HARRISBURG — Sen. Arlen Specter has apologized for telling Polish jokes last week at an event connected to the Pennsylvania Society's annual gathering in New York.

The 78-year-old, five-term Republican lawmaker told The Associated Press on Wednesday that he has contacted Polish-American community leaders to express his regrets and has learned "a good lesson."

In a phone interview from San Diego, where he was speaking at a conference, Specter said he did not realize the jokes — which he declined to repeat — put him over the line of good taste.

"I didn't think so at the time, but when I saw the reaction I decided I was," Specter said. "And it taught me a good lesson. In retrospect, I would say that a person in my position ought not to take any chances, and ought to look at the situation, and if there would be a conceivable line anywhere, don't go near it."

The New York Post reported Saturday that Specter told the jokes to the Commonwealth Club, a Republican group, during an appearance at 30 Rockefeller Plaza's Rainbow Room. One of the jokes involved telling jokes more slowly to people who are Polish, the paper said.

The event was held in conjunction with the Pennsylvania Society, a century-old networking party held every year in New York City that attracts hundreds of people, including many of Pennsylvania's top politicians.

On Monday, Specter wrote to a leader of the Polish-American community in Philadelphia to say he was sorry, describe his history of support for Polish issues and promise to "never make the same mistake again."

Michael Blichasz, president of the Polish American Congress' Eastern Pennsylvania District, said he forwarded Specter's letter to a 7,500-name e-mail list and received thousands of responses.

"I would say 50 percent of the people say the apology will do, but we have to be cautious of him," Blichasz said. "Others say it's not enough."

Specter also phoned Polish leaders in Pittsburgh and Chicago, and plans to meet with them in Washington.

Specter, who is Jewish, said his Russian forebears may have lived at some point in Poland.

"It was Russia at the time they emigrated, but they swapped a lot of territory over the years, between Russia and Poland," he said.