Rep. Charlie Rangel says he thought "cracker" was a term of endearment

Charlie Rangel says the damnedest things

Charlie Rangel Says He Believed “C******” Was A Term Of Endearment

Via HuffingtonPost

Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) has no problem using dramatic language to make a point. In fact, the congressman, who received some heat for comparing Tea Party members to the segregationist, “white crackers” of the Jim Crow era, is surprised that his word choice caused any controversy at all.

In a HuffPost Live interview on Monday, Rangel responded to those who took offense to his use of the term in a 2013 interview with The Daily Beast.

“I thought [cracker] was a term of endearment,” he told host Marc Lamont Hill. “[The Tea Party is] so proud of their heritage and all of the things they believe in.”

Rangel found some hypocrisy among those who agreed with his comments overall but drew the line at using the word “cracker.” He did offer a reluctant apology for offending anyone with the derogatory term, but he shrugged off the “ridiculous” criticism.

“I certainly would like to have dinner with some of the people that were offended,” he said. “I’m certain they wouldn’t want to talk with me, though. But I’m glad you raised it because it shows how ridiculous it is.”

Those folks would probably want him to sit in the “colored only” section of the restaurant.

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