Gov. Tim Pawlenty Monday condemned Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid's comment, quoted in a new book on the 2008 presidential race, that Barack Obama was "light-skinned" and did not speak with a "Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." But Pawlenty, unlike some prominent Republicans including RNC chair Michael Steel, did not say that Reid should resign from his leadership post over the remarks.
"Senator Reid obviously made some unwise and not well thought out comments but as to whether he should resign I think that should be, from my perspective, in the hands of his fellow Democratic Senators. He's their caucus leader. They vote(d) him in and they should decide what to do with him," Pawlenty said when asked about Reid 's comment. "The remarks were obviously inappropriate. They were unwise. They were dumb. Whether that rises to the level of his fellow Democratic Senators throwing him out as Senate leader is up to them."
Reid has apologized for his remarks and said he should have used a better choice of words.
