Total rubbish, again the attempt to excuse somebody in that position with such an excuse as this is just absolute hogwash.You dont understand, the word does not have a racist conotation to someone raised in the 50's.
Just like "black" does not have a racist conotation to me...
My mother, even older and not in such a position, understands you don't use that word any longer as it is insensitive, somebody in the spotlight certainly understands it as well. It's total hackery to go from flattering an old man to supporting segregation on one hand, then pretending this guy just "couldn't comprehend" the insensitivity in his remarks.
It's like trying to excuse Billyboy for saying Obama should be fetching coffee.
And the "He said he was sorry immediately" is also total hogwash. He only said sorry when he got caught. That there was a change in wind pattern from the speed at which he got to a microphone to apologize speaks to the fact that he fully understands that his word usage was, at the very least, appallingly inappropriate.