Reid apologizes for Asian jokes

[alp227]

Source: The Hill

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) on Friday issued an apology for cracking two Asian-themed jokes during a speech Thursday night at the Las Vegas Asian Chamber of Commerce.

"My comments were in extremely poor taste and I apologize. Sometimes I say the wrong thing,” Reid said in a statement to The Hill.

The Democratic leader issued the apology after a video surfaced online of him joking with the crowd in Las Vegas about their ethnicity.

"The Asian population is so productive. I don't think you're smarter than anybody else, but you have convinced a lot of us you are," Reid said to the audience at the Gold Coast Hotel and Casino, garnering laughter.

Read more: http://thehill.com/blogs/blog-briefing-room/news/215763-reid-apologizes-for-asian-jokes#ixzz3B8uQNyFi

[The Stranger]

1. Fucking idiot.

The hits just keep on coming with this guy.

[Enrique]

2. harmless jokes, imho n/t

[louis-t]

3. Two things, maybe three.

These were not offensive jokes.
His apology was not "I apologize if I offended anyone", it was a real apology.
Of course, a conservative organization was asked not to video, they did it anyway.
No one was 'offended' except the conservative organization.

[YarnAddict]

8. Who is to say they aren't offensive?

Jokes based on ethnic stereotypes ARE offensive, no matter who makes them.

[mainer]

4. Frank DeLima says a lot worse in his jokes

And everyone loves him in Hawaii.

I hardly think these qualify as offensive. If the Asian audience laughed, then they must have thought it was funny, too.

[George II]

5. He was speaking to an Asian group, and apparently they enjoyed it...

...the one posted above isn't insulting, in fact it isn't even a "joke". In fact, it's more of a compliment than an insult.

Of course, as noted already, the only people offended are conservative republicans and the one who posted the video, which he promised not to record.

Much ado about nothing.

[deutsey]

6. What a complete non-issue

Kudos to Reid for at least making an apology that takes responsibility, even though I don't think any apology was necessary at all.

[Plucketeer]

7. Yeah

so many more IMPORTANT things we could criticize Reid for! Losing the Senate will be one of them.l

[deutsey]

9. Yep

I'm not a fan of Reid, either. Not in the slightest. I just don't think this story even amounts to the proverbial tempest in a teapot.

As for the mid-terms: I hope the Senate won't go Republican, but I'm not very optimistic at the moment. I'm not very optimistic about many things lately, however.

[Plucketeer]

10. I share your lack of optomism...

..about most everything. I have a hard time believing that common sense is SO in the minority - that folks are about to vote in DIRECT opposition to their own interests!

[deutsey]

12. Of all people, Charlton Heston summed it up best:

[olddad56]

11. I know how hard asian people, in general, are willing to work.

[JI7]

13. those are not "asian jokes" , this is him talking to a group of Asians and joking with them