Several reporters praised [tag]Tony Snow[\/tag]’s first [tag]White House[\/tag] press briefing, but there was one comment that might need some clarification.<\/p>\n
A reporter asked [tag]Snow[\/tag] about why the White House was reluctant to talk about the NSA’s phone-record database program. Snow said<\/a>:<\/p>\n “I don’t want to hug the [tag]tar baby[\/tag] of trying to comment on the program — the alleged program — the existence of which I can neither confirm nor deny.”<\/p><\/blockquote>\n Now, the reporters in the room seemed unfazed. There were no gasps or immediate follow-up questions. But as the New York Times noted today, the “tar baby” phrase “carries vague [tag]racist[\/tag] connotations<\/a>,” and has been used as derogatory term for [tag]African Americans[\/tag]. The NYT added, “most politicians and TV commentators prefer to avoid tar baby references.”<\/p>\n As a rule, that seems like a good idea. Think Progress summarized the issue nicely in “memo<\/a>” to Snow.<\/p>\n Based on the context of the term, we believe you meant tar baby to mean: “a situation almost impossible to get out of<\/a>; a problem virtually unsolvable.”<\/p>\n But in “American lore,” the expression tar baby is also a racial slur “used occasionally as a derogatory term<\/a> for black people.” Use of the term has resulted in people<\/a> being<\/a> [tag]fired[\/tag]<\/a>.<\/p>\n