And you thought Harry Reid was in trouble BEFORE this weekend.

The Senate Democratic leader --already looking at a tough re-election bid in Nevada -- faces Republican calls to step down after reports that in 2008 he said he thought that Barack Obama could win the presidency because he was "light-skinned" and did not use a "Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one."

"It's an old mind-set when you're using language in 2008 that harkens back to the 1950s and '60s," said Republican Party Chair Michael Steele on Fox News Sunday.

Reid apologized Saturday to President Obama, who issued a statement in support of the Senate majority leader who is shepherding his health care bill and other items through Congress.

"I accepted Harry's apology without question because I've known him for years, I've seen the passionate leadership he's shown on issues of social justice, and I know what's in his heart," Obama said in his statement. "As far as I am concerned, the book is closed."

It was a book that disclosed Reid's comments -- Game Change, a chronicle of the 2008 campaign by journalists John Heilemann and Mark Halperin.

Democratic Party Chairman Tim Kaine cited Obama's acceptance of Reid apology in downplaying the incident on Fox News Sunday.

"If you look at those comments, they clearly were in the context of praising Sen. Obama," Kaine said, predicting that Reid would stay on as Senate majority leader. "I don't think this is an issue that's going to affect his leadership at all."

Steele and other Republicans such as Sen. Jon Kyl of Arizona cited what they called a "double standard" when it comes to racial comments by Democrats as opposed to members of the GOP. Both cited the case of Senate Majority Leader Trent Lott, who lost his leadership post after his 2002 comments.

"I'd like to see the same standard applied to both" parties, Kyl said, also on Fox News Sunday.

Kaine, who also appeared with Steele on NBC's Meet The Press, said Lott's comments appeared to support segregation, while Reid was trying to praise Obama's ability.

(Posted by David Jackson)