Obama apologizes to reporter he called "sweetie"

[npincus]

Good one, the man has class.

While I believe he said it inadvertantly, (I myself am known to call folks 'honey" and "sweetie") I don't like when it's directed at me or other females in the workplace. I was once called "sweetie" by my male boss at a cient meeting and I wanted to slug him.



http://www.wxyz.com/news/story.aspx?content_id=13d1f66a-488b-46d3-9d3b-6632e0a8f1f7 (AUDIO of apology at link)

UPDATE: Democratic presidential candidate Sen. Barack Obama has apologized to WXYZ reporter Peggy Agar for calling her "sweetie" during a campaign stop Wednesday in Sterling Heights.

Obama apologized in a voicemail he left on Agar's cell phone at 3:16 p.m:

"Hi Peggy. This is Barack Obama. I'm calling to apologize on two fronts. One was you didn't get your question answered and I apologize. I thought that we had set up interviews with all the local stations. I guess we got it with your station but you weren't the reporter that got the interview. And so, I broke my word. I apologize for that and I will make up for it.

"Second apology is for using the word 'sweetie.' That's a bad habit of mine. I do it sometimes with all kinds of people. I mean no disrespect and so I am duly chastened on that front. Feel free to call me back. I expect that my press team will be happy to try to make it up to you whenever we are in Detroit next."

[Marrah_G]

1. This has been posted a number of times already . nt

[npincus]

2. the apology was posted?

the apology was added to site at 11:41 PM- I have not seen it on DU- obviously.

[Marrah_G]

31. No problem, was just letting you know

I think it was a great apology. He handled it well.

[Wetzelbill]

3. Go home, boy scout

We don't need yer kind policin' 'round here. :) Oh wait, you're a woman. My bad.

Vote Wetzelbill/Kurovski '08
I'm Drunk, He's Gay, Live With It.

[dionysus]

42. you guys are running the most disgusting slash and burn campaign ever... you should be ashamed

Dionysus/Snives 08
Working Scoundrels Party

[Wetzelbill]

50. you are only tearing the party apart by staying in the race

It's over.

Wetzelbill/Kurovski '08
Balls You Can Trust.

[splat]

4. Another telling moment from the divider

Good one, the man has class.

If he had class, he wouldn't have called a reporter the diminishing "sweetie" in the first place, and volunteered that it's a habit -- he does that all the time.

This is the most offensive Democratic candidate of my lifetime.

[greguganus]

6. Like when Hillary told Edwards to "stand there and look pretty, John"??? n/t

[splat]

9. Is John a reporter she didn't know?

[greguganus]

13. So it's okay to demean a presidential candidate, but not a reporter? n/t

[splat]

15. They know each other -- not dissing a stranger in a professional role

[Teaser]

22. So could he call Hillary sweetie then?

0wned.

[leftofcool]

8. And one of the most sexist

along with the other members of his good ole boys club

[Blondbostonian]

11. Hillaryis44 is waiting for you to join

Go vote for McCain. Hillary will never be President. EVER.

Have a nice day.

[splat]

16. I'm voting for Hillary, not McCain. And against Obama and his arrogant supporters

[TahitiNut]

36. It's terrible! Far worse than ...

... Hillary's body count

[DemVet]

5. I really don't think...

...there is anything to apologize for. Calling someone "sweetie" is usually a sign of respect or affection, not a degrading sexist remark.

Much ado about nothing.

[splat]

7. Calling a reporter sweetie is a sign of affection? Brian Williams? Tweety?

It's a sexist dismissal.

[Vinca]

10. Note to Barack: you can call me sweetie anytime. nt

[splat]

18. I guess you're not a reporter being blown off, huh?

[Vinca]

29. It's really amusing the way you make a federal case out of nothing.

Sweetie important, Hillary's "white" voters not so much.

[splat]

30. Obama, candidate of men only

[Vinca]

34. He's my candidate and I'm not a man.

If you decide not to vote for him based on a slip of the tongue, I hope you're never in need of abortion services because they won't be available. I hope you'll be able to purchase healthcare with McCain's $5,000 tax credit. I hope you won't know anyone in a box coming back from Iraq.

