Breaking: Hillary Clinton Apologies to Black Voters - Seriously

Well, here it is, finally, the apology that all the Obama supporters wanted: a full apology.....Can we move on now?

http://www.sfgate.com/...

Clinton Apologizes to Black Voters

(03-13) 01:31 PDT WASHINGTON, (AP) --

Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton did something Wednesday night that she almost never does. She apologized. And once she started, she didn't seem able to stop.

The New York senator, who is in a tight race with Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for the Democratic presidential nomination, struck several sorry notes at an evening forum sponsored by the National Newspaper Publishers Association, a group of more than 200 black community newspapers across the country.

Her biggest apology came in response to a question about comments by her husband, Bill Clinton, after the South Carolina primary, which Obama won handily. Bill Clinton said Jesse Jackson also won South Carolina when he ran for president in 1984 and 1988, a comment many viewed as belittling Obama's success.

"I want to put that in context. You know I am sorry if anyone was offended. It was certainly not meant in any way to be offensive," Hillary Clinton said. "We can be proud of both Jesse Jackson and Senator Obama."

"Anyone who has followed my husband's public life or my public life know very well where we have stood and what we have stood for and who we have stood with," she said, acknowledging that whoever wins the nomination will have to heal the wounds of a bruising, historic contest.

and this:

Of Ferraro's comment, Hillary Clinton told her audience: "I certainly do repudiate it and I regret deeply that it was said. Obviously she doesn't speak for the campaign, she doesn't speak for any of my positions, and she has resigned from being a member of my very large finance committee."

•  I saw this

  and her facial expressions, vocal inflection and body language told us the truth about this "apology".

  by nolalily on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:10:18 PM PDT

  •  "My very large

    finance committee".  Why did she say that?

    by nolalily on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:11:45 PM PDT

    •  You know what they say about Senators

      with Very Large Finance Committees...

      by haruki on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:12:47 PM PDT

      •  Very Low Moral Standards?

        asdf

        by tkmattson on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:14:06 PM PDT

        •  Comment of the day

          Count it.

          by droogie6655321 on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:19:46 PM PDT

      •  Not very many contributers?

        by Grass on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:14:14 PM PDT

      •  Little ethics that shrink even more when wet

        nt

        by jpfdeuce on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:16:53 PM PDT

    •  To make it sound like

      she'll have money in the GE to compete. It's one of the factors the Super-D's are considering.

      by psilocynic on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:13:50 PM PDT

      •  Perhaps, but...

        I think it's more of "geez, how am I supposed to know about one of my very large committee members starting a media firestorm--there's just too many to count."

        ANother definition of "is"...

        by BlueStreak on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:25:53 PM PDT

        •  That's the way...

          I read it....Gerry Ferraro is just one of an army of assholes.  Now we know how many holes it takes to fill the...

          by mayan on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:39:09 PM PDT

          •  I read the news today

            oh, boy.

            by pseudopod on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:57:09 PM PDT

          •  If Clinton is sincerely sorry

            then she should return all the money that Ferraro raised for her. Money meet mouth.

            by sja on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 04:14:09 PM PDT

        •  It's her big tent: racists, sexists, lobbyists,

          a lot of different kinds of people love Hillary Clinton.

          by geomoo on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 04:25:38 PM PDT

    •  bragging?

      overcompensating?

      by DawnG on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:16:30 PM PDT

    •  to make it seem...

      ...like Ferrao's role was not at all important, she was just one of a huge group of people raising money, so not really close to the campaign.

      just more Clinton bullshit.

      by carpediva on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:20:15 PM PDT

    •  Perhaps it was due to their 6-hour meeting...

      ...last night at Old Country Buffet!

      by Randall Sherman on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:22:18 PM PDT

    •  To diminish the role Ferraro had in it.

      One of thousands doesn't sound as involved as one in two.  And to make it sound like she has lots of money, of course.

      by oscarsdad on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:24:59 PM PDT

    •  To reassure herself actually

      I think her backers are getting hurt in the market.  More hedge funds will fail, I wonder if even Chelsea will keep her job?

      Did y'all hear about KBR?

      by Shhs on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:25:39 PM PDT

      •  What's up with KBR?

