early and awkward

Obama Apologized to ‘Good-Looking’ Kamala Harris

President Barack Obama is greeted by, from left, California Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, San Francisco Mayor Ed Lee and California Attorney General Kamala Harris upon his arrival at San Francisco International Airport in San Francisco, Thursday, Feb. 16, 2012. President Obama is spending the night in San Francisco attending a number of private fundraising events. (AP Photo/Eric Risberg)
Photo: Eric Risberg/AP/Corbis

He called her to apologize for the distraction created by his comments,” said White House spokesman Jay Carney today, which is not the same as apologizing for the comments. Asked to clarify, Carney said President Obama said sorry to attorney general Kamala Harris “for the remark.” He added that Obama “did not want in any way to diminish the attorney general’s professional accomplishments or her capabilities” and “fully recognizes the challenges women continue to face in the workplace and that they should not be judged based on appearance.” Old habits die hard, but hopefully this will stick.

Obama Apologized to ‘Good-Looking’ Kamala Harris