mr. Obama.
Hillary went from a privileged child to President’s wife to Senator. Obama went from being child of an unwed immigrant, raised by a single mother, paid his own way thru college, studied constitutional law, graduated Magna Cum Laude, turned down a position as clerk for Supreme Court to become a community organizer, elected to state senate and served 8 years b4 becoming US senator. He has MORE experience than Clinton. She is a member of the aristocracy, he is one of us- vote for your own kind!
Once again Billary says whatever she has to say to win the nomination. Her “mea-culpas” mean nothing to me. I’m soooooo tired of her I could puke. Thank GOD Senator Obama is going to be the next President of the United States instead of her. This from a lifetime republican who fully intends to vote for Senator Obama