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Former Rep. Geraldine Ferraro (D-N.Y.) cut her ties to Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton’s (D-N.Y.) campaign days after making controversial racial statements about Sen. Barack Obama (D-Ill.).
Ferraro, the 1984 Democratic vice presidential candidate, caused an uproar this week when she said in an interview that 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,” Ferraro said. “He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept.”
After attempting to defend herself, Ferraro stepped down as a member of Clinton’s campaign finance committee Wednesday.
The Clinton campaign said it “disagreed” with Ferraro’s statements, but the Obama campaign seized on the remarks. Obama senior adviser David Axelrod said they are part of “an insidious pattern” from the Clinton campaign.
Obama said he thought the remarks were divisive, and Axelrod said earlier this week that the Clinton campaign should cut all ties with Ferraro.
“When you wink and nod at offensive statements, you're really sending a signal to your supporters that anything goes,” Axelrod said.
The Clinton campaign did not respond to requests for comment by press time. |
