Paul Brooks in the Times Herald-Record reports that the two-week-old "controversy" over criticism of the 2006 album put out by 19th Congressional Democrat candidate Antonio Delgado won't go away. SUNY New Paltz professor Gerald Benjamin has apologized to Delgado over his comments in a New York Times story about the kerfuffle. “He graciously accepted and agreed,” Benjamin wrote, reporting the meeting will take place after the November election. “I continue to agonize about the remarks I made to a New York Times reporter regarding Congressman John Faso’s divisive use of race in our local election for Congress. ... It is largely irrelevant, I now think, that I had no racist intent; my commentary is reasonably read as racist.” In the New York Times story Benjamin was quoted saying, “People like us, people in rural New York, we are not people who respond to this part of American culture." On July 26, the staff of his think tank, the Benjamin Center at SUNY New Paltz, released their own email statement, saying, in part, that “White people must commit to undoing racism for real progress to be made.” Delgado declined to comment for the story, but Faso doubled down July 26 on his criticism of the hip hop album. “Mr. Delgado’s words are offensive, troubling and inconsistent with the views of the people of the 19th District and America. Moreover, he makes broad brush attacks on capitalism and free enterprise, and he uses derogatory terms about women and law enforcement. ... It’s his responsibility as a candidate to answer for the controversial views he expressed in his words and whether he continues to hold these views today.” Delgado has previously said, “My decision to pursue a career in hip-hop was consistent with hip-hop’s long and rich history of addressing the social and racial injustices that plague America. ... If you listen to the content of the lyrics, my mission is clear.” Read the full story in the Times Herald-Record.