USDA Prime-Cut 100% Racist: Hey, It's FoxNews' and the Tea Party's Fault That The NAACP Condemned Me and Barack Obama Didn't Support Me

Ah of course.

Spence Ackerman told her to say that. (Drew's idea: Any mention of racism should be answered with "Did Spence Ackerman tell you to make that up?")

ROBERTS: Miss Sherrod, let's make it clear though, that this happened 24 years ago. You eventually worked with this white farmer. You eventually became friends, you say, with the farmer and his wife.

SHERROD: Yes.

ROBERTS: So, the question I have is, when the U.S. Department of Agriculture came to you and said you have to step down, why didn't you just say, wait a minute, you don't know the full story. Here's the full story, why should I step down?

SHERROD: I did say that, but they, for some reason, the stuff that Fox and the Tea Party does is scaring the administration. I told them get the whole tape and look at the whole tape and look at how I tell people we have to get beyond race and start working together.

ROBERTS: Many people at home might be thinking if you're recounting an old story, why did you succumb to pressure to step down, why didn't you fight this?

SHERROD: If I tried to fight it and didn't have any support from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, what would I do?

CHETRY: Let me ask you this. Did you talk to the NAACP about it because I just want to read from our audience what Ben Jealous, the president said. He said referring to you and this surfacing of the tape, "her actions were shameful. While she went on to explain in the story, she ultimately realized her mistake as well as the common predicament of working people of all races. She gave no indication she'd attempted to right the wrong she had done to this man. And the reaction from many in the audience is disturbing."

This is from Ben Jealous. Did you try to clarify with the NAACP your story?

SHERROD: No, I haven't had had a chance to talk to anyone. All of this was happening so fast. And it's unfortunate that the NAACP would make a statement without even checking to see what happened. This was 24 years ago, and I'm telling a story to try to unite people with that now.

And yes, as many note, it's the reaction of the crowd that is most interesting.

posted by Ace at 12:41 PM

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