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Congressman's 'tar baby' statement lands him in quagmire; Doug Lamborn apologizes to Obama
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Rep. Doug Lamborn (R-Colo.) sent a letter of apology Tuesday (Aug. 2) to President Barack Obama days after saying that being associated with the President is "like touching a tar baby."Lamborn made what many perceive as racially charged comments on Friday (July 29) during an interview with Denver radio station KHOW in the context of a discussion of the now-resolved debt ceiling negotiations.
Lamborn told the Caplis and Silverman radio show, "Even if some people say, 'Well, the Republicans should have done this or they should have done that,' they will hold the president responsible. Now I don't want to even have to be associated with him. It's like touching a tar baby and you get, you get it, you know ... you are stuck and you are part of the problem now and you can't get away."
The term "tar baby" is considered a derogatory term for African-Americans. It was originally used in the Uncle Remus stories about Br'er Rabbit to describe a sticky situation.
In addition to the letter to President Obama, Lamborn issued a public statement of apology and also went to Colorado Spring's KRDO-TV to explain himself.
"When I said 'tar baby' I was talking about the economic quagmire that our country is finding ourselves in because of poor economic policy from the White House, but I could have used a better term," Lamborn says. "I misspoke in that sense and that's why I sent him an apology."
The White House has yet to comment on Lamborn's actions.
Here's audio of the original comment on KHOW.
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Photo/Video credit: U.S. House of Representatives
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He didnt use it in a racial term. He just meant you cant be associated with the president. He apologized though for the people that cant understand that though.
BOO HOO Maybe he was talking about odumbo s white half.
Why hasn't Democrat Wu REsigned for raping a teenager that's worse than Wiener.
If other "regular" people are intelligent enough to know the connotation of "tar baby" then a United States congressman should know.
There's too much much of this - the sliding in of a "slightly" racial comment and then whoever said it (never a democrat) saying that's not what they meant.
Today is the President's birthday and I think he should be more concerned about turning 50 than this guy's stupid comment. At least this President makes an intelligent effort to help the country...not a political one !!!
Happy Birthday Mr President !!!
people have a way of making racial
statements in sneaky ways and thats exactely what the congressman did he knew what
that word meant to the black race
I was born and raised in Denver, CO. I didn't vote for Lamborn but, i will be the first to sign a petition to have him removed from a clan's man's office.
This is the United States of America? The same country that stole Africans from Africa to work as slaves. THEN once we are set free we were promise 40 Acres & A Mule.
Well, We did get Jim Crow, Hanging and Lynching, beat to death, TAR-AND FEATHERS We are still waiting for equal rights oh! not to mention they killed off all the Men who was "sent" to help the black people. Then by the grace of God we get our first black President, and what do we do, as a nation, we through him under the bus. Not one time did you every come to his aid, pray for him , only pointed fingers at his color. America is still the same, the sheets are off, and the claws are out.
I have never seen any President, who took office and had a prerequisite of being the President of the United Sates before, or any president being the President. before he was President. So when you say he's had no experience
WHAT PRESIDENT DID!!!!!, Why don't you all face it, this president was the fall guy. No one could have put this country back togather again especially a "black man", no way, not in this "white" America, Washington showed us that this week. There's is no way in hell they would allow an educated ,smart, intelligent black man save this Lilly white country (tea-party) May God have mercy on your souls
I am ashamed of you Lamborn, you fall in the long lines of users of Washington haters i am ashamed of you.
I voted for change, not 1950's re-run of Whites is right.
This President Obama has a gift and no one sees it, he's perfect for the job, he can see through the eyes of everyone,with his rainbow eyes
In my heart I believe President Obama is a christian, NOT a muslin. I have read interviews he has given to christian ministers which touched my heart
and i believe he's a true christian, he has turned the other cheek enough
The sadness I feel for America, the first time Americans of all color could have embraced the first black man who became our President and apologizes for what they did to us for hundreds of years . A chance to say i am ashamed how i treated your forefathers now we have an opptunity to change, and work togather i really thought i was going to see that. No, i see them call him "tar-baby". and start up groups called Tea party AKA, KKK, only CHANGED OUTFITS. you should be ashamed of yourselves, this man has done no harm to any of you. You can't get over the color of his skin.
Why do i making it an race issue?
Bush and Bush Jr. did. where were you Tea party people when they were selling out the country's jobs over seas, borrowing money we didn't have, and raising the debt celling for years during the Bush administration, were were you Lamborn when Bush started a war that no one wanted. Republicans where were you when Bush was letting off all the banks that houses his money, oh yea they housed your money to
Shame on you
sign
American mom