03:40 PM CST on Tuesday, January 17, 2006

WWLTV.com

New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin apologized Tuesday for some of the comments that he made during a Martin Luther King Day Rally in the city Monday.

Nagin said that his intention was to comfort African-American residents, especially those feeling unwanted during the rebuilding process, but he said in doing so he inadvertently offended others.

“I apologize to any resident in this city that may have been offended,” he said. “That was not my intention. If I could take anything back, I thought the Uptown comment was inappropriate. If any people are working hard to rebuild this city, it’s the people Uptown.”

In his speech, Nagin had said that despite what some Uptown might be saying, that New Orleans would again be a majority African-American city.

Nagin also apologized for invoking God in his speech, saying that it was inappropriate.

Nagin’s speech included a statement that God wanted New Orleans to be majority African-American.

“Unfortunately, everything I say today is scrutinized to the nth degree,” he said. “It was Martin Luther King’s birthday. I thought it was appropriate to address some of the concerns and frustrations I’m hearing from the African-American community.”

Nagin has been trying harder to gain the trust of black residents, but in attempting to do so he may have offended much of the base that got him elected, said political analyst Ed Renwick.

"Obviously, blacks were the weaker portion of his victory margin, but some of the remarks he made Monday will possibly dampen enthusiasm among some whites," Renwick said. "It seemed to be another Nagin-being-Nagin. He has a penchant for just speaking off the cuff and not thinking it through."

The Associated Press contributed to this story.