By PHILIP ELLIOTT, Associated Press Writer – 28 mins ago
WASHINGTON – 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 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 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.
Reid's office said he had also phoned to apologize to civil rights leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton; NAACP Chairman Julian Bond and Leadership Conference on Civil Rights president and chief executive officer Wade Henderson, as well as veteran political operative Donna Brazile. Reid also spoke with Reps. Barbara Lee, D-Calif., and Rep. James Clyburn, D-S.C., both African-Americans.
Some quickly fell in line supporting Reid.
"While there is no question that Senator Reid did not select the best word choice in this instance, these comments should not distract America from its continued focus on securing healthcare or creating jobs for its people," Sharpton said.
Clyburn, part of the House's Democratic leadership, also supported Reid despite the comments.
"Sen. Reid's apology for his private assessment of President Obama's candidacy should be accepted and our time and energy should be devoted to helping him overcome current obstacles to job creation, health care reform and energy independence," Clyburn said.
The revelations about Reid's language — 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 reconstructed much of the narrative from interviews with those involved with direct knowledge of events, notes and transcripts. The book is to be released on Monday and was obtained by The Associated Press on Saturday.
Among the details in the book:
• 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."
• 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."
• Vice presidential nominee Joe Biden thought Obama's promises were too thin to campaign on.
"Well, it's your campaign. I'll say what you want me to say. But after Election Day, all bets are off," the book quotes Biden as telling aides preparing him for a Sunday morning talk show appearance.
• Obama and Biden settled into separate schedules, barely spoke and seldom campaigned together. The campaign kept Biden off the nightly calls, instead having the campaign manager and senior strategist brief him separately.
• Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton initially declined Obama's request to join the administration as secretary of state, citing her high-profile husband, the former president. She had drafted a polite "no, thank you" release; but a midnight phone call from Obama persuaded her to leave the Senate for the State Department.
Aides to Obama, Clinton and Biden declined to discuss details of the book.
Palin'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."
Reid's 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 10 percentage points, 50 percent to 40 percent, and lagging behind two other opponents.
More than half of Nevadans had an unfavorable opinion of Reid. Just 33 percent of respondents held a favorable opinion.
Racially charged language cost Sen. Trent Lott, a Republican, the majority leader's office in 2002. The Mississippi lawmaker had kind words for then-Sen. Strom Thurmond, the South Carolina lawmaker who sought the presidency in 1948 on a pro-segration message.
Lott said the country wouldn't have as many problems if Thurmond — celebrating his 100th birthday — had prevailed. Lott stepped down after a tepid response from the White House of then-President George W. Bush.

It doesn't matter, he is going to lose anyway.. Unless he "retires" first..

The most hilarious thing about this....

What are the chances Reid would have " apologized " if the book hadn't come out.

Just another racist in government.

Sad thing is lots of white folks are still so indoctrinated with the traditional racist ideals in this country that stuff similar to that is said and they don't even realize how ignorant they sound.

There are people who think nothing of what he said. Don't see what the problem is.

That is really sad.

I totally agree with you, Dragoness.

Please don't faint....lmao

It's because he has the D after his name.

I don't understand. Why do so many whites have a problem with blacks? I don't know why. I really don't Genetically they are just as smart as caucasian males. Physically , we run into some controversy, which I love. How many Black Olympic Skiers are there? Black NASCAR racers? Black Tennis players? Black NHL players? Black NFL coaches or quarterbacks? Black MLB pitchers, PGA golfers? Yes, 2010, equal rights, men and women, we're colorblind, guess again!

This story is a non-item...total waste of paper. I knew I'd find some idiots running with the game ball though. As if they really believe what they're saying. Dream on nitpickers!!!

my black friend said something to me that really made sense,he said"Rob i feel sorry for you white people,back in the day yall stood up for what you believed in now you don't cause you get labeled a racist"

Amen...

Harry Reid didn't really mean anything by it. Poor choice of words yes of they were. I do believe that it is a bit hypocritical that one party is running with and the other party is trying to white wash it. Sad

Oh of COURSE.

Because everyone KNOWS that there wouldn't be one single " idiot " idiot in the Democratic party who would " run with the ball " if it had been a Republican who had said that.

What a hypocrite.

whatever.

This is another news overblown to entertain the masses with something.


"Panem et circenses! Panem et circenses!"- Juvenal 100 AD.

Bread and Circuses!

Basically keep the public occupied with useless news and entertainment so they don't think too far or - God forbid - think about other things that are really matter more.

Once you deny the bread and the circuses, the picture ain't so pretty anymore.

Yeah, kind of a smoke screen for bigger issues. I am a black woman and I found it to be no big deal when taken into consideration the context and what else is known about the racial attitudes of the speaker. As I posted in another thread 'light skinned' is the equivalent of 'light complexion' and more of a perception about appearance than an insult. As far as 'negro dialect', there is a common arrogance in this country that black people or negros have their own special way to speak that ties in with their race. It is unfortunate that perception is so widespread but the comment made is a reflection of the well known attitudes that are already prevalant.

I think the context of that statement was an honest assessment of how this particular black man may be able to win the election where other black men have not even won the nomination. IT is sad that complexion and dialect would have anything to do with an election or any other thing in this country, but image does matter and those two things do cause alot of people to feel intimidated.

And yet, as usual, the point is completely missed.

Had a REPUBLICAN been the one who made those comments, the Dems would have been screaming from the rooftops that the Republican in question was a racist.

But, since it was " one of their own ", they prefer to just brush it under the rug and hide it.

Hypocrisy at it's very best.

How do we know these things and worse HAVENT been uttered by Republicans and swept so far under a rug that we have yet to hear about them?

In any case, Biden himself has made comments about OBamas speech before so I doubt the party can turn around and condemn someone else for making that observation. At least he said negro and not the other N word,, that would have been MUCH more offensive.

Black Professor: If White Republican Said What Reid Did It Would Be Huge News
By Noel Sheppard (Bio | Archive)
January 11, 2010 - 18:52 ET

On Monday, a far-left leaning black college professor stated what few in the liberal media dare: if a white Republican said what Sen. Harry Reid (D-Nev.) did about presidential candidate Barack Obama in 2008, it would be huge news.

Speaking on MSNBC's "Morning Joe," Georgetown University Professor Michael Eric Dyson elaborated, "They would be making hay out of it, calling for his resignation. I think we're hypocrites and we're morally weak here."




http://2yo.us/1560

"Now you see why I hate white people?"

-Charles Barclay

I do find it a bit amazing is that is it were a republican that said it...people would think that is proof that they are all racist or people would be screaming about it even if the republican said he was sorry...I doubt it would matter to some

"Here yall crackas go again,doin' what ya do best...HATIN'....


-Black Guy round da coner...

I think it helps for people to know each other when they use such language. I think Reid and Obama have enough of a history for the context to be understood where those outside would see it differently. But again, I think the assessment about what he said being forgiven because of his political affiliation is probably less likely than the fact that the VICE PRESIDENT has said almost the EXACT same thing before. The party cannot hold others to a standard different than what they hold their own VP.

I also think that it was a statement more about how the PUBLIC would perceive OBAMA, given the majority views about black males , skin complextion, language,,,etc,,,,