Wis. Radio Host Apologizes for Rice Remark

AP/YAHOO ^ | 11/22/04 | By JR ROSS, Associated Press Writer

[paltz]

John "Sly" Sylvester, the program director and morning personality on WTDY-AM, wrote a letter of apology to local newspapers.

"I'm concerned that I have offended many African-Americans by using a crass term to describe an incompetent, dishonest political appointee of the Bush administration. I apologize," wrote Sylvester, who is white.

Sylvester wrote he would not, however, apologize for criticizing Rice, saying "she has allowed herself to be used as a black trophy by an administration."

Sylvester used the term on last Wednesday's show to describe Rice and other blacks as having only a subservient role in the Bush administration. He also referred to Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) as an "Uncle Tom" — a contemptuous term for a black whose behavior toward whites is regarded as fawning or servile.

He fanned the flames two days later by issuing an apology to the fictional Aunt Jemima. Sylvester has been sharply criticized by civic and civil rights leaders; NAACP president Kweisi Mfume said the attacks on Rice "are just as bad as those who hide under sheets and burn crosses."

The flap comes less than three weeks after conservative Milwaukee radio show host Mark Belling's refered to undocumented Mexican immigrants as "wetbacks." Belling was taken off the air for a week.

Mid-West Family Broadcasting's general manager, Tom Walker, said there are no plans to discipline Sylvester, and that the radio host issued the apology on his own. "I don't agree with his comments and I don't like them," Walker said.

[SeanQuinn]

This guy's a ditz. Coming from a former liberal, [please don't yell, I've seen the light.] I believe where's there is smoke, there's fire. And this guy's made more than one stupid remark..

FIRE HIM!

[Paul Atreides]

What a pig! He cannot apologize without insulting Dr. Rice. Keep squealing, you pig. The whole world can see that Dr. Rice is making history, while you will be forgotten by next week.

[MisterRepublican]

"I'm concerned that I have offended many African-Americans by using a crass term to describe an incompetent, dishonest political appointee of the Bush administration. I apologize," wrote Sylvester, who is white."

He DID NOT APOLOGIZE.

[luvie]

NOT ACCEPTED BY THE AMERICAN PEOPLE!!!!

[paltz]

He must of learned one lesson...only blacks like Belafonte can say what he said and not apologize for it later....actually I take that back...this guy didn't learn a damn thing.

[DemforBush]

This a-clown is just trying to keep from getting fired. What a jerk.

[goodnesswins]

"Sylvester wrote he would not, however, apologize for criticizing Rice, saying "she has allowed herself to be used as a black trophy by an administration."

SAME THING.........said a different way. What a jerk. I hope he keeps talking.

[pumba555]

"I'm concerned that I have offended many African-Americans by using a crass term to describe an incompetent, dishonest political appointee of the Bush administration. I apologize" incompetent, dishonest... is he speaking of the same Condolezza we all know?? she graduated college at the age of 16 for heavens sake, and that's just one of her minor achievements. this guy is a moron who deserves no attention- good or bad.

[ladyinred]

GW Bush was raised by parents who taught him and his siblings not to be racially prejudice. Condi Rice was a dear friend of his family, plus the fact that she is well qualified for her new role. She is not considered a token by the President. Shame on this jerk who obviously wasn't raised as well. He is reflecting his own beliefs obviously. He must not feel black women are capable of achieving such a role unless they are token Blacks.

[SeanQuinn]

It's obvious, my dear sir. He did it so he can clear his name from the spotlight.

Now trust me, I'm not a "Condi lover" but I wouldn't go down to calling her Aunt Jemima. There's a line of morality in this country [as we saw in the last election] and it was sure crossed.

The sad thing is he did not mean it.

[mhking]

This is NOT an apology. It's a half-assed back-slap at conservatives in general, and black conservatives in particular.

 

Double-barrelled Mega-PING! to both lists! If you want on, FReepmail me!

[bigbob]

Read his "non apology" at www.wtdy.com Also known as
"Madisons Progressive Talk". Just another liberal college-dropout former pizza deliveryboy hate-spewer who will get away with it again because his controversies bring in more listeners and ad revenue. He couldn't beat Bush and didn't have the guts to move to Canada like threatened, so now he's race-baiting Dr. Rice to get attention for his crappy little radio show.

[solitas]

If the guy's got his opinions, and you don't like them: ignore him. I guess I'm not so pulled-in to the 'cult of celebrity' that I could care what anybody says about any of the administration - their conduct and actions (so far) satisfy me and I'll support them while they're continuing to do what seems right to me.

HOWEVER (these two quotes are from Teddy Roosevelt but I can't find places/dates for them):
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "To announce that there must be no criticism of the president, or that we are to stand by the president, right or wrong, is not only unpatriotic and servile, but is morally treasonable to the American public."

"Patriotism means to stand by the country. It does not mean to stand by the president or any other public official, save exactly to the degree in which he himself stands by the country. It is patriotic to support him insofar as he efficiently serves the country. It is unpatriotic not to oppose him to the exact extent that by inefficiency or otherwise he fails in his duty to stand by the country. In either event, it is unpatriotic not to tell the truth, whether about the president or anyone else."

[claudiustg]

---FIRE HIM!---

It might be difficult to find as big an idiot to represent the left, not impossible of course, but difficult. These people are their own worse enemies. Remember how Kerry would start to fall off in the polls whenever he was too visible.

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

"she has allowed herself to be used as a black trophy by an administration."

Funny how this never gets said about the token (and often blindingly incompetent) minorities that the DemonRats dig up (Carol Mosely Braun, Barbara Lee, and Joceylyn Elders come to mind).

[Cinnamon Girl]

"I'm sorry if you didn't like the way I expressed myself, even though it was accurate what I said." THIS GUY HAS GOT TO GO!

[Excuse_My_Bellicosity]

Yep, the libs moan and complain about racism and they're the worst offenders. They exercise racism at every breath while throwing bogus racial accusations at people who aren't.

[LDub]

Unbelievable. If that's an apology, then I've been doing it wrong for years!


What a jerk.

[jocon307]

File under: NOT GOOD ENOUGH!