Harry Reid used the word "Negro" in reference to Obama during the compaign. What's wrong with that? Everything? Nothing? Keli Goff documents her opinion on this matter in her blog (see link and intro paragraph immediately below). I've also included links to others' views on this situation, as well as Keli's interview on NPR.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/keli-goff/harry-reids-negro-problem_b_417870.html
As every person who does not live under a rock now knows, according to the new book Game Change, during the 2008 election the Senate majority leader described then candidate Obama as potentially electable as a "light-skinned" African American who lacked a "Negro dialect" except for when he wanted to portray one. To his credit, Harry Reid did not do what many a politician in his position might have. He didn't deny saying it. He gets some points for that, although not too many.
Keli on NPR: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=122450102
Other blogs on this topic:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/richard-grenell/reid-race-and-the-party-b_b_418772.html
In looking at this issue, I see that there is pros and cons to both sides of the situation. There is in fact a double standard on this issue because it seems like the democrats didn’t make a big deal about it because it was one of their own and he supported Obama, but let somebody like Rep. John Boehner say something like that the democrats would be asking for resignations left and right. So I see the side of the political aspect of this. Another point is the common sense of the senator. You went through a lot of schooling to become a politician and you mean to tell me that you can’t come up with any other word beside Negro or another statement to portray the same message. I think that shows a lock of common sense not to refer to a presidential candidate in that manor let alone any other African American. There are different ways a person can portray a message without offensive language. Its statements like that which make people wonder how he truly feels about African Americans because by letting that come out, I’m sure he has been around some key White friends and let that term spill out. Having said all of that, President Obama forgave the senator for his use of the word so in the end I guess that’s all that matters.