Bob CollinsThere are still a few weeks left in the Minnesota legislative session, but there’s a front-runner in the gaffe-of-the-year competition who may be difficult to beat.
During last evening’s debate on a Republican transportation bill, Rep. Jim Newberger, R-Becker, said a train between the prison in St. Cloud and north Minneapolis — the predominantly black Minneapolis neighborhood — would be “convenient.”
Newberger quickly realized his mistake, the Star Tribune says, and then delivered the classic no-apology apology.
“I’m not casting any aspersions on north Minneapolis,” he said. “I know some folks got their ire up, and rightfully so. Sometimes as we’re speaking – that’s what came into my mind.
“If I offended anyone from north Minneapolis, I apologize,” Newberger said.
Related: Structural Racism At Root Of Offensive Remark About North Minneapolis Says Rep. Moran (The UpTake).
