A Democratic congressman apologized late Sunday for a crude joke about a top White House adviser, hours after his comment put House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi on the spot over the lack of Democratic outrage.
Rep. Cedric Richmond, Louisiana Democrat, issued a statement apologizing for the tasteless comment made Wednesday during a Washington Press Club Foundation dinner about a photo of White House adviser Kellyanne Conway sitting on her knees on an Oval Office couch.
“After a discussion with people I know and trust I understand the way my remarks have been received by many,” the statement said. “I have consistently been a champion for women and women’s issues, and because of that the last thing I would want to ever do is utter words that would hurt or demean them. I apologize to Kellyanne Conway and everyone who has found my comments to be offensive.”
His comment had placed Democrats in the difficult position of having to deal with a sexist comment from one of their own while attacking their GOP opponents over women’s issues, even as Republicans condemned the remark.
A few Democrats, including Chelsea Clinton and Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards, criticized Mr. Richmond’s comment, but most Democrats said nothing.
Ms. Conway pointed to the disconnect, saying Thursday on Twitter, “The boors are starting to bore me. So-called sisterhood alarmingly silent.”
The brouhaha ultimately caught up with Ms. Pelosi, who tried to deflect questions about the Democratic response posed Sunday morning by CNN’s Jake Tapper.
“Shouldn’t the congressman apologize to Kellyanne Conway?” Mr. Tapper asked. “And, honestly, where is the Democratic Party in expressing outrage about this?”
Ms. Pelosi said she wasn’t at the dinner, then launched a tirade against Mr. Trump for sexist comments made during the campaign in an Access Hollywood video.
“I think everybody was making crude comments,” Ms. Pelosi said.
At the dinner, Mr. Richmond said, “I really just want to know what was going on there, because, I won’t tell anybody. You can just explain to me that circumstance because she really looked kind of familiar in that position there.
“But don’t answer. I don’t want you to refer back to the ’90s,” Mr. Richmond said in an apparent reference to the Clinton White House sex scandal.
• Valerie Richardson can be reached at vrichardson@washingtontimes.com.
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