Greg Abbott: There's "no plans" to campaign again with Ted Nugent
Rocker Ted Nugent's controversial comments about the president came to light while he was campaigning with Texas Gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott.
Until now, Abbott has been fairly silent about Nugent.
CNN's Ed Lavandera caught up with the Texas Attorney General.
"I think what he said was wrong," Abbott says. "I think he was wrong to say it, I think he was right to apologize for it, and I think that I agree with his position for him to clean up his language, and raise the elevation of political rhetoric."
Ted Nugent: The voice of America?
Politics (CNN) - Ted Nugent sure knows how to stir controversy.
The rock star turned provocateur has a history of making inflammatory statements, dating back to lyrics in songs such as "Jailbait" in his earlier days.
In case you missed it, Texas Republican gubernatorial candidate Greg Abbott came under fire for campaigning with Nugent, who recently called President Barack Obama a "subhuman mongrel" in a conversation with Guns.com.
The full quote: "I have obviously failed to galvanize and prod, if not shame, enough Americans to be ever-vigilant not to let a Chicago communist-raised, communist-educated, communist-nurtured subhuman mongrel like the ACORN community organizer gangster Barack Hussein Obama to weasel his way into the top office of authority in the United States of America."
Outrage ensued.
Abbott's likely Democratic opponent, Wendy Davis, called Nugent's remarks - and Abbott's appearance with him - an "insult" to Texans.
Republican Sen. Rand Paul called on Nugent to apologize, which he did... sort of. In an interview on CNN's Erin Burnett on "OutFront," Nugent said he would "stop calling people names."
"Instead of using terms like 'subhuman mongrel,' I'm going to get right to the meat of the matter where our president is a liar. He lies about you can keep your doctor period. Over and over again he lies about Benghazi. He's lying about the IRS," Nugent said.
Brother on Ted Nugent: "He crossed the line"
Ted Nugent's brother, former Neutrogena and Revlon CEO Jeff Nugent doesn't agree with his rhetoric or all of his politics.
In fact, during our interview Monday, Ted credited his brother Jeff for helping him decide to change his ways.
"Whether it's my wonderful wife, my brother Jeff and John or Kathy (ph), my great kids or someone like you, Erin, and people around me, they think I'll be more effective if I back off that Detroit street fighter rock 'n' roll stage rhetoric," Nugent tells Erin Burnett.
Jeff Nugent is OutFront.
"It's a conversation we've been having for longer than you can imagine. And I think Ted referred to that last night because my advice to him over the years has been, please tone it down," says Jeff Nugent. And there's a line that you shouldn't cross. And his latest comments about President Obama and Hillary Clinton have crossed the line."
Is Ted Nugent a changed man after promising not to revert to name calling?
Rocker Ted Nugent says he's a changed man.
At least that's what he told CNN's Erin Burnett Monday night in an interview that's gotten a lot of people talking.
Burnett confronted Ted Nugent about calling President Obama a "subhuman mongrel".
NUGENT: "Live on Erin Burnett OutFront, CNN, Ted Nugent, remember the Alamo, February 24, 2014, I'm not going to call people names anymore.
BURNETT: I think that to me, I mean, I know you are trying to make slightly light of this, but to me, these things are not light at all -
NUGENT: No, I'm not making light, these are very serious. I agree.
BURNETT: This is a horrible thing to do.
NUGENT: You're right. My children, my brothers, my sister and my wonderful wife Shemane have told me that over and over. And I think at the tender age of 65, I think you're absolutely correct. Instead of using terms like "subhuman mongrel", I'm going to get right to the meat of the matter, where our president is a liar, he lies about, you can keep your doctor, period, over and over again. He lies about Benghazi. He's lying about the IRS.
So, I won't call names anymore. I'm going to get right down to the nitty-gritty and identify the criminal behavior by the people abusing power in the United States government. So, I take your advice to heart, Erin.
And with that, he spark a fury of comments on our Facebook page, Twitter and in the media.
One editorial writer at the Dallas Morning News wrote: "The great thing about the interview was that Nugent clearly was emerging from a visit to the Republican woodshed."
The Orlando Sentinel framed it this way: "Nugent doesn't do contrite or apologetic. He does angry, and that approach undercuts any point he's trying to make. When he keeps talking, he keeps hurting the politicians and causes he supports. Most of all, he hurts himself... Far from apologetic, Ted was on a tear Monday night."
OutFront: CNN Political Commentators Paul Begala, Ben Ferguson, and Ana Navarro.
Ted Nugent: "I'm stopping calling people names"
Erin Burnett highlights the reasons Ted Nugent's words have received so much attention.
Beyond being controversial, the rocker is politically vocal and highly influential. His support is seen as a big win for many GOP candidate, even those running for president.
During the 2012 election, Mitt Romney's son tweeted:
Ted Nugent endorsed my Dad today. Ted Nugent? How cool is that?! He joins Kid Rock as great Detroit musicians on team Mitt!
— Tagg Romney (@tromney) March 2, 2012
Last year, Nugent attended the State of the Union address as a guest of Texas Republican congressman Steve Stockman.
He's appeared with big name Republicans, including a performance at Texas Governor Rick Perry's 2007 inauguration.
Nugent is also on the board of the National Rifle Association, a position voted on by some of the organization's 4 million members. He's also delivered speeches at their annual conventions.
On top of that, he's a multi-platinum selling recording artist.
The point is, Ted Nugent has a lot of ears.
He is OutFront.
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