Posted on 10/24/2006 3:41:07 PM PDT by SJackson
GREEN BAY (AP) - Democratic U.S. House candidate Steve Kagen apologized Monday for commenting that he was late for a meeting on an Indian reservation because "we're on Injun time."
"I did not mean any harm by my words, and I humbly apologize if I offended anyone. That was not my intent," he said in a statement hours after the National Republican Congressional Committee released a tape recording of the comment.
Kagen attended a meeting Friday on the nearby Oneida Reservation, and at his next stop in Green Bay he made the following remarks:
"Appreciate getting here almost on time. Our excuse in Oneida was, well, we're on Injun time. They don't tell time by the clock. Our excuse here is that I am a doctor and that we're never on time."
Kagen, 56, of Appleton, is involved in what political observers call a very close race against Republican John Gard, a 43-year-old veteran state lawmaker, for the two-year seat in District 8 in northeast Wisconsin. The two are seeking to replace GOP Congressman Mark Green, who is running for governor.
District 8 is one of only 29 open House seats in the country, making it a prime target for Democrats who need to pick up 15 seats on Nov. 7 to gain control of the 435-member House.
Stephanie Lundberg, Kagen's spokeswoman, said he heard the term "Injun time" used by American Indians.
"I don't know if he was trying to be funny. It was in the context of a self-deprecating comment," she said.
A Gard spokeswoman called Kagen's choice of words "unfortunate" and said the comment should not have been made.
"You shouldn't hear remarks like this from people running for Congress," said Christine Mangi, Gard's communications director. "They should be held to a higher standard."
Bobbi Webster, a spokeswoman for the Oneida Nation, said Monday that Kagen's comment was not being taken as disrespectful by tribal members. No apology was sought, she said.
"Tribal members say that themselves. It is not uncommon to hear somebody come in late and say, 'Oh-Oh. I am running on Indian time.' The time you get there is the time to do your thing," Webster said.
The term "Injun" is not necessarily disrespectful, said Webster, the Oneida spokeswoman.
"If I thought an individual was trying to be disrespectful, then I might think about it in that term," she said. "But if I thought a person was trying to be funny, then I might enlighten him and say, 'You know, I know what you are trying to do but you may want to just say it a little differently.' "
Kagen and Gard were on the reservation Monday for a debate, and no tribal members brought up the "Injun" comment, Webster said.
"We were laughing about all the calls we got today in regard to the Indian time comment and we said, 'My God, aren't they interested in what the issues are all about? The health care. The education. The jobs,' " she said.
I've said essentially the same thing a number of times in Az, where the Navaho and the state of Arizona disagree about daylight savings time. Can't remember who does what. I think the Navajo Nation does, the state doesn't.
BTW, the "injuns" got it right, it's no big deal.
Haha!
What a complete idiot!
could be construed as a proper english pronunciation of the word Indian....you pronounce the 'D' but combined with 'IAN' it has a 'jun' sound. the English would also say InJa for India, using the same rule as with Indian/Injun.
of course Kagan appears to be a royal @-hole and being he is of the party of PC....I hope it sticks in peoples collective craws on election day.
I'm willing to accept his apology as sincere. The Libs and the MSM aren't as gracious if a Republican says anything they can remotely stretch into something offensive.
Why in the hell do politicians apologize themselves to death over the least bit of nothing. Why can't for once a politician say, "it was a joke, get over it".
Heard about it ages ago.
It's a chimera ~ just a creation of people who feel that everybody is looking at them and judging.
I would imagine someone came up with "Injun Time" too.
BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA piece of the day!
I am betting that if he was a Republican this would be a HUGE story.
Why in the hell do politicians apologize themselves to death over the least bit of nothing. Why can't for once a politician say, "it was a joke, get over it".
That's what I like about Dick Cheney. He has NO problem telling those that goad him to 'F-Off,' LOL! I love that man. ;)
And the Oneida's Indian Country Today (USA Today for Indians..) was just saying how understanding liberals were...
"We were laughing about all the calls we got today in regard to the Indian time comment and we said, 'My God, aren't they interested in what the issues are all about? The health care. The education. The jobs,' " she said.
In other words, "We're all Democrats here! We're 'Circling the Wagons' and defending one of our own!"
Oops! Now I'll have those dern 'Prairie Settlers' and 'Sod Busters' mad at me. How Un-PC. *Rolleyes*
Just when I think I've heard the last possible kinda odd racial slur, some Dhimmicrat opens his or her mouth...
The complete quote as heard over wtmj's Charley Sykes show was "its injun time-----they don't use clocks". Note that other end of the quote was not reported in the Capitol Times, and should affect any judgement made if its a racial slur. Kagen, in debate with John Gard for the seat of Wisconsin's 8th also gaffed when asked about terrorists on aircraft (against active surveillance) said if he came across a terrorist on an aircraft "he would take them out". Gard when told to use his minute to reply to Kagen's response simply said "terrorists wouldn't be on the plane", which drew nervous laughter from the audience. In Wisconsin's 7th dist WSAW TV Ch 7 will be showing a debate on Oct 27th between the aging congressman,Dave Obey, and contenders. Obey in since 1975 voted against funding the South Viet Nam army causing the 58,000 US armed forced KIA to die in vain.
www.theusmat.com
My neck of the woods. Local media has buried the story.
The complete quote as heard over wtmj's Charley Sykes show was "its injun time-----they don't use clocks". Note that other end of the quote was not reported in the Capitol Times, and should affect any judgement made if its a racial slur. Kagen, in debate with John Gard for the seat of Wisconsin's 8th also gaffed when asked about terrorists on aircraft (against active surveillance) said if he came across a terrorist on an aircraft "he would take them out". Gard when told to use his minute to reply to Kagen's response simply said "terrorists wouldn't be on the plane", which drew nervous laughter from the audience. In Wisconsin's 7th dist WSAW TV Ch 7 will be showing a debate on Oct 27th between the aging congressman,Dave Obey, and contenders. Obey in since 1975 voted against funding the South Viet Nam army causing the 58,000 US armed forced KIA to die in vain.
www.theusmat.com
No person that voted in 1975 on a bill should be in Congress anymore. Period.
If the Republican had said it, it would be national news. A dem? Dems get the pass...
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