Obama Ferraro Race Flap Roils Race

"Geraldine Ferraro has stepped down from her role as a member of Hillary Clinton's finance committee," CNN reports.

Ferraro said thousands of people are part of the finance committee, saying it is not a staff position, but a voluntary one for those who raise money for the campaign. She also said she has raised $125,000 for Senator Clinton.

When asked if she had any regrets about what she said, Ferraro replied, "absolutely not."

"I am who I am and I will continue to speak up," she said. She added that she thought it was a shame that the Obama campaign was trying to block her First Amendment rights, and that she felt that was no way to conduct a campaign....

Ferraro said David Axelrod, Obama's campaign manager and an acquaintance, should have called her to ask her the intention of her remarks, which she says the Obama campaign used to hurt Clinton.

When asked how she felt about Hillary Clinton distancing herself from her remarks, Ferraro replied, "I am perfectly fine," and that there were no hard feelings. She said she understands what Clinton is going through, and understands that being part of a presidential campaign is "very hard."

Ferraro's Letter To Clinton: The full text:

Dear Hillary -

I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what is at stake in this campaign.

The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you.

Story continues below

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I won't let that happen.

Thank you for everything you have done and continue to do to make this a better world for my children and grandchildren.

You have my deep admiration and respect.

Gerry

Ferraro Still Unapologetic: The New York Times notes:

Geraldine A. Ferraro resigned Wednesday from Senator Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign finance committee but remained unapologetic for citing Senator Barack Obama's race as the decisive factor in his success.

"I feel terrible for the fact that Hillary is stuck in this thing," Ms. Ferraro said in an interview Wednesday night. "Why put her in that position?"

Ms. Ferraro said that she was not asked by anyone in the Clinton campaign to leave the committee but that she did it on her own, sending an e-mail message to the senator's campaign Wednesday afternoon, as the political dust-up over remarks she made last week went into its second day.

+++

Former Vice Presidential candidate and Hillary supporter Geraldine Ferraro has sparked a fury on the campaign trail after commenting that Barack Obama was "lucky" to be black:

"If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position. And if he was a woman (of any color), he would not be in this position. He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept."

The Obama camp has responded strongly to the remark, seeking to contrast the response of Sen. Clinton to that of Obama in handling controversial comments by supporters.

Campaign manager David Axelrod has repeatedly called for Ferraro to be removed from her position with the Clinton campaign:

"The bottom line is this, when you wink and nod at offensive statements, you're really sending a signal to your supporters that anything goes," Axelrod said in a conference call with reporters on Tuesday.

"There's no other way to send a serious signal that you want to police the tone of this campaign," he added. "And if you don't do those things then you are simply adding to the growing compendium of evidence that you really are encouraging that."

Axelrod said Clinton has encountered problems because people view her as a "divisive and polarizing force."

"The best way to address those concerns is to not allow divisiveness and negativity to flourish among your supporters," he said. "And this is an opportunity for her to address that."

Barack Obama has called the comments "patently absurd," saying also:

"I don't think Geraldine Ferraro's comments have any place in our politics or in the Democratic Party. They are divisive. I think anybody who understands the history of this country knows they are patently absurd," he told the Allentown Morning Call. "And I would expect that the same way those comments don't have a place in my campaign they shouldn't have a place in Senator Clinton's either."

The Clinton camp initially responded with the terse statement "We disagree with her," but has since offered a response from the candidate herself:

Clinton said, "I do not agree with that," and later added, "It's regrettable that any of our supporters _ on both sides, because we both have this experience _ say things that kind of veer off into the personal."

Ferraro appeared on Fox News to defend her comments, warning Obama not to "antagonize" Democratic supporters like her:

UPDATE: Ferraro, in a follow-up interview with the Daily Breeze, claimed she is being attacked because she is white:

"Any time anybody does anything that in any way pulls this campaign down and says let's address reality and the problems we're facing in this world, you're accused of being racist, so you have to shut up," Ferraro said. "Racism works in two different directions. I really think they're attacking me because I'm white. How's that?"

The Clinton camp has responded to these comments:

Ms. Ferraro is speaking for herself. We have made clear that we reject her remarks.

