HILLARY CLINTON REGRETS GHANDI JOKE

WINS News ^ | 1/6/04

[areafiftyone]

ST. LOUIS (AP) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton apologized for joking that Mahatma Gandhi used to run a gas station in St. Louis, saying it was "a lame attempt at humor."

The New York Democrat made the remark at a fund-raiser Saturday. During an event here for Senate candidate Nancy Farmer, Clinton introduced a quote from Gandhi by saying, "He ran a gas station down in St. Louis."

After laughter from many in the crowd of at least 200 subsided, the former first lady continued, "No, Mahatma Gandhi was a great leader of the 20th century." In a nod to Farmer's underdog status against Republican Sen. Kit Bond, Clinton quoted the Indian independence leader as saying: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

The director of a U.S. center devoted to Gandhi's teachings said the remarks amounted to stereotyping and were insensitive.

After being approached by The Associated Press to clarify the remarks, Clinton suggested in a statement late Monday that she never meant to fuel the stereotype - often used as a comedic punch line - that certain ethnic groups run America's gas stations.

"I have admired the work and life of Mahatma Gandhi and have spoken publicly about that many times," Clinton said. "I truly regret if a lame attempt at humor suggested otherwise."

Michelle Naef, administrator of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, a Memphis, Tenn.-based organization founded in 1991 by a Gandhi grandson, credited Clinton and her husband, former President Clinton, with long having "supported the Gandhi message." But she said Saturday's remarks "could be incredibly harmful."

"I don't think she was, in any way, trying to demean Mahatma Gandhi," Naef said. "To be generous to her, I would say it was a poor attempt at humor. Perhaps I'm overly sensitive, but I find it offensive when people use stereotypes in that way."

[muleskinner]

Repub's just got the Asian Indian vote.

[HenryLeeII]

So Hillary is making jokes based on ethnic stereotypes and Dean has been revealed as making stock transactions based on insider information while governor. I'll be sure to tune into Dan Blather's newscast tonight for the latest details!

[evets]

He ran a Kwik-E-Mart in Springfield

[Rutabega]

That Fozzie Bear joke made me snort beer out of my nose! (My Swedish husband didn't get the joke!)

[antiRepublicrat]

The PC liberals begin to eat their own...

[ArGee]

That WAS good.

Shalom.

[r9etb]

he suffered from bad breath

This part is probably true: he drank a glass of his own urine every day, and was not at all shy about recommending that others do it, too. (Here's a google on Ghandi Urine to show you I'm not making it up....)

[Search4Truth]

"Which is the greatest quality of knighthood? Courage? Compassion? Loyalty? Humility? What do you say, Merlin?

All right. Truth. It must be truth, above all. When a man lies he murders some part of the world."

[Our man in washington]

I wouldn't be offended if a candidate I liked said that, so I'm not offended that Hillary said that.

But in general, I think Americans need to lighten up.

[Liberal Classic]

That excuse never works on my wife.

[Remole]

At least she didn't call him a FJB.

[Pagey]

"Clinton suggested in a statement late Monday that she never meant to fuel the stereotype...that certain ethnic groups run America's gas stations".

This is the classic Liberal way;you can say anything about anyone, because you can always apologize later and that's all the media really wants to hear from you anyway, just how sorry you are. It's true, Hillary Rotten truly is one SORRY excuse for a Jr. Janitor from New York.

[InvisibleChurch]

Mahatma L. Nahasapeemapetilon

[exile]

"We don't need to get on the wrong side of PETA by comparing the Hildebeest with an honorable self-sustaining member of the bovine persuasion"

Q - Why can't the Hildebeast get mad cow disease?

A - Because she's a pig.

[Pagey]

Hillary's Latest "Intentional" Verbal Mistake. See what happens when she goes off-script?

[ItsForTheChildren]

But did she really apologize?

"I truly regret if a lame attempt at humor suggested otherwise."

Kind of like one of her husband's quotes, "There is no relationship.

[N. Theknow]

Well,

I have it on good authority that Ghandi was actually very calloused from walking everywhere he went and that his frequent fasting left him quite frail with resultant bad breath...

Thus he was a

Are you ready for this/

A Super-calloused-fragile-mystic-with-expected-hallitosis.

[international american]

And we regret Hillary.....EVERY DAY!!!!

[N. Theknow]

Shoulda checked - somebody already threw the super-calloused one out there.

However - NOBODY has mentioned the other Indians

The butler - Mahatma Cote

The Innkeeper - Ali Valiteon Faya - Of the Motel Sikhs

The 4 wheel drive garage mechanic - Bin Unda Dajeep

The Gas station attendant - Filli Dup Fayah

[luckydevi]

Indians tend to vote republican anyway