After a hail of criticism, Representative Alcee Hastings of Florida ultimately apologized for the controversial comments he made to Jewish and African-American Democratic voters about Republican vice-presidential candidate Sarah Palin last Wednesday. Hastings warned the audience about voting for Senator John McCain’s running mate, saying, “Anybody toting guns and stripping moose don’t care too much about what they do with Jews and Blacks.” The congressman went on to say, “If Sarah Palin isn’t enough of a reason for you to get over whatever your problem is with Barack Obama, then you damn well had better pay attention.”
In a political about-face, Hastings later apologized for his remarks, issuing the following statement: “I regret the comments I made last Tuesday that were not smart and certainly not relevant to hunters or sportsmen,” he said.