UPDATE: The Clinton camp has released a memo insinuating that Barack Obama is playing the race card by focusing on Ferraro's comments. Here is the full text of the memo:

In January, NBC's Tim Russert confronted Senator Barack Obama with a four page memo from his campaign characterizing statements they claimed the Clinton Campaign had made about race. Asked in hindsight whether he regretted pushing this story, Senator Obama said:

Well, not only in hindsight, but going forward. I think that, as Hillary said, our supporters, our staff, get overzealous. They start saying things that I would not say. And it is my responsibility to make sure that we're setting a clear tone in our campaign, and I take that responsibility very seriously, which is why I spoke yesterday and sent a message in case people were not clear that what we want to do is make sure that we focus on the issues."

We agreed then. We agree today. Supporters from both campaigns will get overzealous. Senator Clinton today reiterated that when asked about Geraldine Ferraro's recent comments:

"I do not agree with that and you know it's regrettable that any of our supporters on both sides say things that veer off into the personal. We ought to keep this focused on the issues. That's what this campaign should be about."

Senator Obama's campaign staff seems to have forgotten his pledge. We have not. And, we reject these false, personal and politically calculated attacks on the eve of a primary. This campaign should be about the leadership we need for a better future and these attacks serve only to divide the Democratic Party and the American people.

UPDATE: The Ferraro story has continued on the morning news shows. Ferraro has said she is "absolutely not" sorry for her comments:

"I am sorry that people think this was a racist comment," Ferraro said in an interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer on "Good Morning America."

She continued:

"David Axelrod, his campaign manager, has chose to spin this as a racist comment because everytime anybody makes a comment about race who is white _ he did it with Bill Clinton, he was successful; he did it with (Pennsylvania governor and Clinton supporter) Ed Rendell, he was less successful; and he is certainly not going to be successful with me," Ferraro told CBS' "The Early Show." "He should have called me up ... He knows I'm not racist."

Obama referred to Ferraro's comments as "slice and dice politics" on the Today Show:

"Part of what I think Geraldine Ferraro is doing, and I respect the fact that she was a trailblazer, is to participate in the kind of slice and dice politics that's about race and about gender and about this and that, and that's what Americans are tired of because they recognize that when we divide ourselves in that way we can't solve problems," Obama said on NBC's "Today" show.

Comments

[Unobtainium]

None of this matters...

Diebold will steal your vote and McCain will maintain the downward spiral of our country.
If every American voted democrat, McCain will still win.

Or maybe we will have fun with Directive 51

Smoke and mirrors. Distraction. To create divisiveness with the Democratic party.
Divide and conquer.

Freedom of speech is dead.

[vginger]

What does any of this have to do with who would be the best Political Leader of this country?

All this "He said She said" foolishness just makes Everyone look bad.

Both Senator Clinton and Senator Obama say they want what is best for our Country.

I think I understand that it takes a really big Ego to put yourself in the running for President , but
Can they both just step back and look at the bigger picture?

Its not about who said what...tha­t is Kindegarten stuff.

Wouldn't it be something if either Senator Clinton or Senator Obama put out an Add pointing out some of the finer qualities of the other?
Saying something like..."Ye­s, I do wish to be the nominee for the Next election but what I have noticed about my opponent is."..and then point out something good about the other person.

No, my middle name is not polly anna...tha­ts just the way it should be done.

The bottom line really is...who do we want answering that phone in the middle of the night?

I think either one of them is qualified.­..as qualified as any human could be under that kind of pressure.
No one knows how we would react in times of extreme danger...b­ut do either of them have the nerves of steel required to deal with a red phone alert?

Again, I think both of them would react from a core of power and experience and inner strength.

I want to see some of those qualities NOW...Sena­tors, can you hear me now???? V.

[mcfried]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hwLaCb07lAs
You are kind and right, the issue is how Clinton reacts to a red phone alert. I suggest you watch this it very clearly show her reaction, remember the NIE said no evidence of weapons of mass destruction. Obama, despite it possibly ending his political career spoke out against the war.

[flora68]

"I wish I were a black man," Ms. Ferraro told CNN's Wolf Blitzer. Yeah, right. Can't beleive I used to admire Geraldine Ferraro. Now I just wish she'd shut the hell up.

