The mayor has no regrets or apologies, said Nutter spokesman Mark McDonald.
"He said what he said. He was clear about it, and he meant it," McDonald said. "He said what everybody else was thinking."
It's not the first time the mayor has used the "a" word publically.
In August, furious about two shootings at rec centers in less than a week, the mayor said: "It literally violates almost a code in our communities. . . . While there should be no violence on the streets of Philadelphia . . . it takes a complete asshole to do these kinds of things at a city facility."
Last January, the taking into custody of a Kensington Strangler suspect prompted the mayor to remark, "We got the mother------."
It's usually when the mayor's red with rage that his language gets a little blue.
In 2008, Nutter spoke of being "pissed off" by the failure of DHS to protect innocent children, and said that if his daughter had been affected, he would "kick their ass" himself.
Some objected after those remarks aired on 6ABC.
"I'm personally pissed off about this kind of behavior," the mayor said in July 2010 after three police officers were arrested on drug-peddling charges.
"On rare occasions, the mayor will assume a somewhat earthy tone," McDonald said. ". . . It is never an accident. He knows what he's saying and why."
The spokesman also recalled that October 2008, after the Phillies won the World Series, the mayor warned fans, "You can be joyous, you cannot be a jackass."
Requests for comment were also made to Fox29.
For more about the murders of the three teens in Juniata, go to http://bit.ly/zJDlrD.
Contact staff writer Peter Mucha at 215-854-4342 or pmucha@phillynews.com.
