BBC
President Barack Obama has apologized to the
California attorney general for remarking on her appearance at a fundraising
event on Thursday.
Mr Obama described
Kamala Harris, a long-time friend, as "the best-looking attorney general
in the country".
Ms Harris's
spokesman said she strongly supported Mr Obama but would not say whether she
had accepted his apology.
Critics have cited
the remark as an example of the ongoing hurdles women face in the workplace.
Speaking after Ms
Harris at the fundraising event in California on Thursday, Mr. Obama said she
was "brilliant and she is dedicated and she is tough, and she is exactly
what you'd want in anybody who is administering the law and making sure that
everybody is getting a fair shake".
Then he added:
"She also happens to be by far the best-looking attorney general in the
country... It's true. Come on. And she is a great friend and has just been a
great supporter for many, many years."
On Friday, the
White House said the president had spoken to the attorney general to apologize
for the "distraction" created by his comments.
"He did not
want in any way to diminish the attorney general's professional accomplishments
and her capabilities," press secretary Jay Carney said.
He added that the
president "fully recognizes the challenge women continue to face in the
workplace and that they should not be judged based on appearance".
Writers and
bloggers have commented that although the president is a personal friend of Ms
Harris and a strong supporter of women's rights, his remarks were
inappropriate.
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