UPDATE: Rep. Doug Lamborn Offers Apology To President Obama

Republican Congressman Doug Lamborn is coming under fire for his use of the term ‘tar baby’ to describe his feelings of being associated with President Obama.

Lamborn made the comments on a Denver Radio program Friday morning talking about the debt crisis. (link to audio http://a1135.g.akamai.net/f/1135/29876/1h/cchannel.download.akamai.com/29876/650/richmedia/Doug_Lamborn_Tarbaby.mp3)

He told the hosts, “Even if some people say, ‘Well the Republicans should have done this or they should have done that, they will hold the President responsible. Now, I don’t even want to have to be associated with him. It’s like touching a tar baby and you get it, you’re stuck, and you’re a part of the problem now and you can’t get away. I don’t want that to happen to us, but if it does or not, he’ll still get, properly so, the blame, because his policies for four years will have failed the American people.”

On Monday afternoon, Lamborn spokeswoman Catherine Mortensen released the following statement:

“Congressman Lamborn regrets any misunderstanding. He simply meant to refer to a sticky situation or quagmire.”

Congressman Lamborn told TARGET 13 that he didn’t mean to offend anyone with his comment. He said that a letter has been sent to the President to offer an apology.

“When I said ‘tar baby’, I was talking economic quagmire that our country is finding ourselves in because of poor economic policy from the White House. I could have used a better term,” said Lamborn, from his D.C. office.

Kjersten Forseth, the Executive Director Of ProgressNow Colorado, told KRDO NEWSCHANNEL 13 that she first wanted to make sure it wasn’t taken out of context. She said she was surprised by the congressman’s comments.

After listening to the audio comment by the congressman Forseth said, “You can use the term to refer to a sticky situation. Where I have concerns is that he’s specifically talking about the president.”