Republican Presidential hopeful Herman Cain is sorry, kind of, and says he was kidding, sorta, for a recent comment about an electric fence protecting the U.S.
Suddenly a bona fide contender for his party's nomination in '12, the Georgia businessman is now facing more intense scrutiny as his poll numbers surge up.
As such, his off-the-cuff comments are coming back to bite him at times ... such as when he called for an electric fence along the U.S. border with Mexico.
Campaigning in Arizona, Herman Cain appeared with Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio, an aggressive anti-immigration proponent. "It was a joke," Cain said.
"I apologize if I offended anyone. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea culpa."
However, the Phoenix New Times reports it might not be a joke. Cain doesn't want to offend anyone ... but he was kinda serious about the electric deal:
"I don't like to offend anyone, however, I don't apologize for using a combination of a fence. And it might be electrified, I'm not walking away from that."
"I don't want to offend anybody. It was a joke to an extent, but I fully intend to do what we need to do because I'm sensitive to our citizens being hurt."
So he supports it, unless you don't? Spoken like a true politician.
Cain told an audience Saturday that his border fence is "going to be electrified. And there is going to be a sign on the other side that says, 'It will kill you.'"
Well, at least he would put a sign up, right?
Rep. Charlie Gonzalez (D-Texas), who chairs the Congressional Hispanic Caucus, took issue with the presidential contender's remarks. Gonzalez said:
"Words have consequences, both in shaping ideas and inspiring actions. Whether or not he made his comments in jest, Mr. Cain's words show a lack of understanding of the immigration issues our country is facing and a staggering lack of sensitivity."
Herman Cain ...