Newt Gingrich takes back Sonia Sotomayor 'racist' charge; comment was racist, not her
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BY Michael Mcauliff
DAILY NEWS WASHINGTON CORRESPONDANT
Newt Gingrich is easing off his charge that Sonia Sotomayor is racist, saying it's what she said about the decisions of a "wise Latina woman" that was racist, not necessarily her.
In a 2001 article on the impact of diversity on the bench, the Supreme Court nominee wrote, "I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life."
The Republican Gingrich was quick to brand her racist on his twitter feed. "Imagine a judicial nominee said 'my experience as a white man makes me better than a latina woman' new racism is no better than old racism," the former House Speaker twittered.
"White man racist nominee would be forced to withdraw. Latina woman racist should also withdraw," he added, bringing criticism from the GOP as well as Democrats.
Today, he's clarifying, but not apologizing.
"My initial reaction was strong and direct — perhaps too strong and too direct," Gingrich says on his Web site. "The sentiment struck me as racist and I said so. Since then, some who want to have an open and honest consideration of Judge Sotomayor's fitness to serve on the nation's highest court have been critical of my word choice."
Among them were GOP leaders who will sit on Sotomayor's confirmation hearing.
"With these critics who want to have an honest conversation, I agree," Gingrich said. "The word 'racist' should not have been applied to Judge Sotomayor as a person, even if her words themselves are unacceptable (a fact which both President Obama and his Press Secretary, Robert Gibbs, have since admitted)."
Gibbs said the word choice was "poor" and Obama said Sotomayor "would have restated it." The words used against Gingrich have been harsher.
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