Sherrod boots CNN personnel to take Obama call

CNN reports, "A former Agriculture Department employee who was forced to resign from her job based on incomplete and misleading reports of a speech she gave spoke to President Barack Obama by telephone Thursday."

The White House released the following statement regarding the phone call, USA Today reports:

The President reached Ms. Sherrod by telephone at about 12:35. They spoke for seven minutes.


The President expressed to Ms. Sherrod his regret about the events of the last several days. He emphasized that (Agriculture) Secretary (Tom) Vilsack was sincere in his apology yesterday, and in his work to rid USDA of discrimination.


The President told Ms. Sherrod that this misfortune can present an opportunity for her to continue her hard work on behalf of those in need, and he hopes that she will do so.

CNN reports, "Shirley Sherrod, who was traveling with CNN personnel, requested privacy during the conversation. She received a text message telling her the president was trying to reach her, and called him, the CNN producer said."

Asked her thoughts on Obama before she spoke to him on the phone Thursday, Sherrod said, "He's my president. I support him fully. I'd like to help him to see some of the things he should do in the future that could be more helpful than what's happening right now to advance the issues of togetherness in this country."

Obama, she said, "hasn't lived the kind of life I've lived. I know that he's African-American, or part African-American ... many of us are not totally black in our genes. I'm one of them. But he really, you know, when you get down to where the rubber meets the road, I think you need to understand a little bit more of what life is like at that level."

(reported by RAW STORY)

On a side note: Sherrod may sue Breitbart

Shirley Sherrod said this morning on CNN that she would like to "get back at" Andrew Breitbart.

Asked if she would consider a defamation suit against Breibart, the conservative blogger who posted the edited clip that got her fired, she said, "I really think I should."

"I don't know a lot about the legal profession but that's one person I'd like to get back at, because he came at me. He didn't go after the NAACP; he came at me," she went on.

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