Sikh fundraiser calls for ‘specific’ apology from Obama

“He needs to be more specific and needs to understand the pain it has caused,” he said.

Obama gave an interview on Monday to India Abroad, a newspaper for Indian expatriates, in which he conceded that the concerns of Indian-Americans over his campaign memo “are entirely justified”.

“My support among Indian-Americans, South Asians and Asian Americans generally has been very strong and that’s the culture within which I was raised, as having grown up in Hawaii and Asia myself,” he told the newspaper.

Singh, in an e-mail and in an interview, took issue with the campaign’s characterisation of Clinton as the “Democrat from Punjab.” The reference was to Singh’s “light-hearted” introduction of Clinton at the fundraiser as the senator “not only from New York but also Punjab”. Singh said he did not consult with the Clinton campaign before issuing his statement.

NY mayor goes independent

New York: Mayor Michael Bloomberg announced that he has left the Republican Party and become unaffiliated in what many believe could be a step toward entering the 2008 race for President. But the 65-year-old former CEO, who was a lifelong Democrat before he switched to the Republican Party for his first mayoral run, said the change on Tuesday in voter registration does not mean he is running for President.