Washington: Democratic icon Geraldine Ferraro has resigned from Hillary Clinton's campaign finance committee after a race row sparked by her comments about White House hopeful Barack Obama. Campaign sources confirmed Ferraro stepped down yesterday amid controversy ignited by her remarks two days ago that Obama was only in such a high-profile political position because he was African-American.
Obama had earlier called her assertions "ridiculous" and "wrongheaded" after his campaign had Tuesday called for Ferraro to be fired from the Clinton effort. Ferraro who blazed a historic path in becoming the Democratic party s vice presidential nominee in 1984,said in an interview with a California newspaper: "If Obama was a white man, he would not be in this position." "And if he was a woman -- of any color -- he would not be in this position.
He happens to be very lucky to be who he is. And the country is caught up in the concept," Ferraro said. Ferraro later defended her comments in a series of television interviews.