HICKORY, N.C. - The racially charged remarks that Republican Representative Cass Ballenger made about a Georgia congresswoman last week have apparently stirred little reaction from his constituents. <br>
<br>
People in town have shrugged off the controversy as another quirky episode in Ballenger's career. Supporters say he's sponsored a day-care center in town that serves poor, mostly black families and has sponsored humanitarian aid projects in Central America. <br>
<br>
On Friday, Ballenger apologized for comments made in an interview about Senator Trent Lott, the Mississippi Republican whose career melted down after he reminisced about Senator Strom Thurmond's segregationist presidential run. <br>
<br>
Ballenger admitted occasional ``segregationist feelings''-- about Representative Cynthia McKinney, a black Georgia Democrat who was defeated this year in her bid for re-election to the House. <br>
<br>
Ballenger has apologized for his remarks.
