Calif. rep. 'did not intend to offend anyone'

[September 25, 2010]  SANTA ANA, Calif. (AP) -- Democratic Congresswoman Loretta Sanchez says she didn't intend to offend anyone when she told a reporter that "the Vietnamese" and Republicans were trying to take her seat representing California's Orange County.

Sanchez said Friday she "used a poor choice of words that some people have taken as offensive" in a Spanish-language interview with Jorge Ramos on Univision's Sunday morning show, "Al Punto." She said she apologizes if she offended anyone.

She also referred to her opponent, Republican Assemblyman Van Tran, as "very anti-immigrant and very anti-Hispanic," in the interview.

The Orange County Register reported Thursday that Tran had asked for an apology. His campaign manager said Sanchez's comment was an attack against immigrants and the Vietnamese community.

[Associated Press]

Copyright 2010 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.