Westmoreland comments criticized

Fri, September 05, 2008 - 1:18 PM

A Georgia congressman is under scrutiny for some comments he made about Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama.

Rep. Lynn Westmoreland, R-Ga., described Obama and his wife Michelle as “uppity,” according to The Hill newspaper.

The word is considered by most to have racial connotations.

According to The Hill:

Westmoreland was discussing vice presidential nominee Sarah Palin's speech with reporters outside the House chamber and was asked to compare her with Michelle Obama.

"Just from what little I’ve seen of her and Mr. Obama, Sen. Obama, they're a member of an elitist-class individual that thinks that they're uppity," Westmoreland said.

Asked to clarify that he used the word “uppity,” Westmoreland said, “Uppity, yeah.”

Here, according to the Associated Press, is Westmoreland’s response to a controversy that will likely grow by leaps and bounds on the blogosphere:

In a statement Friday, Westmoreland — a white man who was born in 1950 and raised in the segregated South — said he didn't know that "uppity" was commonly used as a derogatory term for blacks seeking equal treatment. Instead, he referred to the dictionary definition of the word as describing someone who is haughty, snobbish or has inflated self-esteem.

"He stands by that characterization and thinks it accurately describes the Democratic nominee," said Brian Robinson, Westmoreland's spokesman. "He was unaware that the word had racial overtones and he had absolutely no intention of using a word that can be considered offensive."

-- Amy Dominello