I'm never surprised when old white men display racist tendencies. As such, it didn't surprise me that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid apologized for a racist statement that he made during the 2008 presidential election. [SOURCE]
He offered an apology following reports he privately described then presidential candidate Barack Obama as a Black candidate who could be successful, thanks in part to his "light-skinned" appearance and speaking patterns "with no Negro dialect unless he wanted to have one."
The comments were reported by journalists Mark Halperin and John Heilemann in their new book "Game Change."
“He (Reid) was wowed by Obama's oratorical gifts and believed that the country was ready to embrace a Black presidential candidate, especially one such as Obama - a ‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one,’ as he said privately. Reid was convinced, in fact, that Obama's race would help him more than hurt him in a bid for the Democratic nomination," they write.Harry Reid made his stupid comments in 2008 campaign season. He apologized yesterday,
“I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words. I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments. 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.”I feel sorry for Sen. Reid. His comments were made over a year ago ... and he is taking heat for it now ... just as he is entering into a tough re-election campaign in Nevada.
In a statement released by the White House, the president accepted Reid's apology:
"Harry Reid called me today and apologized for an unfortunate comment reported today. I accepted Harry's apology without question because I've known him for years, I've seen the passionate leadership he's shown on issues of social justice and I know what's in his heart. As far as I am concerned, the book is closed."I 'spose that Reid may lose his Senate seat. What say u?