        I heard Carlyle Group went belly up.

        by kdee on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:59:25 PM PDT

    •  does this dress make my

      finance committee look big?

      by seesdifferent on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:31:01 PM PDT

      •  ROFL!

        by mayan on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:39:36 PM PDT

      •  LOL!!!!

        by MadAsHellMaddie on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 04:53:25 PM PDT

    •  To me it sounded like

      Her finance committee is so large she can't control everyone.

      Unfit to run the White House too then

      by LoLoLaLa on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:31:47 PM PDT

    •  She said that because people are talking about

      her Finance Committee which appears to be playing fast and loose with donors credit cards..one of her Campaign Finance Committee people resigned just before Geraldine had her hissy fit..she is saying that Clinton's campaign maxed out her credit card without her knowledge or permission and stuck her with $400.00 in service charges..Schedule B shows thousands of dollars going back to donors who have clearly given way over the legal limit...

      It is hard to say when this issue will be thoroughly investigated..and reported on .. I don't know if the Democratic Party or the people can demand a forensic audit of her campaign... also, it brings questions about the $5 million she says she loaned her campaign.

      What is really interesting in my observation of this fiasco is learning that Geraldine was on her Finance Committee, that her husband John Zacarro is alleged to be Gambino affiliated..and that the Emperor's Club that Spitzer frequented is allegedly a Gambino enterprise..just coincidence, I guess.

      by RubyGal on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:36:39 PM PDT

      •  WOW.

        You should write a gossip column!  Where do you get all this inside information?

        by nolalily on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:48:20 PM PDT

        •  I will give you the diary from Daily Kos

          that posted the article about the woman who just resigned..

          When I was in college, I studied law.  My specialty was RICO Law..Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act..part of investigating Organized Crime is to look for patterns of corruption..with Hillary there are patterns of corruption..her previous campaign for Senate was tainted by a man who was on her Finance Committee and was indicted and convicted and put in prison for shenanigans not dissimilar to what I mentioned..I will go get the link..

          by RubyGal on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 04:58:45 PM PDT

          •  No, no. I believe it.

            That's just it.  I don't think it's too much of a stretch of the imagination.

            by nolalily on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 06:53:07 PM PDT

        •  Here is the article on the Clinton Finance

          Committee worker who resigned because of financial irregularities..

          http://www.dailykos.com/...

          by RubyGal on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 05:01:47 PM PDT

        •  Here is an link to a story from 2005 about

          financial shenanigans in Hillary Clinton's Senatorial run that got a man indicted..

          http://www.wnbc.com/...

          It is not hard to find patterns of corruption with Hillary Clinton and Bill Clinton.  RICO deals with corrupt enterprises.  Her Campaign Finance Committee is a part of her enterprise..she is running for the office of the president .. her campaign is her enterprise..

          Problem is, I would hate to see her in trouble a la Eliot Spitzer just before the November election and for that reason, she should not be nominated..she is too sleazy..she should have released her tax returns a long time ago..what is she waiting for..and these questionable transactions reported by a Finance Committee employee..well..that has to be looked into..

          by RubyGal on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 05:09:39 PM PDT

        •  Schedule B Hillary's disbursements

          http://query.nictusa.com/...

          just in case you wanted to do some light reading with some cookies and milk tonight..

          by RubyGal on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 06:10:29 PM PDT

          •  Hey, thanks.

            For going to all this trouble.  Seriously.  

            I would give you all "4s" as you deserve it but, unfortunately, kos has taken my rating ability away until after the primaries.  Don't ask why cause I don't really know myself.

            by nolalily on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 06:56:14 PM PDT

          •  You should do a diary about this n/t

            by nolalily on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 06:59:43 PM PDT

    •  She was trying to distance herself from

      Ferraro by making the finance committee seem so big that Ferraro was irrelevant.

      by victoria2dc on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 05:51:30 PM PDT

  •  She should have FIRED Ferraro

    Now THAT would have been a strong apology.  What we have now is just bull.

    by Gearhead on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:14:08 PM PDT

    •  Along with returning the money Ferraro raised

      n/t

      by sja on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 04:17:04 PM PDT

    •  A very specific degree of sorryhood:

      She's sorry enough to keep liberal votes but not sorry enough to lose the racist votes she gained.

      by geomoo on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 04:29:25 PM PDT

  •  Too little, way too late!

    by Phil S 33 on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:14:24 PM PDT

    •  Yeah, what about that ready on day one

      crap?  More like ready on day five or six.

      by sja on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 04:23:22 PM PDT

  •  Yes, of course.

