Obama Apologizes For Reagan Seance Joke

President-Elect Calls Former First Lady After Making Remark During First News Conference

(AP)  President-elect Obama called Nancy Reagan on Friday to apologize for joking that she held seances in the White House.

At a news conference in Chicago, Obama said he had spoken with all the living presidents as he prepares to take office in January. Then he smiled and said, "I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about doing any seances."

The 87-year-old former first lady had consulted with astrologers during her husband's presidency. But she did not hold conversations with the dead.

Obama spokeswoman Stephanie Cutter said the president-elect later called Mrs. Reagan "to apologize for the careless and offhanded remark." She said Obama "expressed his admiration and affection for Mrs. Reagan that so many Americans share, and they had a warm conversation."

It actually wasn't Nancy Reagan who was linked to conversations with the dead; it was Obama's top Democratic challenger for the presidency, Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton, D-N.Y.

In either case, use of the word "seance" might be overstated.

Nancy Reagan consulted an astrologer to help set her husband's schedule, wrote former White House chief of staff Donald T. Regan. The revelation created a furor and President Reagan even broke with his policy of not commenting on books by former White House staffers.

"No policy or decision in my mind has ever been influenced by astrology," Reagan said.

In his book "The Choice," Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward described how Clinton consulted with a spiritual adviser who led her through imaginary conversations with her personal hero, Eleanor Roosevelt. Newsweek magazine, which was promoting the book, characterized the visits as "seances," a term that White House officials quickly tried to squelch.

"These were people who were helping her laugh, helping her think," said Neel Lattimore, Clinton's spokeswoman. "These were not seances."

[hollybb2]

What a smug little man he is. This is only the beginning. He has no experience and apparently no character either.

[model67a]

I do not like the man and did not vote for him, but he did earn a glimmer of respect from me by doing that. It did show that he has some consideration and compassion for others.

[eroosevelt08]

It is my hope that President-Elect Obama will look back on his presidency satisfied that he did the best he could. It was an honor to vote for him.

[mandylou4u]

everybody makes mistakes, it just so happens that we will see all of a presidents mistakes. He wouldn''t have felt the need to appologize if what he said dindn''t stike as a negative thing. At least he recognized it. Hopefully the American people won''t be too let down.

[mandylou4u]

oops, I meant to say "strike". Late at night, sorry

[mckkkain]

"I''m sorry, I meant to say stupid_bullshit seances_crap like that haggardly old cracker bee-atch Nancy Reagan."

[mckkkain]

"I''m sorry, I meant to say stupid_bullshit seances_crap like that haggardly old cracker bee-atch Nancy Reagan."

[Sandymarie]

First - You cannot judge an individual by what others say about him/her. Second - You can somewhat judge an individual by their actions, IF you know what they were reacting to. Third - You have a good chance of making a reliable judgment about a person when you know, for a fact, that they actually said what you thought you heard them say. Fourth - Never, never let your speech-writer(s) go until you are absolutely sure you won''t need their services any longer.

[shingles1]

hollybb2, smug? He recognized that his joke was inappropriate and apologized to Nancy Reagan personally.
What''s smug about that.

Do you look at everything through crab colored eyes?

You can bet that Nancy Raygun NEVER called anybody to apologize for any of the hurtful things she ever said!

[McHineguy]

I dont like Obama, yet. Might learn to someday. But his decision to apologize was a classy thing to do. My compliments to him.

Now I just hope he can lead us out of this mess, fast.

[truthislife1]

There''s some stupid e-mail going aroung saying Obama is the anti-christ. If you seen it, it''s stupid. The real anti-Christ will have so much more presence and so much more charisma compared to Obama it will be staggering. Obama is a great politican, but will he be a good leader? Time will tell. Best wishes to him.

[model67a]

hadenough If you truly believe that you should reasearch Nancy Reagan

[McHineguy]

You can bet that Nancy Raygun NEVER called anybody to apologize for any of the hurtful things she ever said!


