Black GOP candidate calls Obama 'Buckwheat'

Black GOP candidate calls Obama 'Buckwheat'

Long before this week's historical "signing of health care reform":http://www.thegrio.com/politics/obama-to-sign-landmark-health-care-reform-bill.php, President Barack Obama has been depicted by his critics as everything from an Islamic terrorist to "The Joker" and now "Buckwheat," from the 1920s _Our Gang_ and The Little Rascals, a character who has long been perceived as demeaning and offensive by many African-Americans. In his impassioned speech Monday night to a group of Broward County Republicans, Corey Poitier, a South Florida candidate who is running for U.S. Congress, spoke out against the recent health care reform bill. During his speech, Poitier scolded the president, telling him to "Listen up, Buckwheat -- this is not how it is done!'' According to Poitier, who has been receiving countless e-mails regarding his comment, the Obama reference was not meant to be offensive, nor racist. On the contrary, he says. Poitier defended himself stating that he was describing the health care bill and not Obama as "dumb and silly." The candidate even went on to say that he was surprised that the public took his comment as directed at the president. "I wasn't meaning him any harm. Maybe it was a little insensitive," said Poitier, who is himself black. "It's a term that my brother and I use. It was kind of a way of saying, 'dummy,' like when I say to my brother, 'Hey, Buckwheat, cut that out.' That's what it was...People love Buckwheat.'' Poitier said he has since publicly apologized to both the president and residents of the congressional district for any misunderstanding concerning his statement, admitting that the comment was not very respectful. Poitier, who is the only Republican in the race for District 17, where 57 percent of constituents are black and nine out of 10 voters cast their votes for Obama, said he has learned a valuable lesson from his comment. "I learned a lesson, that you have to watch everything you say, something you think might be harmless might be offensive to someone else,'' said Poitier.