Hillary Clinton 'truly regrets' Gandhi joke
 

Hillary Clinton 'truly regrets' Gandhi joke
Remarks called stereotypical, racially insensitive
Wednesday, January 7, 2004 Posted: 11:42 AM EST (1642 GMT)



Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton speaks Saturday at a fund-raiser for Senate candidate Nancy Farmer, right.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------





ST. LOUIS, Missouri (AP) -- Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton apologized for joking that Mahatma Gandhi used to run a gas station in St. Louis, saying it was "a lame attempt at humor."

The New York Democrat made the remark at a fund-raiser Saturday. During an event here for Senate candidate Nancy Farmer, Clinton introduced a quote from Gandhi by saying, "He ran a gas station down in St. Louis."

After laughter from many in the crowd of at least 200 subsided, the former first lady continued, "No, Mahatma Gandhi was a great leader of the 20th century." In a nod to Farmer's underdog status against Republican Sen. Kit Bond, Clinton quoted the Indian independence leader as saying: "First they ignore you, then they laugh at you, then they fight you, then you win."

The director of a U.S. center devoted to Gandhi's teachings called the remarks stereotypical and racially insensitive, while an educator said the flap underscored the need for politicians to be cautious when trying to get laughs.

"Political speeches can't be like episodes of The Simpsons," said David Robertson, a University of Missouri-St. Louis political science professor.

After being approached by The Associated Press to clarify the remarks, Clinton suggested in a statement sent late Monday that she never meant to fuel any stereotype -- often used as a comedic punch line -- that certain ethnic groups were synonymous with operating America's gas stations.

"I have admired the work and life of Mahatma Gandhi and have spoken publicly about that many times," Clinton said in a two-sentence statement. "I truly regret if a lame attempt at humor suggested otherwise."

So does Michelle Naef, administrator of the M.K. Gandhi Institute for Nonviolence, the Memphis, Tennessee-based nonprofit group founded in 1991 by a Gandhi grandson to promote his grandfather's teachings, including nonviolent resistance.

While crediting Clinton and her husband, former President Clinton, as long having "supported the Gandhi message," Naef said Saturday's remarks "could be incredibly harmful" in perpetuating racial myths.

"I don't think she was, in any way, trying to demean Mahatma Gandhi," Naef said. "To be generous to her, I would say it was a poor attempt at humor. Perhaps I'm overly sensitive, but I find it offensive when people use stereotypes in that way."

To Robertson, the professor, the flap demonstrates the potential peril of when humor by politicians falls flat.

"The more prominent the politician, the more they've taken positions on equality in the past as Mrs. Clinton has, the more this is going to be troubling to some people," he said. "It's understandable that groups want to make sure they're treated with complete respect."

When it comes to Hillary Clinton, he said, "there's no reason to think she doesn't admire Gandhi, like so many people do. After all, Gandhi was influential to Martin Luther King Jr., and I know she respects King."

Why do people feel compelled to post news stories without any commentary or relevance? Do people actually get their news from GFY?

Why do you always comment on other people's supposedly worhtless posts? Half your post count comes from smart assed comments you make in other's threads. :321GFY

shes such a joke

So what's your take on Hillary's Gandhi joke? Or are you just posting for post count?

I think she is being raked over the coals for it. It's unfair.

They would have had an even worse response if Bush had made that comment.

Its only fair.

lamely joking that gandhi worked at a gas station, lol wtf kind of racist shit is that.

Yeah, I agree with that..but I don't think anyone actually believes hillary is a racist. People could believe that GWB might be. It was an off-the-cuff remark that I don't think was racially insensitive.

As much as I dislike Hillary, her remark was harmless. This seems like nothing more than a relatively unknown organization trying to get some media attention.

Gandhi pumping gas in St. Louis is almost as ridiculous as Ho Chi Minh bussing tables in Boston.

that's actually pretty funny. :1orglaugh


people need to stop being such damn politically correct pussies.

Yes.

was she with gandhi during that time?

There's a lot of things that Hillary 'truly regrets'.
When your list is that long, what's one more?

I want to nail her.

I truly regret ever watching the Gandhi movie

It seems like an awful lot of trouble for a joke that didn't really have good laughs. I mean, if it was hilarious then I could see using it. As a politican it is too risky to joke about that stuff. Especially since it wasn't even that good of a joke.

P.S. the movie was hilarious though it was not intended to be. Is it not a white guy playing him to boot?

The point is she gets a free pass from the press and the left wingers.

Ask trent lot about of the cuff remarks.

:Graucho

Bush is the United States first Bi lingual president

"The Guy" in "that Movie" was Sir Ben Kingsley. He is half indian half english.

I can imagine what kind of movies you find compelling.......

racism is not a joke.