[splat]

37. Hillary will keep abortion safe and legal -- rookie Obama would be lost or pwned

[dionysus]

44. did you manage to type that with a straight face?

:rofl:

[thevoiceofreason]

48. So that's why NARAL endorsed him? OK

[dionysus]

43. ...

[indimuse]

12. IF he HAD "CLASS" , He wouldn't have said it in the first place!

To me...It was the WAY he said it!go watch the clip.

[greguganus]

14. LMAO. The person that posts a racist pic of Obama talking about CLASS!!! n/t

[dionysus]

47. ...

[4themind]

17. Glad he apologized

he made a remark that shouldn't be used in a professional setting, and he apologized,I accept it, just as I accepted hillary's "mea culpa" on the "hard working american, white americans". The question is always two fold, what they intend, vs. how the person is affected by it. I can only control the latter part for myself, he(like hillary) can only give me their word in the former and I accept it in both cases.

[flamingpie2500]

19. The man has two daughters he misses terribly--he probably calls them sweetie all the time-

force of habit.

[splat]

20. You're equating female reporters with children? So was he

[flamingpie2500]

26. No---I did say it was force of habit. I always call my husband honey constantly and have

inadvertently called other people that without even thinking.

[Larkspur]

21. It's not just men like Obama who use "sweetie"

A female co-worker of mine 10 years ago called me that. She was about 10 years older than me and it was she who fought behind the scenes and behind my back to get me a promotion. She was disgusted at my manager, who was also female, of exploiting my hard work and good ideas.

[ShortnFiery]

23. I call my beloved pet dog "sweetie" but often my husband jokingly responds "Yes?"

He also comments, "I wish you loved me as much as the mutt?" To which I have to relent and rub his tummy. :blush:

[moose65]

24. We need to lighten up

I am a 42-year-old man, and I get called "sweetie" and "honey" by female waitresses, receptionists, and store clerks all the time. Should I be offended? Are they trying to demean me? Nah. Here in the South it's almost natural to call total strangers by these terms. This is a tempest in a teapot.

[npincus]

51. yes. To err is human, to forgive:

[rasputin1952]

25. The only thing I have to say is...I appreciate anyone who will

appologize, even for a PC slip of the tongue. I've been called "sweetie", especially in the South, (caveat: I've been called a lot worse...;) ), this is another "non-issue",; if he'd called her a "b*tch", I would have something to take him to task for.

[Orsino]

27. Hell. yeah.

One apology is worth fifty "clarifications" or triangulations, and that it came from the candidate himself is classy.

[splat]

28. What passes for 'classy' here is 'tacky'

[Marrah_G]

32. I thought his apology was really well done and personal.

He gained a couple notches in my book.

[DU GrovelBot]

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[hokies4ever]

35. The lady is ugly

She probably hasn't been called 'sweetie' since she was a little girl. :rofl:

[Marrah_G]

38. What an absolutely disgusting comment.

:puke:

[splat]

40. The reporter is a professional -- no wonder you like pretty, shallow Obama,

[Cass]

45. I see the hope and unity brigade is at it again.

[Eurobabe]

39. Hey Barack, my number is 610-XXX-XXXX

You can ring me ANYTIME and call me sweetie, I promise I won't take offense. :loveya:

[GarbagemanLB]

41. Good. As an Obama supporter, I definitely thought it was wrong to call her 'sweetie'.

[JimmyJubes]

46. Kind of a double standard

Girls call me sweetie and honey all the time.

[IDemo]

49. I'm sure I am not the only one this morning who sees the irony of SweetyGate

We have on one hand, a candidate who used a not terribly insulting word, for which he later apologized.

On the other hand, we have the demented head of the free(?) world comparing our Sweetygater to Nazi appeasers. ::mad: :wtf: :spank: :wow: :grr: :thumbsdown:

But at least we all have our priorities straight, right?

[SaveAmerica]

52. I thought it said "Feel free to call me BLACK" Hoo boy!

"Second apology is for using the word 'sweetie.' That's a bad habit of mine. I do it sometimes with all kinds of people. I mean no disrespect and so I am duly chastened on that front. Feel free to call me back. I expect that my press team will be happy to try to make it up to you whenever we are in Detroit next."