Knight Ridder Sacramento Bureau
SACRAMENTO - A lawmaker who had called for Education Secretary Richard Riordan to resign for joking with a 6-year-old that her name meant ``stupid, dirty girl'' abruptly backed off Thursday after mistakenly suggesting that race was a factor in the quip.
Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, D-Los Angeles, canceled a news conference today with civil rights groups after learning that the girl subjected to Riordan's joke was white, not African-American.
An aide to Dymally said the assemblyman had seen conflicting news accounts of the girl's race. In a press release canceling the news conference, Dymally, who is African-American, said Riordan had apologized to clergy in Los Angeles for the gaffe.
``It should be noted that race is not a factor in this issue,'' Dymally said in the statement, stressing that he wanted to meet with Riordan to further discuss the matter. ``It is time for us to move on.''
...
Riordan later apologized for the joke. And Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger called the comments ``unacceptable in any context'' but said he was satisfied that Riordan's apology was sincere.
On Wednesday, Dymally, D-Compton, was far from satisfied, saying the Republican governor should seek Riordan's resignation. At the time, Dymally told the Mercury News that Riordan ``needs to do more than just apologize. And I have to inject: This was a little African-American girl. Would he have done that to a white girl?''
Isis' mother, Trinity Lila, was baffled both by Riordan's statement and Dymally's actions.
``Does it matter that she's white?'' asked Lila, who isn't sure if Riordan should step down, given his apologies. ``If he feels that the man should step down, does it matter that she's white?''
More: SJ Mercury News (reg. required)
Riordan: (prepares next idiotic foot-in-mouth blunder)
Racist pig.
Politicians please note: The "little people" are equipped with amazing powers of "common sense," not to be underestimated by the titans of the ruling class.
I just about died laughing when I heard this on the radio tonight. Unfortunately, FoxNews still led at the top of their 8:00pm PST news tonight with the misinformation that the girl is black.
Proof positive that some blacks are as racist as the KKK.
Of course we knew that. But I'd like to see one squirm out of this.
I still think he should resign. I don't care whether the little girl was white, black, brown or green polka dotted and I don't care whether he's a D or an R or and I. His comment was extremely inappropriate.