Shame at White House Correspondents' Dinner

It finally happened. After nearly eight years of the N-word being whispered in the woods and behind the president’s back, it finally came out — and not by a white.

It was uttered by a black comedian, Larry Wilmore, at the annual White House Press Correspondents’ Dinner. With no shame, and even a bit of chest pounding, he proudly told Obama: “you did it, my nigga.”

So, after seven years of being the first black president of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama had been reduced to being call that in public.

Wilmore should have been ashamed of himself.

He shouldn’t even have said that to the president in private. As much as I disagree with much of Obama’s politics and policies, he is still the president of the United States.

Surprisingly, Fox host Bill O’Reilly brushed it off saying he was not offended because the comedian did it in an “affectionate way.”

Would he not have been offended by some old time white southern segregationists who would say “we love our “n*****s?”

Meanwhile, his black colleague Juan Williams said the comment "was embarrassing to America . . . to black people, to black America it was degrading.”

I am sure most of the white journalists in the crowd were surprised that Wilmore had the guts to say it, even if he is black. They were probably pleased that no white had done it.

In fact, Wilmore should not even have said that in front of a black audience and definitely not in front of a white audience.

I am curious to see how many black journalists, other than Williams, politicians, and civil rights leaders will take Wilmore to task publicly.

Some at least have come forward.

Reverend Al Sharpton took a stand saying: “Many of us are against using the N-word period. But to say that to the president of the United States in front of the top people was in poor taste.”

Washington Post Opinion writer Jonathan Capehart wrote, “never before has the n-word been used to address the president. At least, not in public and most definitely not to his face. That’s why Wilmore’s use of it was as shocking as it was disrespectful . . . the White House Correspondents' Association dinner was neither Wilmore’s barbershop nor his momma’s house. Obama is president of the United States and should have been accorded the respect that comes with the office.”

Where are the others?

But then again, black and liberal whites usually only criticize when Republicans say anything construed as anti-black or when black conservatives go against mainstream liberal dogma. Just like Clinton and De Blasio on “CP Time,” Wilmore will slide away.

After all, who really gives a hoot about blacks insulting or even killing other blacks or white liberals making racial jokes.

Few seem to speak up. Who is left to care?

Much of the mainstream media is in the left’s hip pocket and probably giggles quietly at such humor or doesn’t dare object.

Blacks often hear white people say that a certain person is “not a racist” because he or she is a “friend.” Of course they are not racist because they think, live, and associate with people like they do — so they can’t have a “racist bone in their body.”

Back to Wilmore and Obama. After being president of the United States, visiting nations around the world, speaking to the United Nations and the U.S. Congress, trying to govern,  — even as incompetent as these have been — Obama goes to his final White House Correspondents’ Dinner, is a huge success, and then has the evening end with Wilmore's baseness.

Not quite the perfect icing to top Obama’s last Correspondents’ Dinner cake.

What was Obama’s reaction?

According to his White House Press Secretary Josh Earnest, he “appreciated the spirit of Mr. Wilmore’s expressions” and insisted that “any reading of his comments makes clear he was not using the president as the butt of a joke.”

It’s about time Obama stopped defending racial slurs coming from the left like those of Wilmore, Clinton, and De Blasio. It only invites more.

Clarence V. McKee is president of McKee Communications, Inc., a government, political, and media relations consulting firm in Florida. He held several positions in the Reagan administration as well as in the Reagan presidential campaigns and has appeared on many national and local media outlets. Read more reports from Clarence V. McKee — Click Here Now.