GOP Pol ‘Meant Nothing Racial’ With ‘Tar Baby’ Comment
Virginia State Senator Frank Ruff compared Obamacare to a “tar baby.”
According to the Virginia Pilot, Ruff made the “tar baby” remark on Tuesday while explaining his opposition to expanding Medicaid in the state. Ruff reportedly compared the expansion plan, which would rely heavily on federal funding (as is the case for all Medicaid expansions undertaken via Obamacare), as a “tar baby” that would become a problem for the state at some point in the future.
Ruff apologized on Wednesday, insisting “he meant nothing racial” with the remark and that he simply thought of the phrase as a synonym for ”a sticky situation.” The Democratic Party of Virginia has requested Ruff put forward a formal apology.
D.B. Hirsch is a political activist, news junkie, and retired ad copy writer and spin doctor. He lives in Brooklyn, New York.