McCain Regrets Use of Term 'Tar Baby'

[133724]

CEDAR FALLS, Iowa (AP) - Republican presidential contender John McCain on Friday used the term "tar baby," considered by some a racial epithet, and later said he regretted it.

Answering questions at a town hall meeting, the Arizona senator was discussing federal involvement in custody cases when he said, "For me to stand here and ... say I'm going to declare divorces invalid because of someone who feels they weren't treated fairly in court, we are getting into a tar baby of enormous proportions and I don't know how you get out of that."

After the event, McCain told reporters: "I don't think I should have used that word and I was wrong to do so."

The senator said he hoped it wouldn't be viewed as a racial remark. He argued that he was trying to say that it wouldn't make sense for him to have a role in something left to the courts.


http://apnews.myway.com/article/20070316/D8NTFC700.html

[TheConstantGardener]

1. This shouldnt even be reported

I'm sick of this tabloid journalism catching onto one phrase (or scream -- Dean) that a candidate makes and trying to make it a hot news item.

What about his position on healthcare? Iraq? Immigration? The economic divide?


BS Journalism is what it should be called.

[bbinacan]

2. I agree

"The Tar-Baby was a doll made of tar and turpentine, used to entrap Br'er Rabbit in the second of the Uncle Remus stories. The more that Br'er Rabbit fought the Tar-Baby, trying to get free, the more stuck he got.

Thus, a "tar baby" is metaphorically any "sticky situation"<1> that is only aggravated by efforts to solve it."

Read more at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tar_baby

BTW, welcome to DU.

[adigal]

4. I agree - about a month ago I heard a Dem use this term

and no one blinked an eye.

We can defeat, and bury, the Republican party just on their hatred of government and their dismantling of programs that are there in case we ever need them - we DON'T need to do this to win.

[Catch22Dem]

3. "considered by some a racial epithet"

HAHAHAHAHA. My fucking head is spinning.