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Republican sorry for calling Obama 'boy'
bnd.com ^ | 04/15/08 | ROGER ALFORD

Posted on 04/15/2008 5:37:52 AM PDT by TornadoAlley3

FRANKFORT, Ky. -- Republican Rep. Geoff Davis apologizing to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on Monday after referring to him as "that boy."

Addressing a Republican gathering Saturday night, the Kentucky lawmaker said, "That boy's finger does not need to be on the button." Davis was talking about political and national security issues at an annual GOP dinner.

Davis' campaign said it sent a letter to Obama apologizing for the remark, which was widely reported on blogs and newspaper Web sites, including the Lexington Herald-Leader.

"My poor choice of words is regrettable, and was in no way meant to impugn you or your integrity," Davis wrote in the letter delivered to Obama's Washington office Monday afternoon. "I offer my sincere apology to you and ask for your forgiveness."

Earlier, Obama campaign spokesman Bill Burton said, "It's hard to tell what is more outrageous - Representative Davis' condescending and personal attack, or his absurd and offensive claim that Barack Obama is not prepared to defend America."

The letter was released by Davis campaign manager, Jeremy Hughes.

Davis, who represents Kentucky's 4th Congressional District, has two Republican challengers in the GOP primary May 20. The winner will face Democrat Michael Kelley, a northern Kentucky physician.


TOPICS: Constitution/Conservatism; Culture/Society; Government; Politics/Elections
KEYWORDS: boy; geoffdavis; obama; yesterday
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To: allmendream
As sharp as:
sack of wet mice
bowling ball
61 posted on 04/15/2008 7:24:15 AM PDT by numberonepal (Don't Even Think About Treading On Me)
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To: allmendream
Davis' use of the word was insensitive, I will concede. However, I find it remarkable that Obama's campaign criticized Davis far more stridently than they did the Jeremiah Wright.

Obama has never apologized for calling his grandmother, and potentially any Caucasian a "typical White" woman. I find that that much more offensive.

Besides, considering the remarks of Dick Durbinb, Ted Kennedy, Al Gore and John Kerry, to name a few, the reaction to Davis' comment should be considered diversionary and lame. Instead, we pile on. Quite pathetic.

Where was Obama's heightened sensitivity to racism over the past 20+ years that Jeremiah Wright was his "pastor, friend and mentor"?

My comment to Obama is, "Grow up!" As POTUS you will be called much worse. Just take a look at DU and the HuffPo and see the epithets that are used to describe Pres Bush and Repubs in general.

Their selective indignation over something so arsenumbingly pathetic, speaks volumes.

62 posted on 04/15/2008 7:27:28 AM PDT by sofaman (Moses dragged us through the desert for 40 years to bring us to the one place in the ME with no oil.)
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To: TornadoAlley3
Poor Geoff Davis can't seem to understand what he did wrong!

Nobody impugned Sen. Obama's integrity here, the issue was that only racist white people refer to grown-up black men as "boy." Obama and Davis are both in their fourties so it's not even as if some much older member of congress engaged in the "poor choice of words" here.

It's very difficult to infer anything about a person's motives or general sentiments from a single incident, but it's certainly not reassuring that Davis is unwilling to grasp the nature of the problem. You would think that a decent person who accidentally stumbled into a racial problem would be more genuinely contrite about the damage he caused.

63 posted on 04/15/2008 7:29:08 AM PDT by MurryMom
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To: stevio
The GOP should match Obama’s racism with racism of its own?

Yes, Obama’s pastors anti-Americanism made me incensed and seething at the sheer stupidity of thinking that the U.S. government could or would invent H.I.V.. The racist underpinnings of Obama’s church makes it a hateful and sick organization (”We refuse to worship a God that doesn't participate in the destruction of the white enemy.”).

The fact that Obama thought this was OK for 20 years, his idiotic comments about bombing Pakistan, his lack of knowledge about the Constitution and the role of the Presidency, and now his “bitter” comments show he is an affirmative action pumped up empty suit who is WAY too liberal and stupid and out of his depth to ever be President of our great Republic.

Notice in the above I never once called a 46 year old man “boy”. It isn't necessary, it is stupid, and it is racist. The term has a history, and if Rep Davis didn't know it he is stupid; if he did know it he is racist. Either way Kentucky deserves better representation.

64 posted on 04/15/2008 7:29:21 AM PDT by allmendream
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To: sofaman
Obama has never apologized for calling his grandmother, and potentially any Caucasian a "typical White" woman. I find that that much more offensive.

The way I see it is that Obama can dish it, but can't take it. We all know people like that. Boo-hoo.

65 posted on 04/15/2008 7:30:46 AM PDT by tioga
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To: allmendream

He would have been better off if he said this about Hillary.

“That GAL’s finger does not need to be on the button.”


66 posted on 04/15/2008 7:35:01 AM PDT by ClarenceThomasfan (Rush wouldn't lift a finger to help Fred or Duncan, yet he shills for Hillary. Rush is a fat idiot.)
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To: TornadoAlley3
Ugh, this is a taste of things to come if Obama winds up being the Democratic nominee. Not only the race card, but the whole flippin deck is going to be deployed for each any every criticism we level at him.
67 posted on 04/15/2008 7:49:48 AM PDT by mquinn
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To: allmendream

I find it hard to muster any indignation toward Mr. Davis when the other side is much more blatant, arrogant and unapologetic.


68 posted on 04/15/2008 7:50:01 AM PDT by stevio (Crunchy Con - God, guns, guts, and organically grown crunchy nuts.)
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To: TornadoAlley3

Methinks that “boy” is hypersensative.

I am tired of PC. Enough is enough!


