Harry Reid

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What was the accusation?

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid was quoted in the book “Game Change” arguing that President Barack Obama’s chances of winning the upcoming election were good because Obama is a “‘light-skinned’ African American ‘with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.” He soon after issued a statement to the press about his intentions.

Key Apologia Strategies:

Mortification, Bolstering

Transcript

I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words. I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments.

I was a proud and enthusiastic supporter of Barack Obama during the campaign and have worked as hard as I can to advance President Obama’s legislative agenda.

Moreover, throughout my career, from efforts to integrate the Las Vegas strip and the gaming industry to opposing radical judges and promoting diversity in the Senate, I have worked hard to advance issues important to African American community.

Sources

Obama: Reid ‘always…on right side of history'(2010, January 12). NBC News. Retrieved from: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/34783136/ns/politics-capitol_hill/t/obama-reid-always-right-side-history/#.WYy4Tnd95hE

Preston, M. (2010, January 9). Reid apologizes for racial remarks about Obama during campaign. CNN. Retrieved from: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/09/obama.reid/index.html

Zeleny, J. (2010, January 9). Reid apologizes for remarks on Obama’s color and ‘Dialect’. New York Times. Retrieved from: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/10/us/politics/10reidweb.html?mtrref=www.google.com&gwh=4A8C630081E84289A489E268A964022D&gwt=pay