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NY Times, January 10, 2010 Reid Apologizes for Racial Remarks About Obama By JEFF ZELENY WASHINGTON — Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, apologized on Saturday for saying that he believed Barack Obama could become the country’s first black president because he was “light-skinned” and had the advantage of carrying “no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.” The apology was prompted by the release of a new book on the 2008 presidential campaign, which reported that Mr. Reid privately urged Mr. Obama to seek the presidency more than three years ago despite his limited experience and the historical obstacles to making a successful bid for the White House. “I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words,” Mr. Reid said in a statement. “I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments.” The remarks from Mr. Reid were the latest in a long-running series of statements that several political figures have made about Mr. Obama, which have underscored the uneasy evolution of race and politics in the United States. Mr. Reid telephoned Mr. Obama on Saturday to apologize. “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,” Mr. Obama said in a statement released by the White House. “As far as I am concerned, the book is closed.” The comments are contained in a passage of the book “Game Change,” by political journalists John Heilemann and Mark Halperin, which is set to be released by Harper on Monday. The relationship between the president and majority leader has been strong since Mr. Obama arrived in Washington as a freshman senator in 2005. One year later, Mr. Reid began to quietly urge Mr. Obama to run for president. He made the comment about Mr. Obama’s race in an interview with the book’s authors as he spoke glowingly about Mr. Obama’s political skills. Associates close to Mr. Reid said the comments were not intended to be on the record. The exchange ignited a political furor on Saturday for Mr. Reid, who is embroiled in a difficult re-election campaign in Nevada. The episode drew parallels to a 2002 incident involving a racial remark that cost Senator Trent Lott, Republican of Mississippi, his position as the majority leader. Mr. Lott drew controversy over remarks he made at a 100th birthday party for then-Senator Strom Thurmond, Republican of South Carolina, who had run for president in 1948 on a pro-segregation platform. Mr. Lott said that if Mr. Thurmond had won the White House back then, the nation wouldn’t have “all the problems” that it has today. Mr. Lott said the remarks were meant in good humor. The National Republican Senator Committee on Saturday circulated comments that Mr. Reid made at the time as he seized on the moment, saying: “If you tell ethnic jokes in the backroom, it’s that much easier to say ethnic things publicly. I’ve always practiced how I play.” In his apology on Saturday, Mr. Reid said his record underscored a long history fighting on behalf of minorities. “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,” Mr. Reid said in a statement. “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 important to the African-American community.” ________________________________________________ Send list submissions to: [email protected] Set your options at: http://lists.econ.utah.edu/mailman/options/marxism/archive%40mail-archive.com