69 posted on 04/15/2008 7:53:25 AM PDT by CPT Clay (Drill ANWR, Personal Accounts NOW , Vote Hunter in the Primary)
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To: tioga

I concur. He’s such a girl.


70 posted on 04/15/2008 7:53:42 AM PDT by Fry_Daddy
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To: militant2

I prefer to stand and fight for my state. It’s my duty & obligation.

Besides, I was here first. :)


71 posted on 04/15/2008 7:57:26 AM PDT by Diana in Wisconsin (Save The Earth. It's The Only Planet With Chocolate.)
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To: stevio
Yes, but it makes it harder to point the finger at Obama’s racism if we embrace racist language and the cretins who use it on our own side.

Rep. Davis did a huge disservice to the GOP and a big favor to Obama. His apology should be to Kentucky and the GOP (the wronged parties) and not to Obama, whose campaign will look upon his statements as an early Christmas (Kwanzaa? :)) present.

72 posted on 04/15/2008 8:01:42 AM PDT by allmendream
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To: allmendream

FYI, Geoff Davis serves his district (mine) with great distinction, courage and honesty. He is not a moron, cretin, racist or any of the other pejoratives that you have or might use to disparage him. Congressman Davis is a MAN of humble origins who was raised in a single family household, who enlisted in the Army and subsequently obtained an appointment to West Point, who graduated from WP and served his country with distinction as an Army Ranger in several challenging venues. He is, moreover, a Conservative Christian who, with his great wife Patti, homeschools all of their children and whose family volunteers their time to make their community better through many worthy causes. His “boy” comment was racially insensitive only becuase it was taken completely out of context in that it was meant to politically differentiate the national security maturity difference between the BOY Obama and the MAN McCain. When he realized the racial component, Congressman Davis did the MANLY thing and rendered a true MANLY apology, Christian style.

Frankly, I am more troubled by someone who will through a great American servant overboard with the vitriol that you have used than I am by a mere slip of the tongue.


73 posted on 04/15/2008 9:06:51 AM PDT by dalcapret
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To: GOP_Proud
It sounds as if they are apologizing for the entire remark when it’s the “boy” reference that is sensitive to some.

This is Topic Drift but I gotta pass it on. Years ago I worked with a black kid who was just getting into the Black Pride thing, but was good-natured about it. On occasion, some white guy in our group would use the word "boy", but not in reference to him. He'd puff up his chest in an exaggerated manner and, mocking the hyper-sensitive blacks, say "DON"T call be 'Boy'!" and we'd all get a laugh.

A few months later he went on vacation to see some family in Mississippi. He came back and told us, "I was walking down a street back home and some redneck says 'Hey Boy'. You know how I don't like that word. I looked that stupid 'neck right in the eye and said 'Yas-suh?' I ain't stupid." We all nearly fell off our chairs laughing. It's very rare to find a black guy with that kind of humor.

74 posted on 04/15/2008 9:08:37 AM PDT by Oatka (A society of sheep must in time beget a government of wolves." –Bertrand de Jouvenel)
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To: dalcapret

I meant throw, not through.


75 posted on 04/15/2008 9:17:37 AM PDT by dalcapret
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To: allmendream
Rep Davis is either
a) a moron
b) a racist
c) a racist moron (inasmuch as that isn't redundant)
He's none of the above
Davis worked as a janitor during high school to help pay the family’s bills. Upon graduation, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and later received a rare appointment to the U.S. Military Academy at West Point, N.Y. While at West Point, Davis studied the Arabic language and the cultures of Southwest Asia and Eastern Europe. He focused his studies on national security and international affairs."

During his Army career, Davis served as an Assault Helicopter Flight Commander in the 82nd Airborne Division and later served in the Middle East where he ran U.S. Army aviation operations for peace enforcement between Israel and Egypt.

Davis is a former Army Ranger and Senior Parachutist.

Davis spent eight years as a volunteer Chaplain for the Kentucky Corrections Cabinet.

What Davis achieved on his own, most can't - 'boy'.
76 posted on 04/15/2008 9:21:44 AM PDT by Condor51 (I have guns in my nightstand because a Cop won't fit)
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To: stevio

“When you live among them you experience it firsthand.”

Tell me about it.....I live in Northeastern Minnesota. Land of 10,000 unions!

Militant


77 posted on 04/15/2008 9:23:14 AM PDT by militant2 ("From time to time, the tree of Liberty must be nourished with the blood of tyrants!")
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To: Diana in Wisconsin

“I prefer to stand and fight for my state. It’s my duty & obligation.”

Amen!

Militant


78 posted on 04/15/2008 9:24:36 AM PDT by militant2 ("From time to time, the tree of Liberty must be nourished with the blood of tyrants!")
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To: Condor51
If he didn't know it was a loaded term he is ignorant.

If he did know it was a loaded term and used it anyway he is a racist.

Either way his gaff was a gift to Obama right when Obama needed it most.

I worked during high school to help support the family as well as working on the family farm, I served in the Air Force during Desert Shield and Desert Storm, I went to college on the G.I. bill and then earned a graduate degree in Molecular Biology. Somehow during all that time I managed to never call any black man “boy” because I know it was a favorite disparaging term of racists towards black men. I am a man, not a boy; how childish of you to suggest otherwise.

79 posted on 04/15/2008 9:32:12 AM PDT by allmendream
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To: TornadoAlley3
I live in Ky and use the term boy all the time. The black guys I work with do the same thing and Ive never heard any of them (white or black)say they were offended. Much to do over nothing as usual.

I wish I had a nickel for every time Ive heard a black say to a white or vice versa ...boy you just aint right. lol

80 posted on 04/15/2008 12:55:55 PM PDT by Snurple
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