De Blasio: 'I Take Full Responsibility' For 'C.P. Time' Joke
NEW YORK (CBSNewYork) -- Mayor Bill de Blasio said it's ridiculous to think he dragged down Hillary Clinton's campaign over a joke at a weekend charity event that some criticized as racist.
"It was a satire show. I take full responsibility for the script, happily," de Blasio said.
CBS2's Alice Gainer reported Wednesday the mayor is still standing by his Inner Circle Show performance where he made a joke about being on "C.P. time," which is shorthand for "colored people time," on why he took so long to endorse Clinton.
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Clinton said in her punchline that "C.P. time" stood for something else.
"Cautious politician time, I've been there," the Democratic presidential hopeful quipped.
De Blasio, whose wife is black, said the joke was meant to mock him and his constant lateness, and no one else.
"It is a phrase that is used by some people derisively, by some people humorously, but the bottom line is we were putting it in the context of the skit and the whole notion was to say here is this phrase and then switch to the other direction and then make fun of me and that's all there is," the New York City mayor explained.
The joke was panned as "awkward," "painful," and "cringeworthy."
In an interview with 1010 WINS, Clinton continued to defer to de Blasio about the backlash.
"The mayor was the first one who said that it was his skit and he had worked through what he wanted to say and I was thrilled to be there and show up with him. I think that the mayor is perfectly capable of speaking for himself," Clinton said.
When asked if she had regrets about the bit, Clinton responded, "You have to ask the mayor."
De Blasio said he "personally signed off" on the bit.
"Everyone involved saw it for what it was," he said. "The context was satire. We were making fun of a figure of speech and then twisting it in a subversive way to a humorous end. It was a satire, it was straightforward."
