Posted on 03/20/2012 1:34:41 PM PDT by Rennes Templar
(CNN) - President Barack Obama's re-election organization said Tuesday it was "inappropriate" for Robert De Niro to joke at a campaign fundraiser in New York Monday that America wasn't "ready for a white first lady."
"We believe the joke was inappropriate," Olivia Alair, Campaign Press Secretary to the First Lady, said in a statement.
The campaign's comment came after Newt Gingrich delivered a scorching response to De Niro's comments at an Obama for America fundraiser, which was attended by first lady Michelle Obama.
While Michelle Obama headlined the event, she was introduced after De Niro's remarks. The event was also attended by a number of other prominent Obama supporters, including Harvey Weinstein and Beyonce.
"Callista Gingrich. Karen Santorum. Ann Romney. Now do you really think our country is ready for a white first lady?" De Niro asked to cheers from the crowd. "Too soon, right?"
Speaking Tuesday, Gingrich labeled the comments "inexcusable," and called on Obama to apologize.
"I do want to say one thing, both on behalf of my wife and on behalf of Karen Santorum and on behalf of Ann Romney, I think that Robert De Niro's wrong," Gingrich said. "I think the country is ready for a new first lady and he doesn't have to describe it in racial terms."
Gingrich immediately clarified he thought Michelle Obama, along with the wives of his fellow GOP presidential candidates, were all "fine ladies."
"But this is not about the first lady," Gingrich continued. "It's about the president. That's where De Niro missed the whole point. De Niro is rich enough he probably doesn't notice the price of gasoline. He's successful enough he probably doesn't notice the unemployment rate. As the Hollywood actor, he might well be shortsighted enough he doesn't understand what it might do to our children and our grandchildren."
Gingrich called on Obama to apologize for the remarks, since they were made at an event raising money for his re-election.
"What De Niro said last night was inexcusable and the president should apologize for him. It was at an Obama fundraiser, it is exactly wrong, it divides the country," Gingrich said, adding that the left was quick to call out conservative talk show hosts for offensive comments but silent when the vitriol comes from the left.
"If people on the left want to talk about talk show hosts, then everybody in the country should hold the president accountable when someone at his event says something that is utterly and terrible unacceptable as what Robert De Niro said," Gingrich said.
Speaking on the Laura Ingraham Show Tuesday, fellow presidential candidate Rick Santorum largely avoided weighing in on De Niro's comments.
"It's just someone from Hollywood or someone from the entertainment industry just spouting off as they do," Santorum said. "It's sad, but I'm not going to bite on that one. It's just sad. The idea of looking at politics through eyes of race should be over. That's just over. I don't know where he thinks he's coming from."
De Niro jumped the shark.
Just imagine if he’d have said, “Muslim” instead of “white.”
amazing that so many hollyweirders can also be such fine actors....
Semper WTF!
*****
Andrew Wilkow hit the nail completely on the head on his show on Friday. These Entertainment libturds think Obama’s peachy-keen now, but wait until later this year when fans aren’t buying records and attending concerts and movies because they have to buy gasoline and food instead.
What race is De Niro?
The so called joke doesn’t even make sense. A white guy talking about needing to retain a Black first lady because she and her husband are not white?
Sure it’s Hollywood, Rick, but you can’t dismiss it just because it’s Hollywood...it was at a fundraiser for Obama and Michelle was there.
Absolutely the whole lot of Leftist hypocrites must be called to account.
Again, it’s Newt that obama has to respond to. Call him out Newt.
Mr. Newt will will this election if the American people quit being so convinced that Romney or Santorum can beat Obama. They cannot and this proves it.
A great actor...not to be confused with a smart person. I am beginning to think DeNiro is dumber than a box of rocks.
BS.......after the WH makes their comment, a private call to De Niro....”hey buddy had to do it, ya know what we mean”. wink wink........
DeNiro made some terrific movies, 30, 40 years ago, but in the end he’s just another Hollywood moron, so who cares what he says?
De Niro’s wife is black.
Yes.
Shine the light of truth on it, Newt.
It’s not merely Hollywood, it’s Leftism. This is what Leftists do, then they turn around and attack any conservative for any mistaken comment. They give each other a pass and the media gives them a pass.
Let’s not let is slide by just because an actor said it.
Let’s see the big picture. See the pattern in their actions. Stop letting them ride free as they verbally assault everyone they disagree with, especially non liberal women. But also Dick Cheney or Clarence Thomas or whoever.
While trying to shut up and shut down everyone else for supposedly bad behaviour.
Thanks, Newt.
De Niro's playing off his image of a White guy who likes Black women.
Saturday Night Live had him play Thomas Jefferson with the same not-so-funny "punchline."
FWIW, De Niro isn't really that Italian (only about 1/4) and isn't Jewish at all, as was rumored.
Note Santorum’s remarks:
“It’s just someone from Hollywood or someone from the entertainment industry just spouting off as they do,” Santorum said. “It’s sad, but I’m not going to bite on that one. It’s just sad. The idea of looking at politics through eyes of race should be over. That’s just over. I don’t know where he thinks he’s coming from.”
First he says he’s not going to bite, then he makes a cogent comment. Exactly explains why I don’t like him.
Hollyweird actors actually believe that they “work” for a living. In reality, they take direction from others. Simply being able to, sometimes, remember lines on a page isn’t work.
That doesn’t make him black.
This what happens when an actor writes his own lines.
Another poster informed me of that, and my reply was, that doesn’t make him black.
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