Carlos Beruff says calling Obama 'animal' was taken out of context, not racist
From Adam Smith of the Tampa Bay Times via the Miami Herald:
So Republican Senate candidate Carlos Beruff called called President Barack Obama an animal the other day.
As in: “Unfortunately, for seven and a half years this animal we call president, because he’s an animal, OK — seven and a half years, has surgically and with thought and very smart, intelligent manner, destroyed this country and dismantled the military under not one, not two, but three secretary of defenses.”
The Ocala Star-Banner reports Beruff said his comments were taken out of context: “...I use strong language and it was meant in the context of the (current) dismantling of the military. I could have called him a bird, plane, anything,” Beruff said.
This, of course, makes complete sense: “Unfortunately, for seven and a half years this PLANE we call president, because he’s a PLANE, OK — seven and a half years, has surgically and with thought and very smart, intelligent manner, destroyed this country and dismantled the military under not one, not two, but three secretary of defenses.”
Anyhoo, his critics continue to seize on it.
Republican Senate candidate David Jolly brought it up in the context of everybody expecting Sen. Marco Rubio soon to formalize his endorsement of Carlos Lopez-Cantera soon. Said Jolly: “I have so much respect for Marco Rubio that I’d expect he’d withhold his endorsement until Carlos condemns Beruff’s racist remarks against the president of the United States.”
The campaign of Democratic Senate candidate Patrick Murphy released a statement from Joyce Cusack, a Democratic National Committee member from Volusia County:
“Carlos Beruff’s racist and derogatory comments about the president of the United States are not just unacceptable, but completely out of line. By refusing to accept responsibility for his racial dog whistling, Mr. Beruff has revealed a deeply concerning commitment to a cynical brand of politics that seeks to divide Floridians with hatred and fear,” said Cusack. “That’s not who we are as a state, and that’s not who we are as a country. This type of mentality has no place in Florida politics. It is harmful to our public discourse and Mr. Beruff owes Floridians an apology.
Here’s the video of Beruff:
This story was originally published May 18, 2016 at 8:03 AM with the headline "Carlos Beruff says calling Obama 'animal' was taken out of context, not racist."