Rupert Murdoch Apologizes, Al Sharpton Should Accept Apology And Move On

NYDailyNews.com:

The New York Post issued a second, more contrite apology Tuesday for a controversial cartoon that some critics called racist.

Declaring "the buck stops with me," Post Chairman Rupert Murdoch called the cartoon - which critics believe compared President Barack Obama to the rampaging chimpanzee that mauled a woman in Stamford, Conn., last week - "a mistake."

"We ran a cartoon that offended many people. Today I want to personally apologize to any reader who felt offended, and even insulted," Murdoch wrote in the apology, posted on the newspaper's website.

Murdoch contended that the cartoon was meant to mock the stimulus bill and that, "It was not meant to be racist, but unfortunately, it was interpreted by many as such."

The cartoon, which ran in last Wednesday's newspaper, featured the bullet-filled body of a chimp resembling Travis, the animal in the Stamford attack. Two cops stood over the animal with a caption reading, "They'll have to find someone else to write the next stimulus bill."

The Rev. Al Sharpton, director Spike Lee and others have been calling for boycotts of the newspaper and an investigation by the Federal Communications Commission into Murdoch's ownership of several media outlets in the city.

Sure, one could make a legitimate case that the idiot cartoonist, Sean Delonis, and whatever Post editor that gave the go-ahead for the cartoon to be printed should be at the very least suspended. I'd be cool with that. But I'm a New York who reads the Post almost every day, and while it certainly can be foul at times, a newspaper with a racist agenda wouldn't survive a day in liberal New York City. Bottom line, the Post f-cked up and the publisher of the paper made an almost unprecedented move and apologized for the screw-up. The people's voice was heard loud and clear on this one and we all should be on the lookout if and when the Post f-cks up again on this level. Al Sharpton and his wholly band of rabble rousers can move on now, if not, they make this about promoting their race-baiting agenda, instead of any real interest in showing and getting people to see the error of their ways.