If a Republican has said something like this, then he/she would be run out on a rail.
If it was a former office holder, like Rendell is, nobody would care.
Really? People are still hammering George Allen over "macaca" and Trent Lott over his comments about Strom Thurmond.
It is through this sort of thing that Trump wins. Hillary, Rendell, and other Dems just can't help themselves but turn a perfectly good Democratic landslide into a GOP win.
The Tea Party movement is the same way with the GOP. Either way, it probably won't hurt much, given the double standard that the news media and voters have toward the two parties. See Bill Clinton and Gary Peters.