[treadway123]

vginger please go to www.judicialwatch.org/hillarywatch.shtml.shtml and you will get to see some of Hillary's qualifications or not for President. Her past and present qualification. It's facinateing reading.

[Passenger57]

I agree that this is kindergarten stuff-but the problem is that the people saying it aren't kindergarteners.
I understand that she said the same thing about Jesse Jackson when he ran for president. The more she appears on different shows and talks about it, the worse it becomes.

[mslindab]

Samantha Power was an unpaid adviser to the Obama campaign. Does anyone think she was speaking for the campaign when she called Hillary a monster? There wasn't a moment's hesitation before Hillary called for her head. Once again there are rules the Clinton's impose on others and there are the rules they ignore.

[blackrome]

People need to understand this. It's not Obama's words that tilted black people to Obama.

It was Hillary's and her campaigns actions.

The same way she blew a 20% nationwide lead is the same way she blew the black vote.

By voting like a Neo-Con and telling a majority of people there votes don't count.

Throw in some good old Republican Racist statements and there you have it.

She did it to herself.

How much of the black vote did Obama receive in Utah.

[blackrome]

Dear Ms. Ferraro:

I hear you resigned today. But before you pack up and go, I want to thank you for letting me know how lucky I am to be a black man in America. I do feel lucky too except:

-When I go to my poorly-funded public school to try to learn that real history was done by white male slave masters who wore wigs and stockings (racist education);
-When I try to compensate for my lack of a good racist education by shopping for sports gear at the mall and security guards follow me like a drunken but loyal member of the KGB (Shopping discrimination);
-When I drive my nice suv on the freeway (racial profiling);
-When I get passed over for a job and it's given to a less-qualified white applicant;­(Employmen­t discrimination);
-When I try to get a bank loan to start or expand my business (institutional racism);
-When I try to buy a home or even rent an apartment (So I have to have my girlfriend or sister rent it in their name (Housing discrimination).

Otherwise, Mr. Ferraro, i'm cool. BTW, can you help me get an apartment?

[DRPike]

LOL! Her remarks were truly a WTF moment.

[kingfishstew]

Democratic Coalition: 90% of Blacks, 75% of Jews, 60% of Hispanics, 60% of Asians, 40% of Whites
Republican Coalition: 60% of Whites, 40% of Hispanics, 40% of Asians, 25% of Jews, 10% of Blacks

Typically republicans win elections when they can push the white vote up above that 60% number, loose when they can't pull more than 60%. Although this I suspect Senator Clinton is offering the chance to win by pushing the black vote below 90%

[FirstShirt]

What if, instead of firing Ferraro and engaging in self flagellation, Hillary had opened a discussion of the issue of race in the campaign? How diplomatic that would have been. What a showing of leadership. A recognition of the underbelly of politics while still keeping Ferraro on the staff. In other words, disagreeing with your staff while recognizing their input, good and bad.

At the first sign of trouble Hillary and Barack dumped their advisers. A sign of things to come.

[enoughalready]

Ferraro just digs herself in deeper with every interview and she looks like a raving maniac. She needs to step back and realize that what she said is hurtful to African-Americans and to most Americans that think we have come past the point of being critical strictly of someone's race or gender, etc.

Keith Olbermann's commentary last night was brilliant. My husband and I could not have agreed more with his take on this entire situation. While Obama calmly and with much grace fights back at such filthy attacks lets us see what kind of a President he will be. Hillary's side is like a cat fight at this point. His plea to Hillary to tone things down and stop listening to advisors would be wisely taken into advisement by Hillary. It seems by the poll numbers this morning from the WSJ - it may be McCain who is benefiting from the whole mess. Hillary's popularity is taking a dive. What worries us is that because of Hillary's scorched earth campaigning we may lose the White House in November.

Superdelegates take this into advisement - The people have voted and Obama leads in the popular vote and the delegate count - end this sooner rather than later by throwing your support to the candidate of the people and elected by the people.

