Clinton Finally Apologizes for Ferraro

Hillary Clinton finally got around to disavowing the remarks made by Geraldine Ferraro, but is it a matter of too little, too late. The damage was already done, and the story played for nearly a week.

 

Speaking before the National Newspaper Publishers Association, an association for African- American community newspapers, Sen. Hillary Clinton, D-N.Y., apologized Wednesday night for comments made by former Rep. Geraldine Ferraro, D-N.Y., a prominent Clinton supporter, regarding Clinton's chief rival for the Democratic nomination, Illinois Sen. Barack Obama.

Ferraro had initially said that Obama owed his position in the race to his being African-American, and later said she was criticized for her comments because she was white.

Clinton called those comments "ridiculous" and "wrong-headed."

"I certainly do repudiate it and I regret deeply that it was said," she said. "Obviously she doesn't speak for the campaign, she doesn't speak for any of my positions, and she has resigned from being a member of my very large finance committee."

Clinton also apologized for comments made by her husband, former President Bill Clinton, during the South Carolina primary in January. Bill Clinton had sought to minimize Obama's victory there, noting that African-American civil rights leader Jesse Jackson had won the state during his 1984 and 1988 presidential runs.

"You know I am sorry if anyone was offended. It was certainly not meant in any way to be offensive," Hillary Clinton said. "We can be proud of both Jesse Jackson and Senator Obama."

Clinton acknowledged that the rancorous Democratic primary had opened divisions in the party, and said she would support Obama if he earned the nomination.

"Once one of us has the nomination there will be a great effort to unify the Democratic party and we will do so, because, remember I have a lot of supporters who have voted for me in very large numbers and I would expect them to support Senator Obama if he were the nominee."

More: Watch the video of Clinton's appearance before the National Newspaper Publishers Association at C-SPAN. [Link opens through your default media player.]