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.
Hillary you are as gutless as the rest of us. Why submit to this kind of mind control? The feisty woman has an opinion. So????? If Obama cant take the heat let the little baby stay home in his church where his minister tells him each Sunday about bad ole Whitey. Look at what has been said about GWB? Maybe the guy picked the wrong field and for sure you need to do a gut check.
Hillary, I am a black female and I think that Geraldine Feraros comments were true. We need to take another look at this man. Something’s not right!
Anyone who buys this is an idoit. Hillary not only supported these remarks, she created them. Any level headed American knows that this woman would stup as low as you can go for a vote. In my opinion, she is dis-honest, deceitful, and can never be trusted in any level of government. She knew she could not make the remarks herself, so she sent out the sacrificial lambs to be laughtered. Anything and anyone for a vote. God help us if either of these two actual win. I like Obama, but with not experience in foreign affairs and terrible financial investments here, not to mention his support of abortion, I could not support him either even though I am a Democrat. Hillary is finished I pray and she can take Bill with her.
The first two supposed apologies is just more of the Clinton’s lies to deceive voters and show them in a different light than they really are. More politics of the past. Deceit and lies about their political standing. The third statement regarding the Katrina debacle should be directed at the Democratic Mayor of New Orleans and the Democratic Gov. of the state for their inept handling of the tragedy at the local level. So many prior storm preparations could of and should of been handles by those two offices as there was sufficient warning of the coming hurricane that they have only themselves to blame and not George W. Bush. An example that comes to mid were the parked and non used school buses that should of been utilized to evacuate people from the area before it got too late. Democrats need to be responsible for their own inept actions rather than try to blame everyone else and expect everyone else to be responsible bail them out. I am really tired of the world owes me attitude brought forth by the liberals in this country.
Yes way to go Hillary, it took alot to appoligize once again for something you did not do nor did you have anything to do with, however I personally have to agree with Ms Ferraro, he would not have come this far or even close to it if he were a white man simply because EVERYONE would have said he is blowing smoke and has no clue about what he is talking about which he really dont if a black politition would say something like that about Hillary Clinton it would be just fine and no other mention would be made about it, and friends you know it is true.
Anyway I think Hillary did a good thing and I sincerly pray she is our next president,
Hillary Clinton is one manipulating piece of work….she is disgustingly amazing. What a perfect forked tongue she has in her mouth….wow….
Hillary, I know you and Bill put in many years of kissing up for the black vote & I can not wipe the grin off my face now that they have run off to the first black face on the ballot. Try to make up the difference with the latinos. I know you are not going to reach out to us “whites”.
Ferraro is right, Obama would never have made it this far if he were white, or a Republican for that matter. Who would listen to a junior senator from anywhere if he wasn’t “special” in some way. Obama’s “special” status is that he happens to be black, so it becomes a spectacle. I also think there are many whites who are voting for him as a way to say, “look at me, I’m not a racist”, as some sort of misguiged attempt to make up for a past that was created by a relatively few people many generations removed from the present, and is sadly perpetuated by those who would profit from that past, rather attempt to make it on their own. The fact that we can have a black man make a real run for the presidency should prove that racism is effectively dead in the U.S., but it will never be allowed to die, as long as there is profit in it. It’s the same old slavery, but your so-called “brothers” have become your new “masters”.
Enough is enough!!! The Clinton political machine is throwing the entire Democratic Party under the bus, with their campaign and political tactics. They are willing to divide our entire national party using the Florida and Michigan debacle for their self - serving interests. Both of those states should be focusing on removing the LOCAL Democratic and Republican officials that signed election agreements, and then broke their word to their national parties and constituents. This is not the type of leadership we can endorse or afford to have, if we are going to succeed in the general election against the Republican Party. We have to stand up now and not only fight for the future of the general election, but the future of the entire Democratic Party!!! We have to think, work and fight together right now, if we are going to end the dirty politics being forced down our throats by the Clinton political machine. When the Somalia photos surfaced, the Clintons first denied spreading them, and then acknowledged that it was their campaign workers in Iowa. Every news agency is now reporting the source of the NAFTA story originated from the Clinton campaign. The Clinton’s have continued to wage a sordid underground campaign, distorting Senator Obama’s religion and patriotism since the Iowa caucuses. Now the Clintons and their campaign surrogates are OPENLY trying to diminish Senator Obama, by using racial critiques. Is this the kind of political and moral leadership we want back in the Whitehouse? I have a daughter and a son, I am ashamed of the Clinton’s conduct during this election. Their behavior is unbefitting anyone who is truly proud, to be a public servant. Enough is enough!!! We have to stand together and fight now against this kind dirty politics within our party, or suffer the consequences this November…Our party needs you and everyone you know to stand up and participate now, if we are to truly “Change” politics in this country we love. The “Fierce Urgency Of Now” is upon all of us, and we have to stand together and act, as civilized responsible Americans!!! Our children are watching this nastiness play out, and they are watching our behavior. We truly need to look forward for new leadership in this party, and not back to the same old divisive and destructive patterns of our past failures. Please forward this information to every responsible American you know!!!
H. Smith
Too little too late. Waited this long to say she was sorry. What a con artist, from tears to what ever it takes, she’s on the downward slide and is trying anything she can not to lose, how sad!