Rendell: Some Whites 'Not Ready' To Support Obama

[The Bobster]

http://www.nbc10.com/newsarchive/15285412/detail.html

Rendell: Some Whites 'Not Ready' To Support Obama

POSTED: 6:50 pm EST February 12, 2008
UPDATED: 7:20 pm EST February 12, 2008

HARRISBURG, Pa. -- A spokesman for Gov. Ed Rendell said the governor meant no offense with his remarks about Barack Obama.

Rendell told the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette that some white Pennsylvanians are likely to vote against Obama because he's black.

Rendell spokesman Chuck Ardo said the governor was just acknowledging an unfortunate reality.

The words that attracted national attention were: "I think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate."

Rendell is one of Hillary Rodman Clinton's most visible supporters. Several people in Clinton's campaign have been criticized in recent weeks for raising Obama's race.

 

[The Bobster]

http://www.nbc10.com/newsarchive/15294416/detail.html

Rendell 'Ticked Off,' Defends Controversial Obama Remarks
Rendell Says He Didn't Inject Race Into Campaign

Pennsylvania Gov. Ed Rendell is caught up in a Decision 2008 controversy.

On Wednesday, the governor defended remarks he made about Barack Obama and the white vote in Pennsylvania.

On Tuesday, Rendell said some whites in Pennsylvania "are probably not ready to vote for an African-American candidate."

He told that to the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, and Wednesday, the paper published his remarks.

Obama won all three Potomac primaries Tuesday.

Rendell is a huge supporter of Hillary Clinton.

On MSNBC Wednesday, Rendell said he meant no harm.

"What really ticks me off about this is that the fellow who wrote this up said I was trying to inject race into the election. Well, first of all, I was in there for a totally other purpose. They asked me parenthetically about this. If I wanted to inject race into the campaign, by the way, I didn't do it in my campaign against Lynn Swann, I've never done it, and I've been a unifying force for all my time as D.A. and mayor and governor. But if I wanted to do that, would I do it in a windowless room with six people? Of course not. I'd do it in a larger forum," Rendell said.

The governor said, "If you tell the truth, you get skewered."

Rendell won re-election by a large margin over African-American challenger Lynn Swann in 2006.