A YouTube Video that has gone viral across the internet capturing Former DNC Chairman Don Fowler joking about Hurricane Gustav hitting New Orleans at the same time as the Republican National Convention, has prompted the disgraced Democrat to issue an apology.
Fowler, who was captured on video joking with Rep John Spratt, D-SC, told ABC News, "If this offended anybody, I personally apologize. It was a mistake, and it was a satirical statement made in jest. And one that I clearly don't believe."
His original comments, captured on video in a coach cabin of an airplane leaving the Denver, DNC Convention: "The hurricane’s going to hit New Orleans about the time they start. The timing is -- at least it appears now that it’ll be there Monday. That just demonstrates that God’s on our side. [Laughter] Everything’s cool."
While Fowler expressed regret for his comments to ABC reporter Teddy Davis, he took the opportunity to angrily excoriate the individual who recorded the event. "One doesn't anticipate that one's private conversation will be surreptitiously taped by some right-wing nutcase," said Fowler. "But that's the nature of what we're dealing with."
The "right-wing nutcase" in question is a respected writer for AOL News. The conversation took place on a crowded airliner, with no expectation of privacy. No privacy laws were violated by the taping of a public conversation in a public area.
The YouTube video has gone viral across the internet, crashing at times, the server of RedState.com, the website where the video was originally posted. Caught in a national scandal, Fowler told ABC:
"I believe in a benevolent God," said Fowler. "I'm a religious person. It was a facetious statement, some might even say satirical, play off of what Falwell said."
"If it offended anybody. I'm sorry for that," said Fowler. "I don’t think anybody in America wishes for something bad to happen to New Orleans. I certainly don't."
After the video surfaced on RedState.com, Fowler, the former DNC chairman and Spratt, the South Carolina Democratic congressman with whom he was talking, were pilloried by the chairman of the South Carolina Republican Party.
"The outrageous behavior of two of the Obama campaign's highest profile supporters in the south is despicable, a cynical politicization of life and death," said Katon Dawson, the chairman of the South Carolina G.O.P. "I call on Barack Obama to immediately denounce Fowler and Spratt and demand sincere apologies from these members of the Democratic leadership."
otherwise I would have beaten GC to the post! :-)