    Because we know you can read minds.

    Feh.

    by homogenius on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:15:26 PM PDT

  •  "I am sorry if anyone was offended"

    Is a bullshit apology from a bullshit Senator.

    by The Bagof Health and Politics on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:37:24 PM PDT

    •  classic trendy "non-apology" apology (n/t)

      by SamSinister on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 04:02:20 PM PDT

  •  this has been bothering me all day

    We can be proud of both Jesse Jackson and Senator Obama."

    I know that Ferraro made the same kind of racist comment about Jackson back in the 1980's, but I don't understand why this has to do with Ferraro's recent asshatery other than for Hillary to play "cute" and bring up Jackson and Obama again much like Bill did in SC.

    by MadAsHellMaddie on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 04:52:45 PM PDT

    •  It's to marginalize Obama's appeal

      Rhetorical frame that Obama = Jackson = 1980s feel-good, look-how-far-we've-come, only-got-10-percent-of-the-vote candidate

      by youpsy on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 05:10:43 PM PDT

      •  yep

        as usual a faux apology.

        by MadAsHellMaddie on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 05:21:21 PM PDT

  •  About as insincere and half-hearted apoloby

    as I've ever heard from anyone.

    by ccr4nine on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 06:06:22 PM PDT

  •  "You know I am sorry if anyone was offended."

    "It was certainly not meant in any way to be offensive."

    A classic non-apology apology.  It sounds kind of like an apology, but in reality, she blames those who were offended for being offended.

    by tbetz on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 07:29:33 PM PDT

•  Now about that war vote...

  by haruki on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:10:42 PM PDT

  •  Yes lets move on...

    The media has been obsessed with HRC and her race baiting surrogates for too long now

    by peacemon on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:12:53 PM PDT

    •  Now she should apologize for endorsing Mc

      by HoundDog on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:14:47 PM PDT

      •  Sorry previous comment present. Now Clinton

        should apologize for endorsing McCain's commander in chief qualifications while slaming Obamas, thereby, making the GOP fall campaign ads more effectively than they will be able to do.

        Then release her last years of taxes immediately, with 2007 to follow April 15.  Have Bill release the Little Rock Library fundraising list, instruct the National Archives to expedite the release of the White House papers, including now censored Marc Rich pardon sections, and issue a delegate projection spreadsheet with any assumptions she needs to make no matter how extreme, to show she has some minamally credible pathway to the Democratic nomination.

        Then also apologize for violating her signed pledge not to campaign, or participate in any way with the pre-legal starting date primaries in MI and FL and renounce any plan to exploit this sad situation to "game" her way to a nasty and further destructive convention floor fight to seat these delegations for ulterior motive.

        Then we could "move on" to a legitimate and constructive nomination competition.  

        Otherwise, it will appear to many that she is only playing the role of a self serving spoiler, who is not willing to play by the traditional standards of the Democratic Party, and is willing to puruse any means of advantage even if it damages our party and our most likley nominee, for a remote longshot.

        by HoundDog on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:33:39 PM PDT

        •  Oh, and I forgot to mention that it would mean a

          lot to me, personally, if she would also flat out apologize for voting to endorse the Bush/Cheney Neocon foreign policy of the second invastion of Irag and the support of the designation of the Iranian elite guard as a terrorist organization, perhaps, clearing the way, for Dick Cheney's and Willian Kristols plan to invade Iran.

          And also, it would be appreciated if she would explian her lack of support for those of us in demanding the the old Senate and new Senate complete the absolutely minimal last resort conciliation prize type efforts to hold the Bush/Cheney administration responsible for its misdeeds - the Feingold Censure and the completion of the Phase 2 Intelligence Committee hearings, Patriot Act extensions, violations of the Domestic Espianage courts, etc.  

          And she should follow Obama's lead and recommit our nation to the intention to follow international law, the Geneva Conventions, and give some indication that she has more respect and appreciation of our constitution than Bush, Cheny, Rumsfeld, Gonzales, Rove and the other unindicted coconspirators.

          Here, I admit she is not exclusively responsible, and whole lot of other Democrats still have an unfilled burden and complicity, to explain and discuss,  but if we are in the mode to discuss "relationship repair," and reconciliation, here, I willing to at least engage the conversation by putting my cards on the table.