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Posted by hadenough43 at 01:15 AM : Nov 08, 2008

You would be wrong on your bet. Now are you classy enough to apologize?

hadenough If you truly believe that you should reasearch Nancy Reagan

Posted by model67a
************************
I have, and there are good reasons why they are alienated from their own children!!

[horse3farm]

Okay, arrogant comment event #1. I believe he just revealed another tidbit about himself.

[rangerdahl]

It didn''t long for Barack Hussein Obama to stick his foot in his mouth...aw, the next four years will be so cool to watch. You can bet that without a crafted script in front of him, he will be hard pressed not to flub his words a lot. Now it''s his wife''s turn...she can''t be quiet with her Freudian slips either.

[shanev137]

Why in the hell did he think he needed to apologize for that?

[corkscr3w]

I''m kinda torn on Obama..

On the one hand, I hope he does well. He''s driving the ship now, so it''s kinda important we don''t sink because, well, I''m on board, too! So with that line of thinking, I really do hope things go well.

On the other hand, I didn''t vote for him because I knew he''d get elected, and if things go down the hole some day I wanted to be able to say, "Don''t blame me, I voted McCain!"

*sigh* what am I to do?

[shanev137]

Yea?

At least the dude can speak friggan ENGLISH...and he doesn''t completely butcher the entire language every time he flaps his yap.....unlike our current basturd president, who never bothered learning to speak it because he was raised in a barn.

[airboatboy1]

Apologize for that? Big deal. I hope he didn''t offend any dog owners with the term "mutt". I want Bush to apologize for being an idiot and leaving such a mess behind.

[brianwbw]

Yea?

At least the dude can speak friggan ENGLISH...and he doesn''''t completely butcher the entire language every time he flaps his yap.....unlike our current basturd president, who never bothered learning to speak it because he was raised in a barn.

Posted by shanev137


Our current President isn''t a BS''ing lawyer, like your messiah OsameA.

Speaking of butchering the English language, when are you going to get your GED?

[spinproof]

Nancy Reagan got an apology from Barack Obama because he publicly joked about something many know Nancy is privately involved in. Nancy Reagan was into the occult and probably still is, she regularly consulted Astrologers and advised her husband on how to proceed based on his Horoscope. Astrology and seances are not the same so maybe Obama should have just apologized for getting those two mixed up, but it''s still possible Nancy was into seances.

[brianwbw]

Apologize for that? Big deal. I hope he didn''''t offend any dog owners with the term "mutt". I want Bush to apologize for being an idiot and leaving such a mess behind.
Posted by airboatboy1

This mess was started in the 1990''s by Clintons boys and girls. Bush never had a chance and even the Historians are saying that.

Here, have a little history and truth and reality, if you can handle it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/19/business/19cisneros.html

If you can''t handle reality here''s a web site you might enjoy:

http://library.thinkquest.org/20991/alg2/trig.html

[airboatboy1]

Here, have a little history and truth and reality, if you can handle it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/19
/business/19cisneros.html

If you can''''t handle reality here''''s a web site you might enjoy:

http://library.thinkquest.org/
20991/alg2/trig.html


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Posted by brianwbw at 04:37 AM : Nov 08, 2008


I can handle it, and i will read it, thanks. So does this mean no matter who was in office for the last eight years it would make do difference, that we would have the same results, that nothing could have been done?

[ramos937]

I am very sick and tired of the press going after political incorrect statements that public figures make now and then. People are human. If these statements are not ill intentioned and especially if the folks identified do not take offense at then than what is the big deal? The next time that a public figure makes such a statement, unless the person mentioned publically says he or she is offended, then ignore it.

[airboatboy1]

Bush tryin'' to talk sure was entertaining. I think it''s the only thing I''m going to miss about the moron.

[hypnotoad72]

A politically incorrect joke, yes, but most of us make them (regardless of opinions and beliefs) and most people, myself not excepted, can be unjustly reactionary too.

In short, we''re human.

