Uproar Over Geraldine Ferraro's Remarks

(CBS/AP)  Hillary Rodham Clinton said Tuesday she disagrees with Geraldine Ferraro, one of her fundraisers and the 1984 vice presidential candidate, for suggesting that Barack Obama only achieved his status in the presidential race because he's black.

In a brief interview with The Associated Press, Clinton was questioned about Ferraro's remarks. The Obama campaign has called on the New York senator to denounce them.

Ferraro told the Daily Breeze of Torrance, Calif.: "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 newspaper published the interview last Friday.

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."

"We ought to keep this on the issues. there are differences between us" on approaches to health care, energy, experience, she added.

On CBS News' The Early Show Wednesday, co-anchor Harry Smith asked Obama about Ferraro's statements.

"Obviously, I strongly disagree with her comments," Obama said. "I think if you think about the history of this country, the notion that being a black American named Barack Obama paves the way for the presidency doesn't, I think, ring true with most Americans."

Ferraro is a former New York congresswoman and was Walter Mondale's running mate when he was the Democratic presidential nominee in 1984. She has endorsed Clinton and raised money for her campaign.

Obama senior adviser David Axelrod said Ferraro should be removed from her position with the Clinton campaign because of her comments.

"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."

Jan Schakowsky, an Obama supporter and Illinois congresswoman, said Democrats should not tear each other down, and instead focus on defeating John McCain, the Republican nominee-in-waiting.

"I respect every person's right to promote his or her candidate, but any and all remarks that diminish Senator Obama's candidacy because of his race are completely out of line," Schakowsky said on the conference call.

Ferraro also said Obama has it easy because of a "very sexist media."

"I think what America feels about a woman becoming president takes a very secondary place to Obama's campaign - to a kind of campaign that it would be hard for anyone to run against," she said. "For one thing, you have the press, which has been uniquely hard on her. It's been a very sexist media. Some just don't like her. The others have gotten caught up in the Obama campaign."

Last week, a former adviser to Obama resigned after calling Clinton "a monster."

[lordmi]

and Billary is playing her game with all of us in US.
Disgrace

[lordmi]

There is no necessity ALWAYS say.
Wise person would not express EACH thought on public.
She better shut up. They we may still think - she is smart, as for now - just out of mind,IDIOT.
Shut up.

[popstom1]

IRS investigates Obama''s trinity church

[dschellb]

While reprehensible, Obama''s pastor is not in the same category as Geraldine Ferraro. First, his pastor is not a member of Obama''s campaign. He actually would lose his tax exempt status as a religious institution should he engage in policing.

Ferraro was a member of Clinton''s finance committee, she was part of her campaign. Her comments were detrimental to both campaigns. Although, Hillary might benefit in the PA primary, she will ultimately alienate many African-Americans in the general election. Without their support her prospects for winning an election will be dismal at best. Obama supporters might simply stay at home, or vote for McCain(who is very appealing to independents).

What the press seems to ignore is that Hillary seems to be very beholden to radical feminists. She gets alot of votes just for being the first viable women candidate. I don''t object to a woman president but Hillary is just so divisive and alienating I don''t see how she can get anything done. She has got alot of baggage like whitewater, travelgate, her involvement with health care reform in the 1990s. She seems to be the type of person who, if you don''t come on board with her program, you are the enemy. Ironically she strikes me alot like the late Bhenazir Bhutto.

[mudrose-2009]

Why doesn''''t CBS report on what Obama''''s pastor has been saying about Hillary and Bill? Check out:
news.com/2008/03/12/obamas-controv
ersial-pastor-puts-church-in-hot-water/
Posted by ddrbc

Because RamaLama can''t be held to the same standards as any other candidate. If you scrutinize him and his associations you are racist, bigoted, etc. It''s the way hie and his Mrs. will use race to protect themselves. This is where political correctness takes you.

[yellow53209]

Let''s be realistic about it all. For years white americans have gotten many of the jobs & opportunities they have because they are white.
Black americans have been looked over for jobs & opportunities because they are black...
I don''t even need to finish this statement..
NOW some in society "claim" that black americans are given opportunities because they are black.
The tables have turned...? Now it''s wrong to use race as a factor?
Think about it.

[decemeber43]

come on i know you guys like hilary but hey obama is a person also you don''t even know the man but walk a mile in his shoes for a day
and you don''t even have to be black person to do that i mean if you study for a test and you study all night even maybe a whole week and you turn in the same test paper as your oppoient and you get a better grade then him and he tells you
that the only reason you got a better grade is because your a woman
you would feel he was being sexiest and you would call him on it
i mean that''s like saying your not nonething and your only getting by in life because your a woman
he has no right to be little you and your just as good as him if not better
you would reponse to that
come on you may not like him but be reasonable the media have been eating him up also
you might not like him but he has work hard
he has not ask for a free walk in this
the lady was wrong for what she said and there is no way around it
if the obama compagne had said that about hilary you would had been all over that and so would they had been
right is right why come you can''t see this is not a race thing for him
that''s why he want it stop not one time has he made a racial remark
he''s above that and i think alot of americans are also you need to realize this was wrong no one is asking you to vote for him just be fair to him as you would be to hilary are anyone else
no more then you would ask for your self

[ddrbc]

Why doesn''t CBS report on what Obama''s pastor has been saying about Hillary and Bill? Check out:
news.com/2008/03/12/obamas-controversial-pastor-puts-church-in-hot-water/

[socrates392]

Obama''s skin color is part of the "symbol" his supporters dubbed him as. Ferraro''s comments were not racist. She is not a racist and I am not a racist, I am half black and completely know what she is talking about. Axlerod knows exactly what he is doing with pushing the race card everytime it comes up.

Posted by irmarebecca at 02:34 PM : Mar 12, 2008

Ah, yes, this argument. None of Obama''s supporters ever, ever suggested that Obama was where he was solely because he was black. None. Pointing out Obama''s bi-raciality as an emblem of the American dream-- a metaphor for the melting pot that is America-- this is one thing. What Geraldine said is completely different-- and it''s not like she said it once! She had multiple interviews to clear up her position. She never talked about melting pots or the American dream. She defended her position that Obama is where he is because he''s black. Period. That is inexcusable. She is either a closet racist or the most inarticulate VP candidate in history-- with the possible exception of Dan Quayle!

[libra127]

She couldnt just come out and just say that he isnt. What a lowlife!

Posted by dschellb at 04:42 PM : Mar 12, 2008

Sorry, I just don''t get this! She said no - twice.

She said "no" in as many different ways as she could think of to say it:

"Of course not"

"there is just no basis for that"

"I take him at his word"

"there is nothing to base that on"

Croft just kept hammering away, asking over and over.
Then she referred to "ridiculous rumors", which was clearly meant to include the Obama-Muslim one. She expressed "sympathy" because she knows what it''s like to be smeared with rumors.

WHAT THE H_LL ELSE COULD SHE HAVE SAID ?!? SHE SAID NO !!

You people are hopeless.