          But on these last two, I quite honestly, don't know if Obama has the same problem.  I was either non-comitted or a very early Edwards supporttor under the "lessor of evils" theory at the time, before finally leaving the party in disgust and becoming a progressive independent.

          I've only come back in this last few months because the comments Obama made about not only opposing the war but the "mindset" that got us into the war,  and his comments that he has 'taught the constitution, respects the constituion, and commits to trying to obey it" give me some sliver of hope that he at least has a basic grasp of our wrong, dangerous to our national security, and sub-optimal the PNAC-Neocon foriegn policy is.

          Our whole nation is emerging from one of the most disgraceful periods in our history, and all of us, not just the Bush and Cheney adminstration, bear a certain degree of responsibility and accountability for our terrible behavior around the world, which not only Americans but people around the world will be paying a terrible price for for generations to come.

          I apologize to the extent I have not been able yet to overcome some of my bitterness about this.  I'm trying.  But let's not forget we still have troops dying in Iraq of their forth rotations, some of whom have not seen their own children for many years.  

          by HoundDog on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 04:05:09 PM PDT

    •  yes, HRC controlling the MSM narrative too long

      Whether it's good or bad, she is the lead story in the MSM. It is time for Obama to take the lead and make her go on the defensive.

      This is NOT a real apology. Don't hold your breath waiting for one, either. There is no mistake here -- SC was intentional as is the current Ferraro bit.

      We need to stop demanding an apology and start reminding people why they are so excited about Obama.

      by batgirl71 on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 04:31:18 PM PDT

•  Triangulated apology

  after this story "took a life of its own".

  Poor hillary, didn't calculate this one too well huh?

  by KingGeorgetheTurd on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:11:01 PM PDT

  •  the polling must have shown

    now was the time to apologize.

    by jalapeno on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:12:21 PM PDT

    •  re

      Yes it did.

      --Mark Penn

      by cookiesandmilk on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:25:41 PM PDT

  •  Oh she calculated it to the extreme

    Let it take a life of it's own, dominate the press, disparage Obama and marginalize him...  remain silent until it's time to end the media news cycle

    by jpfdeuce on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:19:18 PM PDT

  •  Really, this is no apology

    She's not sorry for what has been said.  She's not sorry that she and hers have offended.  She's really just sorry if people were paying attention enough to have realized they had every right to be offended.

    You know I am sorry if anyone was offended

    IF.

    An apology reads something like this:  

    I made inexcusable remarks that are at marked variance from my oft-stated admiration for Senator Clinton and from the spirit, tenor, and purpose of the Obama campaign. And I extend my deepest apologies to Senator Clinton

    Samantha Power

    by pvlb on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 05:17:14 PM PDT

•  ah, the non-apology apology

  "You know I am sorry if anyone was offended. It was certainly not meant in any way to be offensive,"

  what a joke. i guess everyone that was offended just took it all wrong. shame on us.

  by jdw on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:12:17 PM PDT

  •  yes

    saying you are sorry if someone is offended for remarks coming from your camapign is DIFFERENT then apologizing for saying the offending remark.  
     Similar to punching someone in the nose and saying your sorry that they are feeling pain, instead of apologizing for causing the pain.

    by tbreds on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:28:41 PM PDT

•  Who's going to be offended next? n/t

  by jalapeno on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:12:43 PM PDT

  •  I suppose whomever she decides to insult next. nt

    by converse on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:24:32 PM PDT

  •  Hey, vote for her, she apologized!

    Can't you just see that working for her in the general election?  She's an apologist.  She orchestrates blunderheaded offensive racist tactics -- but she apologizes when it polls badly.

    by dash888 on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:49:27 PM PDT

•  BS

  "I'm sorry if..." doesn't count.

  "It was certainly not meant..." doesn't count.

  "She doesn't speak for..." doesn't count.

  She can't even get a real apology right.

  by converse on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:13:06 PM PDT

  •  Just compare it to what the Obama campaign did

    over the monster comment.  Not even close.

    Or to what Clinton demanded Obama do over the Farrakhan money, which was nowhere near as close a relationship as someone working on her finance committee.

    No, nothing less than refunding the money that Ferraro raised for her will do, I'm afraid.  If she isn't willing to do that, she's just going to have to be saddled with this for a while longer.

    by oscarsdad on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:27:49 PM PDT

•  Self-serving apologies ...

