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COLUMBIA, S.C. (AP) -- The only emergency room doctor in South Carolina's Legislature says frustration over the refusal by Republicans to accept Medicaid expansion led to a flippant comment that was taken out of context.

Florence Republican Rep. Kris Crawford said Thursday he was telling a group of doctors the fight over Medicaid was a political one. He says his comment that "it is good to oppose the black guy in the White House" was not racial, and that he was wrapping up his explanation that the vote's not over health care policy.

The comment published in January didn't circulate until this week, when the House rejected Democrats' attempts to insert Medicaid expansion into the budget.

Gov. Nikki Haley called Crawford's comment ignorant.

Republicans say Crawford's position that they didn't seek alternatives is inaccurate.