NEW YORK 鈥� CNN analyst Rick Santorum's claim that he misspoke during a recent speech where he said there was 鈥渘othing here鈥� when the United States was founded did little to diminish anger against him.
The National Congress of American Indians on Tuesday renewed calls for CNN to fire the former Pennsylvania senator. The group's president, Fawn Sharp, called Santorum arrogant for comments made to Chris Cuomo on Monday night.
鈥淚 was optimistic he would own it, he would recognize it and he would apologize,鈥� Sharp said, 鈥渂ut he did none of those things.鈥�
CNN has not commented on Santorum's initial remarks in an April 23 speech before Young America's Foundation, a conservative youth organization, and did not on Tuesday, either. There's been no indication of a change in status for Santorum, a commentator who was often tasked with giving the Republican point of view during campaign coverage.
When he spoke to the youth group, Santorum said immigrants created a nation based on the Judeo-Christian ethic from a blank slate.
鈥淲e birthed a nation from nothing,鈥� he said. 鈥淵es, there were Native Americans, but there isn't much Native American culture in American culture.鈥�
Those comments were swiftly criticized, and Santorum was invited onto Cuomo's prime-time show Monday to explain himself.
Santorum said he 鈥渕isspoke鈥� in the sense that it wasn't clear that he was speaking in the context of the founding of the United States government.
鈥淧eople say I'm trying to dismiss what happened to the Native Americans,鈥� he said. 鈥淔ar from it. The way we treated Native Americans was horrific. It goes against every bone and everything I've ever fought for as a leader in the Congress.鈥�
Cuomo said that what upset people was 鈥渂eating up the little guy鈥� and that it perpetuated the sense that anyone who wasn't a white Christian 鈥� be they gay, Black, Native American or whatever 鈥� was somehow considered an 鈥渙ther.鈥�
鈥淵ou're like me, you're a mutt,鈥� Cuomo told him. 鈥淵ou came here a couple of generations ago. You ain't no Pilgrim, Rick.鈥�
Santorum said he does not try to diminish those who aren't like him.
鈥淛ust because I disagree with someone on the issue of marriage doesn't mean that I hate them, or see them as 鈥榣ess than,鈥欌�� he said. 鈥淭hat's what I get accused of, and that's wrong.鈥�
CNN's Don Lemon, who follow Cuomo on the network schedule and often banters with his colleague between the two shows, was visibly angered by Santorum's remarks.
Lemon said he was furious watching the interview in his office and wanted to apologize to viewers who were insulted by it.
鈥淚 can't believe the first words out of his mouth weren't 鈥業鈥檓 sorry, I said something ignorant, I need to learn about the history of this country,'鈥� Lemon said. 鈥淣o contrition. Didn't talk about, you know, the suffering the Native Americans have had to deal with in this country. Rick Santorum, really? Did he actually think it was a good idea for him to come on television and try to whitewash the whitewash that he whitewashed?鈥�
There was no immediate comment from Santorum to Lemon's remarks.
Sharp said anger against CNN was building in Native American communities and that a petition circulating calling for Santorum's firing has more than 15,000 signatures.
David Bauder, The Associated Press
