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"Patricia Van Pelt-Watkins said she does not expect an apology from me,'' Braun said in a prepared statement. "She is wrong. I want to apologize to her, to the congregations and members of Trinity United Church and of New Pilgrim Missionary Baptist Church and to all the families and friends of those who are, or who have been caught up in the tragedy of drug use. I meant no disrespect of the sanctuaries in which the campaign tensions spilled over, nor to the pastors of those churches, nor to the people for whom those safe havens of hope are so important.''
Watkins drew a hard line in accepting the apology, and while she has admitted to drug use as a teen, she has been clean for decades and denied ever using crack.
"Though I accept Carol's media-issued apology, I believe she should seek sensitivity counseling and make restitution by volunteering at a recovery house as soon as possible.'' Watkins said in a prepared statement. "Carol's reckless comments reveal her detachment from the experiences of the majority of Chicago families who just need a second chance."
The name-calling occurred on Sunday, which was bad timing for Braun because it was the day before early voting began for the election scheduled to take place on February 22.
Watkins, a 53-year-old community organizer, chided Braun for returning to politics after "being missing in action'' while the city struggled economically and socially, according to a video provided by Trinity United Church on the South Side, where the forum occurred.
Braun, former U.S. State Senator of Illinois and ambassador to New Zealand, hit back, saying: "Patricia, the reason you didn't know who I was for the last 20 years is because you were strung out on crack. I was not strung out on crack. I don't have a record.''
The comment backfired on Braun and ignited a blaze of controversy that swept the nation. Watkins immediately called for an apology, adding that she didn't really expect one from Braun.
Braun hunkered down and avoided addressing the issue for two days before releasing a statement. The delay could hurt her second place lead behind Rahm Emanuel. The latest Tribune poll shows that she enjoys 21 percent of voter's support, compared to 1 percent held by Watkins. Emanuel maintains 44 percent of voter's support, while Gery Chico holds 16 percent and Miguel Del Valle holds 7 percent. William "Dock'' Walls holds 2 percent.
So bad was the backlash against Braun that retiring Mayor Richard M. Daley was forced to chime in on the incident during a televised new conference. He said, "You have to be very careful - not only a public official, but any citizen, to make comments about someone's substance abuse problem. Everybody in every family has been touched by substance abuse problems."
Watkins used the moment to reach out to voters for support, saying people should not be labeled or pushed aside because of their addictions.
Emanuel, known for his hardcore verbal style, has stayed above the political fray during the election mostly because he was mired in a court battle over whether he was a viable candidate in the election. He came under fire for failing to live in the city for a year before running for office when he moved to Washington, D.C. to serve as chief of staff for President Barack Obama. He won the battle last week when the Illinois Supreme Court ruled that he met residency requirements.
Meanwhile, Braun tried to talk her way out of the blistering verbal assault on Watkins by releasing the story of a student who asked her at a political forum about what the city could do about the flood of drugs in the community. The student also revealed that her brother was trapped in a revolving door of drug abuse himself.
At the same time, Braun talked about losing her brother to a drug overdose. She also released a strategy to help rid communities of the scourge of drugs, and the violence and despair they bring.
"My focus is on rebuilding our neighborhoods, but a central part of that effort depends on public safety, and where there is an illegal drug market and economy, there is no peace,'' she stated. "The guns and violence that follow competition to supply drugs frustrates our efforts to make communities secure and livable places.
"But even as we try to stem the flood of drugs, and deal with the consequences of a drug fueled economy, we have to address the question that little girl put to me. What can be done for the families, what can be done for the unfortunates who get caught up in drug use? That is the immediate challenge we face, that is the personal issue we must address as an entire community.''
But the big question for Braun is can she maintain her lead after bollixing a political forum that was supposed to showcase her leadership skills just weeks before the election? If Emanuel fails to capture 50 percent of the vote, he could face a runoff against the second place candidate. The other question is could Watkins or another candidate replace Braun as his runoff mate, if such a thing should occur?
To be sure, Braun can answer these questions and more in the next three weeks by displaying the strong leadership skills that led her to become the first African-American woman elected to the United States Senate.