  "I am sorry if anyone was offended."

  That's almost EXACTLY what she said when Bill Clinton made those offensive statements.  No.  That doesn't cut it.  IF people were offended implies that it may not be true.  People were offended, and she won't even acknowledge that.

  "my very large finance committee."

  Trying to minimize the magnitude of this problem.  Sorry, Hillary ... my respect for you and your campaign has only taken a further hit after this.

  by Paul Hogarth on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:13:11 PM PDT

•  To Bill & Hillary From Black America

  by WeBetterWinThisTime on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:13:17 PM PDT

•  But will her racist Southern Strategy continue?

  I guarantee it won't.  Besides, Geraldine's mission is accomplished anyway.  The idea that Obama is an affirmative action candidate is out there.  

  The only apology I will accept from Clinton must be followed by "...and therefore I hereby suspend my campaign for the Presidency and endorse Senator Obama."

  by Delaware Dem on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:13:44 PM PDT

  •  any southern states left?

    no reason for them to continue that strategy then right?

    by Ajax the Greater on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:30:15 PM PDT

    •  As they say about PA

      Pennsylvania is comprised of Pittsburgh and Philadelphia with Alabama in between.

      by davidkc on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:34:10 PM PDT

    •  More like the white working class strategy

      It is no coincidence that Ferraro represented the congressional district that was the setting for the fictional Archie Bunker.

      This will still play in Pennsylvania

      As for southern states, NC, Kentucky and the border state of WV still left to vote..

      by terjeanderson on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:34:46 PM PDT

    •  North Carolina.. Pennsylvania was a slave state..

      I lived on a farm in Bucks County when I was a kid and it had slave quarters...other than that, they call PA  a midAtlantic state but mentally, it is was a Southern state.. When we played with Black kids in our neighborhood, my mom received a visit from men who called themselves, Minutemen..and they weren't talking about the Revolution..they were like the Minutemen who are on the border now..much like them..

      by RubyGal on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:41:38 PM PDT

  •  he is an affirmtive action candidate

    because he's going to bring about positive change!

    :P  I thought myself clever last night when I wrote it at Square State.

    by pacified on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:51:40 PM PDT

•  Yawwnnnnnnn

  too late and rather arrogant with the my very large finance committee remark.

  All of this needs to stop. I'm so worn out with all of this soooo like Sen. Obama I'm going forward and back on message. Time to look at things such as the economy, Iraq, FISA, etc.

  by Its any one guess on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:13:52 PM PDT

•  Arrrgggg!

  I am sorry if anyone was offended.

  That is not an apology!!!

  by rf7777 on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:14:07 PM PDT

  •  How about the Daily Kos FAQ

       3.1 WHEN AN APOLOGY IS NOT AN APOLOGY

           3.1.1 LEFT-HANDED APOLOGIES

               Left-handed apologies are not good. (LEFT-HANDED: "I'm sorry you took it that way.", as opposed to RIGHT-HANDED: "I really didn't mean it that way, and I apologize if I was not being clear.") If a left-handed apology is the only way you can apologize, then just do everyone a favor, and keep it to yourself.

    dkosopedia.com  I don't think what she said would pass as an apology here.  Maybe our standards are too high! :D

    by pgm 01 on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:26:06 PM PDT

    •  I can't believe

      that is in the FAQ.  

      by pacified on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:52:20 PM PDT

•  The comments were meant to denigrate

  Obama's accomplishments and to downplay his victory while painting him as an AA candidate and not just a candidate for POTUS.

  I guess i'll accept her apology but I don't really consider it to be a full, honest apology at that.  More doublespeak and equivocating if you ask me -- but it is an apology nonetheless I suppose.

  I'll let the campaigns actions from this point forward indicate to me whether or not this is truly sincere.  This isn't the first time i've said this and they've failed before but i'm willing to evaluate one last time I guess.

  by zoopnfunk on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:14:26 PM PDT

  •  I agree

    That's the Clinton strategy, any chance they get they try to diminish Obama as a candidate for President.
    He doesn't pass the Clinton Campaign Imaginary CIC TEST™
    He's the same kind of candidate as Jesse Jackson, meaning he has limited appeal and can't win "white America".

    The thing that cracks me up is that Hillary would be no where, not any where if not for you she married. Think she'd be one of  the senators of NY otherwise? Let alone a leading Presidential candidate?

    by pd1969 on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:40:28 PM PDT

    •  typo

      who she married
      not
      "you she married."

      by pd1969 on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:41:38 PM PDT

•  Breaking!

