Marion Barry, Hospitalized For Blood Clot In Las Vegas, Thanks Filipino Nurses

WASHINGTON -- Former District of Columbia Mayor Marion Barry is saying nicer things about Filipino nurses after being hospitalized for a blood clot while representing the D.C. convention at a Las Vegas retailers' convention.

In April, after first complaining about "these Asians coming in and opening up businesses and dirty shops” while celebrating his win in the Democratic primary for the Ward 8 seat on the D.C. Council, Barry caused another stir when he made comments that singled out people from the Philippines who work in D.C. hospitals:

"In fact, it's so bad, that if you go to the hospital now, you find a number of immigrants who are nurses, particularly from the Philippines," Barry said, according to the Examiner. "And no offense, but let's grow our own teachers, let's grow our own nurses -- and so that we don't have to be scrounging around in our community clinics and other kinds of places -- having to hire people from somewhere else."

Following the controversy in April, Philippines Ambassador Jose L. Cuisia Jr. released a released a statement condemning Barry's comments as "deplorable" and stating that Barry "owes Filipino nurses and apology."

Barry said in April he had no plans to make that apology, but now seems to have changed his mind.

Barrry hinted in a later tweet that he stands by some of his April statement:

He's giving some other mixed messages as well. Tweeting a photo of himself with his doctor, he promised to "follow orders" -- but another tweet suggested at least a little bit otherwise: