Reid Apologizes for Racial Remarks About Obama (New York Times)

From YouTube, August 27, 2008: Senate majority leader Harry Reid explains why he is nominating Barack Obama as the Democratic nominee for President.

By JEFF ZELENY

Published: January 9, 2010

WASHINGTON — Senator Harry Reid of Nevada, the majority leader, apologized on Saturday for saying that he believed Barack Obama could become the country’s first black president because he was “light-skinned” and had the advantage of carrying “no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.”

The apology was prompted by the release of a new book on the 2008 presidential campaign, which reported that Mr. Reid privately urged Mr. Obama to seek the presidency more than three years ago despite his limited experience and the historical obstacles to making a successful bid for the White House.

“I deeply regret using such a poor choice of words,” Mr. Reid said in a statement. “I sincerely apologize for offending any and all Americans, especially African Americans for my improper comments.”

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PolitiFact's Lie of the Year: 'Death panels'

By Angie Drobnic Holan
Friday, December 18th, 2009 

Of all the falsehoods and distortions in the political discourse this year, one stood out from the rest.
"Death panels."

The claim set political debate afire when it was made in August, raising issues from the role of government in health care to the bounds of acceptable political discussion. In a nod to the way technology has transformed politics, the statement wasn't made in an interview or a television ad. Sarah Palin posted it on her Facebook page.

Her assertion — that the government would set up boards to determine whether seniors and the disabled were worthy of care — spread through newscasts, talk shows, blogs and town hall meetings. Opponents of health care legislation said it revealed the real goals of the Democratic proposals.

Advocates for health reform said it showed the depths to which their opponents would sink. Still others scratched their heads and said, "Death panels? Really?"

The editors of PolitiFact.com, the fact-checking Web site of the St. Petersburg Times, have chosen it as our inaugural "Lie of the Year."

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PUPPET VIDEO: Joe Leiberman holds heath reform hostage