[callistemon-2009]

i thought it was funny! i''m just disappointed he didn''t bring shirley maclaine into it also. HAH

[callistemon-2009]

bush should have been impeached a long time ago. yes, and he should apologize for the mess he''s left us in.

[onewayright]

It was an insult to an elderly former First Lady.
Wrong first lady though. Obama just had to throw that out even though it had nothing to do with the question. Between his mouth and Biden''s, it''s going to be a LONG 4 yrs.

[onewayright]

bush should have been impeached a long time ago

Posted by callistemon


----------

So Bush wasn''t....get over it. Oh, Clinton was impeached LOL

[callistemon-2009]

hey i am over, lol. it''s going to be a fine EIGHT years, and then some.

[onewayright]

4 years and he''s out lol

[callistemon-2009]

OneWayRight, we shall see about that. we have a loooong time to see about that, too.

[onewayright]

callistemon ... You''re right, Hey I''m wanting to give this guy a chance.

[irmcvet97]

4 years and he''''s out lol

Posted by OneWayRight at 07:03 AM : Nov 08, 2008


LOL Right and WHO would you propose to put in his place? More "Trickle Down" idiots? ROFLMAO It''s going to be 8 years for this Young Man followed by another Democrat. The Republican''s represent no one outside the Fascist South and no one outside that area is taking them serious!

[callistemon-2009]

OneWayRight, thank you for saying that about giving him a chance. and i didn''t want to start something, you know? i can tell i like you. i know it''s easy for me to say something like that after he won, but i''d like us to all find some common ground we''re positive about.

:)

[onewayright]

Irmcvet97 .... I said idiot I''m wanting to give the guy a chance.

[onewayright]

BTW.... Irmcvet97 History has proven that One Party Rule NEVER lasts long.

[onewayright]

callistemon Thanks! I''m a conservative but hope Obama will always put America first.

[callistemon-2009]

OneWayRight, and I respect that you''re a conservative. how boring would that be if we all agreed around here? lol

[irmcvet97]

BTW.... Irmcvet97 History has proven that One Party Rule NEVER lasts long.

Posted by OneWayRight at 07:10 AM : Nov 08, 2008

LOL What history are YOU reading? LOL After the Great Depression we had, for the most part, one party rule for 80 years! LOL Now we had a Republican President off and on yes but the the Policies and the Congress was basically Democrat for that entire time period! FIVE terms, FDR and Truman, together makes 20 years of ONE PARTY RULE unbroken.

[onewayright]

callistemon ... Even though I fought hard for McCain on here, Obama is won and will be our president. I give him that and will watch the our 1st black president be sworn in with some pride. I just hope he''s not so far left that he can''t see what''s right.
:-)

[onewayright]

Irmcvet97 .... Americans are not a patient as they were back then. You know that. We constantly want change. WE GET BORED EASILY

[callistemon-2009]

OneWayRight, i really had a hard time making up my mind about voting for McCain and Obama. i think McCain is a gracious and patriotic man. He gave so much for our country. But...after listening very intently to their platforms, I had to be true to my democratic self. and i think he''ll do right by this country...he BETTER!

[etherAvatar]

It is ridiculous to think that Obama will not make some gaffes the neocons in the next eight years. Let us not forget there are books devoted to bushes embarrassments. The difference between the neocons and Obama is that at least he apologizes...I never recall bush making one apology in the eight years of listening to his embarrassing misspeaks.

In the final analysis...much ado about nothing but let''s face it this is all the neocons have.

[onewayright]

In the final analysis...much ado about nothing but let''''s face it this is all the neocons have.

Posted by etherAvatar


---------------

YOU are why there are NeoCons.

[popstom12]

8 years hahahahahahaha not a chance

[perceptions5]

Let me get this "right".

Obama makes a huge gaffe so to cover himself he throws someone else under the bus, Nancy Reagan.

And the FACT is Nancy never had seances but Hillary Clinton did.

And the self-righteous liberals are out here defended this?

It''s seems like this is really "undefenseable"