Feb 13, 2008 7:48 am US/Eastern
Rendell Comments On Obama Raising Some Eyebrows
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) ―
A spokesman for Gov.
Ed Rendell says the governor meant no offense with his remarks about Barack
Obama.
Gov. Ed Rendell, one of Hillary Rodham Clinton's most
visible supporters, said some white Pennsylvanians are likely to vote against
her rival Barack Obama because he is black.
"You've got conservative whites here, and I
think there are some whites who are probably not ready to vote for an African-American
candidate," Rendell told the editorial board of the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette in
remarks that appeared in Tuesday's paper.
To buttress his point, Rendell cited his 2006
re-election campaign, in which he defeated Republican challenger Lynn Swann, the
former Pittsburgh Steelers star, by a margin of more than 60 percent to less
than 40 percent.
"I believe, looking at the returns in my
election, that had Lynn Swann been the identical candidate that he was—well-spoken,
charismatic, good-looking—but white instead of black, instead of winning by 22 points,
I would have won by 17 or so," he said. "And
that (attitude) exists. But on the other hand, that is counterbalanced by Obama's
ability to bring new voters into the electoral pool."
Rendell, chairman of the Democratic National
Committee in 2000 and previously Philadelphia's
mayor, endorsed Clinton
on Jan. 23.
Pennsylvania
holds its primary April 22.
Several figures in Clinton's campaign, including her husband, the former president, have been criticized in recent weeks
for raising Obama's race. In response, Bill Clinton has said he will stick to
promoting his wife, rather than defending her.
Later Tuesday, Rendell's spokesman said the
governor did not mean to offend anyone.
"He was simply making an observation about the
unfortunate nature of some parts of American society," said spokesman Chuck Ardo.
"He wasn't being critical, he wasn't making accusations, but just being
realistic."
(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
