At White House Briefing, Polish Replaces Testiness - New York Times

At White House Briefing, Polish Replaces Testiness - New York Times:

"Tony Snow said he didn't want to 'hug the tar baby,' and then he did just that by using the expression in his first televised White House press briefing yesterday.


The tar-covered doll that Br'er Fox used to ensnare Br'er Rabbit in an 1881 Uncle Remus story is used as a metaphor for a sticky situation, but for some it also carries vague racist connotations — it has been used as a derogatory term for a black. In a society where a District of Columbia councilman can be accused of racism simply by using the word 'niggardly,' most politicians and TV commentators prefer to avoid tar baby references. When a reporter playfully asked him to explain the term, Mr. Snow mumbled that it could be traced to 'American lore.'"