Rep. Mike Lawler apologizes for wearing blackface as part of Michael Jackson costume

Washington — Rep. Mike Lawler, a New York Republican in a tight race for reelection, apologized for wearing blackface as part of a Michael Jackson costume when he was in college. 

A photo of Lawler's Halloween costume from 2006, when he was 20, was published by the New York Times on Thursday. Lawler is wearing a red leather jacket that resembles the one Jackson wears in his "Thriller" music video. Lawler's face has also been darkened. 

Lawler confirmed the authenticity of the photo in a statement to CBS News, saying the costume was meant to be "the sincerest form of flattery, a genuine homage to one of my childhood idols since I was a little kid trying to moonwalk through my Mom's kitchen."