White House slams right-wing comments over Haiti

WASHINGTON - White House spokesman Robert Gibbs derided as “stupid” a series of insensitive remarks made by two conservative commentators relating to the tragic earthquake in Haiti.

Rush Limbaugh, a firebrand conservative radio host, advised listeners Wednesday not to donate money via the US government. He said that President Barack Obama’s administration was using the tragedy to “burnish their, shall we say, credibility with the black community”.

“Would you trust the money’s gonna go to Haiti?” Limbaugh asked. “We’ve already donated to Haiti. It’s called the US income tax.”

Limbaugh said Thursday he did not discourage donations to private charities - merely those run through government channels.

Meanwhile, Pat Robertson, a conservative, Christian evangelical talk show host who once ran for president, said Wednesday that Haitians were “cursed” because they “swore a pact with the devil” to gain independence from France more than 200 years ago.

He was referring to a legend about Haitian slaves entering into a pact with Satan, disguised as a voodoo deity, in order to win a crucial military victory against French forces.

On Robertson, Gibbs said: “It never ceases to amaze that in times of amazing human suffering somebody says something that could be so utterly stupid.”

On Limbaugh, Gibbs told reporters Thursday that he was confident the American people would look past the comments and continue donating money to a suffering people.

“I don’t know how anybody could sit where he does, having enjoyed the success that he has, and not feel some measure of sorrow for what has happened in Haiti,” Gibbs said. “I think to use the power of your pulpit to try to convince those not to help their brothers and sisters is sad.”