Below The Beltway

Yesterday, the news was full of discussion about former Vice-Presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro’s comment that Barack Obama is lucky he’s a black guy. In response to the Obama campaign’s demand for an apology and repudiation of Ferraro, Clinton herself gave this rather tepid response:

In an interview with ABC News affiliate WHTM, Clinton, D-N.Y., ignored calls from the Obama campaign to remove Ferraro from her campaign, saying, “Well, I don’t agree with that and I think it’s important that we try to stay focused on issues that matter to the American people.”

In a relatively mild response, Clinton continued, “And both of us have had supporters and staff members who’ve gone over the line and we have to reign them in and try to keep this on the issues. There are big differences between us on the issues — let’s stay focused on that.”

Except for the fact that Ferraro herself won’t shut up:

In a follow-up interview today, Ferraro said her company had been deluged with vicious e-mail messages accusing her of racism.

But far from backing off from her initial remark, Ferraro defended it and elaborated on it.

“Any time anybody does anything that in any way pulls this campaign down and says let’s address reality and the problems we’re facing in this world, you’re accused of being racist, so you have to shut up,” Ferraro said. “Racism works in two different directions. I really think they’re attacking me because I’m white. How’s that?”

Or maybe they’re attacking you because you’re an idiot.

Ferarro also appeared on Fox News yesterday and dug the hole even deeper:

The most noteworthy thing about this interview is that she basically admitted a truth that we’ve all known since 1984 — that the only reason she ended up on the ticket with Walter Mondale is because she’s a woman.

And, just for the record, Ferarro has a history of remarks like this; consider this from 1988:

Placid of demeanor but pointed in his rhetoric, Jackson struck out repeatedly today against those who suggest his race has been an asset in the campaign. President Reagan suggested Tuesday that people don’t ask Jackson tough questions because of his race. And former representative Geraldine A. Ferraro (D-N.Y.) said Wednesday that because of his “radical” views, “if Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn’t be in the race.”

Asked about this at a campaign stop in Buffalo, Jackson at first seemed ready to pounce fiercely on his critics. But then he stopped, took a breath, and said quietly, “Millions of Americans have a point of view different from” Ferraro’s.

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

H/T: Donklephant, Liberal Values & Marc Ambinder.