  Hillary continues the same ugly attacks and smears tomorrow. 'Sorry' today, attack tomorrow.

  by allmost liberal european on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:14:27 PM PDT

•  It was a sinister non-apology apology.

  Check out the subtext.

  "...proud of both Jesse Jackson and Barack Obama." That's condescending.

  "Me and my husband are so great."

  followed by

  "I don't take responsibility for what Ferraro said, even though she was representing me and my campaign."

  Spare me.

  Disgusting.

  by nomes on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:15:40 PM PDT

•  Here's an apology:

  I'm deeply sorry.  I was wrong.  I know that my actions have caused harm.  I ask forgiveness from those who have been wronged by my words and actions.  Please forgive me.

  by converse on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:15:50 PM PDT

  •  Addendum

    I will now change the course of my campaign, and begin to challenge my esteemed colleague with the honour and respect that he deserves. I will respect the will of the voters and concede the nomination to him if and when it becomes apparent.

    by Grass on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:21:26 PM PDT

•  Apology to whom?

  She ought to apologize to all of humanity.  I am not an African American, but I was indeed offended by the remarks.

  Maybe I fit in the "anyone" category.

  Was HRC offended?

  by Gearhead on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:16:30 PM PDT

•  Lovely

  Now about the blood of a million or more Iraqis that you have on your hands....did you think about washing it off before appearing in public?

  by greenskeeper on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:17:05 PM PDT

•  ?

  I want to put that in context. You know I am sorry if anyone was offended. It was certainly not meant in any way to be offensive," Hillary Clinton said. "We can be proud of both Jesse Jackson and Senator Obama."

  A.  where's the context;
  B.  shift the focus to those who were offended;
  C.  the comment was not offensive.

  Not an apology.

  "I certainly do repudiate it and I regret deeply that it was said. Obviously she doesn't speak for the campaign, she doesn't speak for any of my positions, and she has resigned from being a member of my very large finance committee."

  A.  How long after the multiple comments did she repudiate the comments;
  B.  Ferraro resigned -- not fired;
  C.  Pandering to a large group of African American publishers is not convincing.

  Not an apoloty.

  by gchaucer2 on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:17:36 PM PDT

•  Pardon me, but

  

  by PhillyGal on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:19:31 PM PDT

•  not an apology

  You know I am sorry if anyone was offended.

  I'm sorry is an apology. I'm sorry if anyone was offended is garbage.

  by discocarp on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:20:36 PM PDT

  •  yup, a real apology accept fault

    No acceptance of responsibility in some way, it is not an apology.

    I'm sorry you are over sensitive is a shifting of blame to the misapprehension of the other person.

    by mollyd on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:25:34 PM PDT

  •  friend told me that in the Japanese language

    there is no word or phrase to connote being contrite or apologetic (genuinely and sincerely), the closest it comes is "I acknowledge that you think that I did something wrong".

    sounds quite similar to Hillary...

    by Ajax the Greater on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:32:02 PM PDT

    •  Hmm, I didn't get that impression

      Mind you, I only studied Japanese for a few weeks and didn't learn more than the most rudimentary stuff.  But  my impression was that practically every common phrase or statement began with some version of "I'm sorry," or "forgive me," or "pardon me."

      by Egghead on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 04:17:06 PM PDT

    •  Your friend obviously....

      ...knows almost nothing about the people of Japan or the Japanese language.

      Accepting fault, in a sincere and unreserved fashion, is often done even in cases where we Westerners would consider a person's behavior near fault-less.

      by Jackson L Haveck on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 04:23:10 PM PDT

•  keeping up with her recent bipolar trend ...

  does this mean that she will now have another "shame on you Barack" moment?

  by Secretasianman on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:22:08 PM PDT

  •  I don't know about you

    but I enjoyed the last one. Had me in giggles.

    by Grass on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:22:55 PM PDT

•  It's too little, too late, and here's why

  Powers was let go before the sun rose the next day after her statements about Clinton were made public. And this is how it should be. It was a foolish, insulting thing to say.

  Ferraro was given a second chance by the Clintons after what she said -- and even went so far as to make the statement repeatedly.

