Tennessee Mayor Apologizes For Accusing Obama Of Blocking 'Peanuts' Special

ARLINGTON, Tenn. — A Tennessee mayor is apologizing for writing on his Facebook page that President Barack Obama deliberately timed a speech last week to block the "Peanuts" Christmas special.

Russell Wiseman, mayor of the Memphis suburb of Arlington, also said the president is Muslim. Obama is Christian.

The Commercial Appeal reports Wiseman e-mailed the media Monday to say he regrets offending anyone with what he described as a "poor attempt at tongue-in-cheek humor amongst friends." He also says he allowed things to go too far.

The town issued a statement on its Web site saying the mayor's views do not reflect its official ideals and beliefs. Wiseman has since deleted his Facebook account.

Comments

[Vernon Brown]

06:16 PM on 12/09/2009

Lucy's moving the football is humor. This is another rac ist swipe.

[filo]

05:53 PM on 12/09/2009

Well I say the mayor of Memphis is a @hole !!

I'll apologize next week.








(maybe)

[davegoody]

05:25 PM on 12/09/2009

An attempt at humor? Right...

[Salguod]

04:52 PM on 12/09/2009

I suppose that the left has id10ts also. But it REALLY seems that most of the willful ignorance comes from the right. There is a true rightwing movement of anti-intellectualism.

[KingofDetroit]

04:07 PM on 12/09/2009

He'll be on FoxNews talking about how he was abused by the Liberal Media before the end of the month. Hannity or one of those guys will turn him into another false martyr.

[Timothy2700]

03:51 PM on 12/09/2009

These REPUBS are INSANE!!!

[A Meat Beetle]

03:29 PM on 12/09/2009

Every time a conservative tries to be funny it's a poor attempt at humor. Dennis MIller, for example.

[raymurt]

03:22 PM on 12/09/2009

There's a difference between humor and ignorance, Russ.
You need intelligence to have humor.
Ignorance is the lack of intelligence.

[oceanofconsciousness]

03:15 PM on 12/09/2009

How convenient to say it's "humor." Chickens*#t.

[jaycg9]

02:33 PM on 12/09/2009

When are public figures--be they politicians, celebrities, high-profile businesspeople or whatever else--going to fully realize that nothing they say is private, and anything can be taken out of context and turned against them? This guy's mistake wasn't that his comment was blown out of proportion but that he said it at all. The only way a person in such a position can be guaranteed that something they say won't be overheard is by whispering to themselves in an empty room. The internet can't be trusted. Reporters can't be trusted. Your own people can't be trusted (how many 'anonymous sources' drop juicy quotes?). Either these people need to just stop saying anything, or we need thicker skins so we don't get angered and offended so easily.

[lwilkerson50]

03:24 PM on 12/09/2009

I agree.

It was on again last night.

[Imhotep40]

03:42 PM on 12/09/2009

It's the lack of judgment that's exhibited . . . whether or not the statement made is vulgar, bigoted, inflammatory or controversial is beside the point.

Representatives in Leadership capacities should at all times exhibit good judgment, which lends itself to trustworthiness . . . . a requirement for most people's votes!

[hopepad08]

02:31 PM on 12/09/2009

How can your words be blown out of proportion, when they are a direct quote from your mouth and you facebook page.

[MominAmerica]

01:45 PM on 12/09/2009

"Regarding all of the reports about my recent Facebook remarks, I want to take this opportunity to say how much I regret that I offended anyone with my poor attempt at tongue-in-cheek humor amongst friends. While my comments were certainly blown way out of proportion, I do recognize that I allowed things to go too far."

This is not an apology. A regret maybe, but I have yet to see him much less see him apologizing. He's ducking and hiding like a true coward. How proud must the people of Arlington be; of course, everyone needs to realize that Arlington is filled with this same type of mindset.

What a coward. His comments were not blown out of proportion. His "humor" is a backsliding lie. HE started this; HE blew something out of proportion; now HE needs to either FACE THE PUBLIC or get out.

[annie0107]

01:28 PM on 12/09/2009

he's still a jerk

[BobSacomano]

12:33 PM on 12/09/2009

This is very typical Conservative fare and not at all some sort of 'joke'. These people know what they're doing and how this type of h8ful message goes viral very quickly, by the time he apologizes that original message has already hit every Republican e-mailbox in the country. Unfortunately apologies are like the tree that falls in the forest with no one around to hear the sound.

[kareemachan]

01:43 PM on 12/09/2009

Yeah, most of their "apologies" add up to 'I'm sorry I got caught" or "I didn't start it" or "Jeez, don't you have a sense of humor?"

[jnickj6]

11:49 AM on 12/09/2009

Oh gawd...I wonder how many people grabbed their shovels and ran out the door with a bucket on their head yelling "Git Him Off'n that talkin' box!" ???