[osage]

If this was some of the s**t Mrs. Clinton's campaign was throwing against the wall to see if it would stick, it has.......­ON HER! Mrs. Ferraro's statements are the most politically inept of the entire Democratic primary. They are morally convoluted at best and deliberate race baiting at worst. And Mrs. Clinton's immediate too cautious reaction was clumsy and revealing of her flawed judgement. Only after it was obvious how indefensible it was did Mrs. Clinton too reluctantly and timidly disavow it and Mrs. Ferraro. Clinton and McCain have both reacted very slowly and reluctantly in even attempting to distance themselves from the statements of Mrs. Ferraro and Mr. Hagee, which reveals that neither of them are the "decisive" principled personalities they disengenously portray themselves to be. Black and white Democrats have been given a reason to fear that Mrs. Clinton could be trying to incite the racial fears and hatreds of Democratic voters in some desparately misguided effort to cling to the delusional hope of overcoming Mr. Obama's voter and delegate leads. Mrs. Clinton can now let go of the hope that she can convince Black and or liberal Democrats to vote for her. If Mrs. Ferraro's comments gained the approval of far right Democrats; they alienated all the left leaning and many moderates within the party as well as many uncommitted independents. Mrs. Ferraro's clumsy/malicious statements and Mrs. Clinton's hestitant and indecisive half-hearted reaction to them, demonstrated flaws in judgement and character that Mrs. Clinton's campaign will be unable to justify or explain. By not immediatly responding and strongly rejecting and repudiating Mrs. Ferraro and her statements, they have taken a political hit that the Mrs. Clinton's campaign could have and should have avoided. This was not the caliber of "decisive judgement" Mrs. Clinton's 3 AM commerical was meant to imply. Was it?

[mysstfu]

Until the day comes that we have elected an African-American
and a female president, race and gender will continue to be
issues that are brought to the fore.

It's unfortunate that we have not come far enough at this point
to not have these issues become relevant in an election.

We have come a long way but there is still a long road to travel.
Less than fifty years ago,the thought of an African-American or
female candidate for POTUS was beyond the scope of imagination for most Americans.
Now it is our reality.

One day,Americans will look back on this time as the beginning of
a new enlightenment concerning out-moded ideas of race and gender.

That is my hope.

[VivaZapata]

Obama worked hard early on to avoid mentioning race. He still is trying to avoid a black v white situation, but in South Carolina and now in Pennsylvania the comments out of the Clinton camp keep goading him to appear like "they're picking on me cause I'm black." Cllintonians know that working class whites hate that kind of thinking. Fortunately, Obama continues to avoid falling for the bait. Ferraro is trying to create a reality that doesn't exist, but that engine is backfiring with a big blast.

[TrevorWynne]

We shouldn't let this Ferraro flap become more than it was. The media should be paying this sort of attention and energy to dig up dirt to throw at the Republicans in the fall. At least they're smart enough to do it this far in front of the election. Maybe people will have forgotten by November?
-Trevor Wynne
Washington, DC

[FirstShirt]

A clear message to all democrats. Freedom of speech and thought are right out the window. We are entering the democratic zone of political correctness. That means believe what you want but say what is the party line.

These democratic operatives [Obama's and Clinton's] aren't idiots. They just march to the beat of a different drummer. Slap their hand, disclaim their personal opinion but keep them on the staff and move on.

Between the losses of voters rights in Florida and Michigan and the quick firings of anyone who goes off the reservation by Barack and Hillary you will be lucky to get a dogcatcher elected.

[batgirlevi]

Maybe Dems will stop pointing out and reacting of offensive comments when you right wingers stop trying to micromanage consenting adult's sex lives.

That's REALLY non of your business but you have declared yourselves the ones with the last word on all things sexual.

[FirstShirt]

Interesting although totally irrelevant like much of what you democrats are doing to yourselves right now.

[wilburbudd]

Looks about right. She should fitted for a helmut the same time we fit Georgie for one.

[Jey]

Ferraro is as arrogant as Ann Coulter. Why does the democratic party and especially Hillary want to even associate with these loudmouths? Now all you hear on the media is how it's black versus white. Well I'm white and a female and I'm embarrassed by what Hillary has done not only as a presidential nominee but as a woman. Go Barack!