Cos: "Don't Let My 'Foibles' Ruin My Message"

The moderate-liberal comedian, who preaches around the country about what he sees as the lack of personal responsibility in many black communities, has told an interviewer that his own “foibles” shouldn’t obscure his message. Bill Cosby said others should learn from his errors of judgment. It’s like hitting a pothole on a rainy road and trying to warn others to avoid the same fate, he added. The 67-year-old entertainer faces a lawsuit by a Canadian woman charging that he drugged and groped her. Twelve other “Jane Doe” women have signed on to the suit. Would allegations in the lawsuit suit hurt his standing on moral issues, asked interviewer Michel Martin on last night's “Nightline” program on ABC. “What happens if they are not true?” responded Cosby. The show focused on Cosby’s latest "call-out", in which he goes to a city, picks out a venue, delivers his message and then takes questions from the audience. Cosby’s outspokenness about what he sees as irresponsible behavior by some black Americans has stirred considerable controversy. Critics call his crusade the “Blame the Poor Tour”, while others agree with his observations.