Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R) said on a post-midterm conference call that President Obama's policies would be "tar babies" to Democratic candidates in 2016.
The term originally referred to a sticky trap that is only made worse when the ensnared person struggles to extricate himself, though it has evolved to also carry a derogatory racial connotation. In a statement to Politico, Barbour admitted he'd use the term, but said he only meant that "once candidates embraced the president's policies and record they will be stuck with them."
"If someone takes offense, I regret it," he said. "But, again, neither the context nor the connotation was intended to offend."
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