Rick Sanchez'z Apologizes for calling Obama 'Cotton Picking President'
On Monday August 30th the popular CNN new anchor, Rick Sanchez, refereed to Barack Obama as the “cotton picking president” during one of the many discussions Rick was having with CNN corespondent Jessica Yellin on the “Rick’s List” about the many falsehoods that have been spread about Obama. Such claims as that he is a Muslim or not a citizen of the United States.
In his obvious rising frustration, Rich raised his voice and asked Yellin why do people continue to believe false rumors.
Rick said live on CNN:
"He is the cotton picking president of the United States! If the president of the United States doesn't have enough of a bully pulpit to convince people that...a lie is a lie...what the hell is going on here?"
CNN's Sanchez Calls Obama A "Cotton Pickin' President"
Following right after an commercial break, Sanches immediately apologized. He explained that as soon as he used the term loosely people started contacting him on Twitter and pointing out that what he used an “insensitive reference” referring to a black man, given the phrase’s connections to slavery.
Rick said:
"You know I didn't even realize it?...I was just saying 'cotton picking' because it's a term that I've used because I grew up in the South...however, I apologize for using it, in case it was taken by anyone as an act of disrespect."
Rick Sanchez of CNN apologizes for calling Obama the 'Cotton Picking President'
What is a little mind boggeling is how loosely people have used this term recently. Earlier in 2008, Loud Dobbs almost called the then Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice a “cotton picker.” And recently just the beginning of summer, Newsweek editor Julia Reed said Obama was “out of his cotton-picking mind” during a Anderson Cooper 360 show.
Were there hidden meanings behind each person’s loosely said phrases? or were they just another form of speaking and casually tossed aside the deeper meaning behind such statement?
by Mila Braz
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