Shirley Sherrod Gets Apology from Obama, Mea Culpa and Job Offer From Vilsack

Under pressure from both the right and the left, the Obama administration apologized again Thursday for the capricious ouster of Shirley Sherrod from her Agriculture Department job amid erroneous charges of reverse racism and offered her a promotion.

But for a White House that has prided itself on its nuanced approach toward racial politics, as well as its distinct mastery of online media, the question remains as to how the Obama administration could have mishandled the situation so completely.

The latest mea culpa came from President Obama, who spoke with Sherrod by phone on Thursday afternoon to offer his apology. According to the White House, the president also emphasized that Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack "was sincere in his apology yesterday, and in his work to rid USDA of discrimination."

During a news conference Wednesday afternoon to address the controversy, Vilsack accepted full responsibility for the ouster of Sherrod as a USDA regional official and characterized it as a hasty, and ultimately misguided, decision made in the hopes of eradicating intolerance from his department. Vilsack said he had offered Sherrod a more senior position, which she is considering.

"For the last 18 months we have really focused on trying to address the longstanding history of civil rights claims against the Department [of Agriculture]. They are outstanding claims brought by black farmers, Hispanic farmers, women farmers, Native American farmers. And these are not just a few incidences, or a few isolated claims. These are tens of thousands of claims. I made it a goal that we would try to reverse that history, we would try to close that chapter, [and that we] would not tolerate in any way, shape or form discrimination. I still hold that belief very firmly."

As for Sherrod, he added, "I did not think before I acted, and for that reason this poor woman has gone through a very difficult time."

Earlier Wednesday, White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs expressed regret for what happened to Sherrod, issued his own apology on behalf of the administration, and tried to explain how it all came about.

"Members of this administration, members of the media, members of different political factions on both sides of this have all made determinations and judgments without a full set of facts," Gibbs said. "I think without a doubt Ms. Sherrod is owed an apology.

More Shirley Sherrod Coverage:

- Transcript of White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs' Remarks on Shirley Sherrod
- Melinda Henneberger: Shirley Sherrod Gets a White House Apology, Deserves a Book Contract
- Mary Curtis: Shirley Sherrod Wasn't a Coward -- and She Paid the Price

"I can't speak for everybody involved, but I think we live in a culture [where] things whip around. People want fast responses, we want to give fast responses, and I don't think there's any doubt that if we look at this, one of the great lessons we take away from this is to ask all of the questions first and to come to that full understanding."

As new facts emerged, the Obama administration found itself the target of stinging criticism from voices that are usually raised in defense of Democrats. Vilsack and Obama were vilified not just for the pell-mell nature of Sherrod's firing, but for cravenness and cowardice as well.

Influential liberal columnist David Corn, no fan of George W. Bush or Dick Cheney, wrote that the previous administration would never allow itself to have been sucker-punched in this way. "If a left-wing website had set up a Bush administration official during the Bush-Cheney years . . . the Bush-Cheney folks would have battled back," he wrote Wednesday morning. "You don't allow ideological enemies -- who want you to fail -- to define the terms."

On the other side of the aisle, RedState commentator Erick Erickson wrote, "I think Shirley Sherrod has been unfairly characterized as a racist."

Sherrod, who is African-American, resigned Monday under pressure after a video clip first appeared on a conservative website, and later on Fox News. In the video, she seemed to tell an audience she did not do her utmost to help a white farmer avoid foreclosure. However, Sherrod later said the clip only showed part of her comments, and that she actually told of her experience -- in 1986, when she was not a federal employee -- to illustrate the importance of moving beyond race.

Roger and Eloise Spooner -- the farmer and his wife Sherrod was discussing in the clip -- later came forward saying they credited Sherrod with helping them save their farm, and that she did not discriminate against them.

The video initially brought condemnation from the NAACP, which later reversed itself after the context of the clip became clear.

Sherrod was not allowed to give her side of the story to her bosses; she was apparently fired mid-news cycle by Agriculture Department officials intent on keeping her off Glenn Beck's Fox News program.

Vilsack said Sherrod had tried to e-mail him when the incident first became news, but that she had sent her message to the wrong address. "We did not discover it until after the fact" Vilsack said.

In earlier interviews, Sherrod said that Deputy Secretary of Agriculture Cheryl Cook had told her that the White House had asked for her termination. But on Wednesday, Vilsack denied the allegation, saying the decision was his alone.

"I accept responsibility," he said. "The buck stops with me." Vilsak noted that Sherrod had been "incredibly gracious" and had accepted his apology.

In an interview later with CNN, Sherrod reaffirmed her support for Obama, saying, "I don't need to be at the Department of Agriculture to support this president."