  Powers made a terrible statement once. Ferraro made a terrible statement repeatedly. And the reactions from their respective campaigns were night and day different.

  by droogie6655321 on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:22:29 PM PDT

•  Pretty classy, I must admit.

  She could have controlled the damage more by saying something like this earlier. Nevertheless, it was well spoken.

  by eataTREE on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:22:44 PM PDT

  •  No

    It was a joke, not well spoken.

    by discocarp on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:27:28 PM PDT

  •  Classy like "shame on you Barack". The

    lady always makes classy statements especially when they are carefully crafted before delivery.

    by Templar on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 04:01:32 PM PDT

•  She should've said...

  I'm sorry that we're using race to win this election. But, we've done our analysis and we've determined we can win without the black vote, but we do need the white, small-minded racist vote. You know how these things go. I hope you remember that Bill and I always put your interests first when your votes made a difference in the outcome. We know you'll understand. And we hope you'll be pleased when the black vote figures into the analysis later and we know we can depend on your support then. In the meantime, you go ahead and support your articulate candidate. Good for you.

  by rella on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:23:03 PM PDT

•  That's not an apology to Obama and Jackson.

  That's a pat on the head to those two cute kids next door that we never thought would amount to anything.  Aren't they somethin'?  And you know, I'll bet some of her best friends are black.

  by Katzy on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:23:18 PM PDT

  •  Or perhaps, some of her best friends have black

    servants.

    by Templar on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:59:20 PM PDT

•  I love sincere apologies

  that blame the listener for being too stupid for understanding.

  by sheddhead on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:23:25 PM PDT

•  We could move on...

  if said apology had included a pledge to ban surrogates from continuing with these kinds of attacks, and a blanket repudiation and promise of automatic dismissal for any campaign member or affiliate that went against that policy.

  But my feeling is we'll see more of this from Clinton's camp...probably about 5 days before PA votes.

  by BlueStreak on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:23:28 PM PDT

•  2 little, 2 late, and patently insincere ...

  ... You can always tell when an apology is a phony attempt at damage control when the person doing it says s/he is sorry that YOU were upset, not because of HIS/HER actions or words.

  "... You know I am sorry if anyone was offended."

  That phrasing speaks volumes.

  No, this will not do. Not by a long shot. If Hillary really wants to apologize, she can change her tune and show me with her actions that she will run a decent campaign that does not trash fellow Democrats. Then I will accept it. Otherwise, not so much.

  by philimus on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:24:44 PM PDT

  •  That's what I was just thinking...

    ... That phrasing puts all the burden of the offense on the listener, and basically claims that since the offense was not intentional, it doesn't count.    

    What it does NOT do is acknowledge the validity of the listener's feelings. It does not acknowledge there was a legitimate REASON for the listener to react as he/she/they did.  

    It's a bit condescending, really. It's not what you say when it MATTERS to you that the other person was offended.  It's a way of sloughing off blame, not recognizing or really caring about how the other person felt. It's what you say when you really have no regrets about the original action -- only the fact that somehow said action had unpleasant consequences for you.

    It's not an apology.  

    by JanetT in MD on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:35:38 PM PDT

•  So she is trying to have it both ways.

  She has gotten the Archie Bunkers on her side, and now she apologizes to African Americans.  She certainly wouldn't want to lose the support of the few AA that support her.

  by kanuk on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:25:23 PM PDT

•  Too late.

  Sorry, but that's just how I feel.

  by Reckoner on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:25:44 PM PDT

•  Reject and Denounce!

  by cmpnwtr on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:26:09 PM PDT

•  Ferraro apparently was never ASKED to resign eom

  by jeroly on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:26:26 PM PDT

  •  Why should she have been asked?

    Clinton obviously doesn't think the comments were offensive. She's just sorry if you took offense.

    by discocarp on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:28:39 PM PDT

•  New Orleans Redux. n/t

  by Templar on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:28:04 PM PDT

•  I'm with Keith

  too little too late.

  This apology is kinda meaningless since she didn't quickly separate herself from Ferraro before Ferraro went back on the air to continue making these statements.

  by masterxi43 on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:28:49 PM PDT

•  Not trying to hear it

  by LoLoLaLa on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:29:30 PM PDT

  •  hahahahahha

    by pd1969 on Thu Mar 13, 2008 at 03:50:28 PM PDT

•  Won't Be Satisfied 'Til Barrack is the Nominee!