Haley Barbour apologizes for Obama remark

[highplainsdem]

Source: Politico

Republican heavyweight Haley Barbour apologized Tuesday night for a recent controversial remark that some have called racist.

“While I would love for [New Jersey Gov. Chris] Christie to put a hot poker to Obama’s butt,” Barbour said last week at a closed-door American Crossroads fundraiser in Tampa, according to Bloomberg Businessweek. “I thought he did what he was supposed to do.”

Liberal outlets, including a blogger for “The Rachel Maddow Show,” Gawker, and Talking Points Memo editor Josh Marshall, pointed out that Barbour’s comments seemingly called for the branding of the nation’s first black president.

Barbour said he was only trying to encourage Christie.

“I apologize to anyone who feels my comment had connotations that I did not intend,” Barbour said in a statement provided to POLITICO. “As a Republican, I would have liked to see Chris Christie put the heat on Obama — but for the audience of independents he did the right thing. In any case, it’s critical that we all keep our comments free of extremes or anything that could be misinterpreted.”

-snip-

Read more: http://www.politico.com/news/stories/0912/80642.html

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

1. Typical GOPer non-apology apology.

Fuck him.

[awoke_in_2003]

27. I predicted it yesterday...

but, then again, that was like predicting the sun would rise in the east

[klook]

2. "I'm sorry that you are all so thin-skinned."

That's about what it sounds like to me. The usual Republican "apology."

[Lifelong Protester]

3. Yeah, the old "I'm sorry YOU are offended.."

a no-apology format...

[otohara]

4. He is SORRY

Sorry as they come!

[Historic NY]

5. How come they always get to walk back the talk...just to tweak it

[bluesbassman]

6. Hey, I have an idea for you Barbour that'll keep you from being "misinterpreted"...

Keep your racist, lying, hypocritical piehole SHUT!

[tomm2thumbs]

7. sounds like the guy may have some experience with using hot pokers on others

wondering what kind of life he has lived that he would use THAT particular analogy

[Cha]

19. Exactly. It said everything about

ol' Haley Barbour.

Keep your damn hot pokers to yourself..ya pervert.

[bluestateguy]

8. Apology not accepted

nt

[KeepItReal]

9. Coward released a statement in the middle of the night

That is not an apology.

Do it on camera in front of real press.

[Adenoid_Hynkel]

10. and now Haley goes back to his favorite past time

trying to git those durn Duke boys!

[SoapBox]

11. Hey, Gov. Killer Releaser...

*finger*

There is an apology for ya!

[David__77]

12. Democrats need to learn this style of "apology."

John Burton just did it: "I apologize to anyone who feels..." This is NOT an apology. There is never a need to apologize to one's ENEMIES. And let us know that these are ENEMIES, not mere opponents.

[kestrel91316]

13. That was less than tepid, and completely insincere.

Typical repuke "apology".

[ProgressiveChristian]

14. Nice try Haley...

You slug. The next time you "anti gummit" people have a hurricane, and need some fed money. The White House oughta send it in pennies..(No offense to my Mississippi Dem brethren)

[BFreeFranklin]

15. Typical lazy GOP Twunt!

Can't dirty his hands, do the job himself. Has to outsource his violence to Christie's connections in Tony Soprano controlled New Jersey?

[AllyCat]

16. That's an apology?

OMG! On another note, I had not heard he said this! Horrible!

[BootinUp]

17. Seems to me he intended to be a redneck asshole.

mission accomplished.

[MrScorpio]

18. So the Prez is a runaway slave now. Stay classy, Haley nt

[liberal N proud]

20. You can say anything you want, then apologize, take it back or say you didn't mean it.

IF YOU ARE A REPUBLICAN!

[spicegal]

21. What is it with the GOP and their disgusting comments? They're constantly apologizing. I believe

they drop these bombs on purpose, knowing that the apology will either never be heard and/or the damage is already done. You cannot convince me that a seasoned politician, like Barbour, just let that slip. These guys are very accustomed to crafting their remarks, spinning, and not "accidentally" allowing certain things to slip out. He wanted that comment to be heard for whatever reason, i.e. fires up the ignorant base.

[LeftofObama]

22. That's exactly what they're doing.

It's like in a court room when a lawyer makes a comment and the judge tells the jury to "disregard that last statement". It's already been said and impossible to ignore.

[awoke_in_2003]

30. It is like saying something in court...

there may be an objection, and the judge may instruct the jury to disregard, but the damage isn't really undone.

[maddiemom]

23. Republicans haven't shown any respect to a Democratic president since LBJ.

What he did to THEIR butts wasn't a pretty sight. It's escalated ever since until, with a mixed-racial president they consider 100% black, they're showing their own, true, reactionary (nicest word I could I could think of) colors.

[randome]

24. Because they're going down and they know it.

Deep down, they know it.

[maddiemom]

32. But they won't admit it.

I'm officially a senior citizen, but saw many mixed racial marriages in my own generation. A neighbor and early friend of my daughter had a a black father/ white mother. Another good friend, Asian mom/ white dad. All admittedly professionals. My daughter went to a Montessori school in a university town and didn't seem to question race until public school first grade. Only then did she come into contact with with kids who caused her to ask "why does it make a difference if you're a different color? " Before, she'd just taken it for granted that people came in different colors. Entering puberty and interest in the opposite sex brings up cultural and religious differences, of course, but I really thought that my "baby boom" generation was mostly, not always, saner about religion. I did realize that there were many different cultural mores involved locally. My being a Protestant, our daughter's father, Catholic, didn't upset either of our families, although only one of the four had a high school degree, all were very intelligent and staunchly liberal No matter how educated, however, some very strong foreign cultures and religions still are highly committed and want to keep their kids intermarried. "Bend it Like Beckham" is not new, but highly recommended.

[radicalliberal]

25. Ordinarily (in the case of phony politicians), I would say, "Apology not accepted"; ...

... but that was no apology.

[CTyankee]

28. "misinterpreted" my ass!

We all heard it loud and clear! I hope somebody shoves a pie in this guy's face soon...

[rurallib]

29. Amazing how Republicans know so little of history

how they can keep saying shit that has racist connotations and they have no idea.

[Neoma]

31. Asshat.