Washington, D.C. ? Geraldine Ferraro, the newest member of the 2008 Foot-in-Mouth Club, stepped down from a fundraising role in Hillary Rodham Clinton’s campaign Wednesday but refused to recant controversial comments about Barack Obama’s race being a factor in his success.

Ferraro, the Democratic vice presidential nominee in 1984, sparked a firestorm earlier this week by suggesting Obama’s race had helped propel him to the front of the pack.

“I am stepping down from your finance committee so I can speak for myself and you can continue to speak for yourself about what is at stake in this campaign,” Ferraro wrote to Clinton. “The Obama campaign is attacking me to hurt you. I won’t let that happen.”

Clinton has distanced herself from the remarks. Her staff said Ferraro’s decision to step aside was voluntary.

Earlier in the day, Ferraro said on ABC’s “Good Morning America” that the Obama campaign has cried racism every time a negative comment is made about him.

Ferraro made a similar comment in 1988, when Jesse Jackson was a Democratic primary candidate: “If Jesse Jackson were not black, he wouldn’t be in the race.”