Former Gov. Mike Huckabee issued the following statement today about the controversy surrounding his former campaign manager Chip Saltsman, who finds himself in a mess o’ trouble in his bid to head the Republican National Committee after circulating a parody CD that some decry as racially insensitive.
Chip should have been more careful in his selection of Christmas gifts, but no one who knows him would ever suggest that he in any way would purposely disparage other people. Chip knows how sensitive such issues are. It shouldn’t be the main factor in the RNC race.The election of Barack Obama is not only historic for our country but it is something all Americans, not just Democrats, should celebrate. As I have said many times the election of Mr. Obama is significant not because of his race or in spite of it, but with indifference to it. He was not my choice for President, but he will be MY President over the next four years and I will support him personally and pray for his success. I will certainly disagree with him at times, but I pledge that my disagreements with him will be over his policy decisions and not aimed at him personally. I ask that all of you will join with me in doing that.
Huck’s stepping rather gingerly there, no? You can listen to the song here and judge for yourself whether it’s offensive or not.
Meanwhile, the GOP Democratic Speaker of the House in Saltsman’s home state of Tennessee says that Saltsman should be renounced, and perhaps stoned in the public square, according to this AP report.
Update: Blogger Jason Tolbert has more on what is apparently a long-running “There Will Be Blood” vengeance dynamic between Saltsman and Jimmy Naifeh, the Tennessee House Speaker.
And here’s a counter-intuitive Politico article suggesting that the whole controversy may end up HELPING Saltsman in his campaign to be RNC chair.
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