Knock Knock. Who's There? A Racist Democrat

A racist Democrat who? A racist Democrat who called a fellow politician an "arrogant N-word" and tried to apologize her way out of it.

I'm a little late with this post, as it all came to light back in the last few days of April. I don't want anyone to think that I was protecting Dems, or acting like the 'lamestream media' and failing to call out bad behavior on the left with as much joy as when calling out bad behavior on the right.

This one's a doozy, for sure.  Meet Gloria Platko, the white, 69 year old Buena Vista Township (Michigan) Clerk.  Platko was recorded by Dexter Mitchell, a fellow Dem, who happens to be black, talking about Dwayne Parker, a third Dem, who also happens to be black.  On the recording, she advises Mitchell that he's not going to like what she's about to say about Parker, and then she goes ahead and says it anyway.  Here's an audio of the phone call, with the comments coming at about the 6-minute mark.

Naturally, Ms. Platko decided that an apology was necessary.

Because that's what politicians and athletes and sportscasters and Hollywood superstars do -- they try and apologize their way out of a mess, and typically that makes it worse.  Here's Gloria's first stab at it, in comments that came out shortly after the tape was made public: 

Gloria Platko news photo

I’m sorry to my five other board members, and I’m entirely sorry to this entire community. I’ve eaten Thanksgiving dinner with black friends at their house. So I’m far from prejudiced. You need to go interview some of the black people who have supported me for the last four or five years. 

After the recording, which was made in January, was played at a meeting in April, Platko continued to defend herself. Here's more from her comments after the meeting:

Every race of people have (N-words), every culture has (N-words). Look up the definition. I learned that way back in grade school. I learned that at St. Joe’s and Holy Rosary. They're blowing this up and trying to make it a racial thing and it’s not. I will defend any black person in this township except Dwayne Parker — he’s a lowlife.

Platko wrote a letter of apology (on township stationery, natch), in which she noted

To all of you, please know that I am sorry for using a derogatory word during my telephone conversation with Dexter Mitchell in January (2013) of this year. I am a public official and should have used better judgment. I have nothing but respect for the Buena Vista Charter Township Community and I offer everyone my sincerest apology.

To those of you who know me, you know that I don’t have a discriminatory bone in my body. I spoke out of frustration following a long history of difficulties with the Supervisor. That is not an excuse for my language but I hope it relieves any hurt feelings my remark may have caused anyone.

Although I had a lapse in judgment, I want to reassure the residents of Buena Vista that I am still capable and committed to serving everyone in this community.

This is better than her initial comment when the story was picked up back in April, in which she noted that her remark was a "slip of the tongue." 

Sorry. One's tongue can slip and spit out 'shit' instead of 'shoot', or 'damn' instead of 'darn', or things like that.  But one's tongue does not slip and spit out the N-word.