Former Mississippi GOP Gov. Haley Barbour apologized Tuesday night for a jibe he directed at President Barack Obama that some Democrats called racist.
At a private American Crossroads fundraiser in Tampa last week, Barbour said, “While I would love for [New Jersey Gov. Chris] Christie to put a hot poker to Obama’s butt, I thought he did what he was supposed to do,” Bloomberg Businessweek reported.
Liberal commentators took umbrage, including a blogger for “The Rachel Maddow Show,” Gawker, and Talking Points Memo editor Josh Marshall. They said Barbour’s remarks seemed to recommend a branding of the country’s first black president.
In a statement issued to
Politico, Barbour apologized, saying he was simply trying to inspire Christie. “I apologize to anyone who feels my comment had connotations that I did not intend,” said the former Republican National Committee Chairman.
“As a Republican, I would have liked to have seen Chris Christie put the heat on Obama, but for the audience of independents he did the right thing. In any case, it’s critical that we all keep our comments free of extremes or anything that could be misinterpreted.”
Barbour now assists the Karl Rove-backed Crossroads groups that are raising money to defeat Obama and Democratic congressmen.
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