Rickles: comparing President Obama to a janitor 'not racist'

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Don Rickles isn’t backing down from a joke comparing President Barack Obama to a janitor.

The octogenarian comedian drew controversy for a joke he told during a tribute to actress Shirley MacLaine last week, in which he said, “I shouldn’t make fun of the blacks. … President Obama is a personal friend of mine. He was over to the house yesterday, but the mop broke.”

According to Politico, an unnamed Rickles’ spokesman pushed back on the criticism, saying “it was a joke, as were the other comments Don made that night,” and adding, “anyone who knows him knows he’s not a racist.”