A tea party activist and elected member of the Orange County Republican central committee said she will not heed calls to resign because she emailed a picture of President Barack Obama's face on the body of a chimpanzee.
Marilyn Davenport of Fullerton recently emailed a picture of Obama's face superimposed over a baby chimp's face with the caption, "Now you know why — No birth certificate!"
OC Weekly political blogger R. Scott Moxley reported on the email, causing civil rights activists and some Republicans, including county GOP Chairman Scott Baugh, to call for her to resign from the county central committee.
Baugh told the Los Angeles Times he received the email Friday afternoon and sent a reply email telling Davenport it was "dripping with racism and is in very poor taste."
He said he thought the Orange County Republican's ethics committee should take up the matter.
"I saw the e-mail and I thought it was despicable,'' Baugh told the OC Weekly.
When Moxley reached her for comment, she said, "You're not going to make a big deal about this, are you? Oh, come on! Everybody who knows me knows I am not a racist. "It was a joke. I have friends who are black.''
City News Service was unable to contact her Saturday.
Earl Ofari Hutchison, a Los Angeles commentator and president of the L.A. Urban Policy Roundtable, said "Davenport's vile, crude, racist depiction of the president and his family demands immediate action by the GOP.''
The Times reported that Baugh sent an email to committee members Saturday saying Davenport called the Obama photo a "joke" and wanted to know who had leaked it to Moxley.
She called the leak "cowardly" and added, "Anyone brave enough to come forward?"
She described the hubbub as "much to do about nothing" and said she would not resign.
"I'm sorry if my email offended anyone, I simply found it amusing regarding the character of Obama and all the questions surrounding his origin of birth," she wrote.
"In no way did I even consider the fact he's half black when I sent out the email. In fact, the thought never entered my mind until one or two other people tried to make this about race.
"We all know a double standard applies regarding this president. I received plenty of emails about George Bush that I didn't particularly like, yet there was no 'cry' in the media about them."
If Davenport refuses to step down, she should be expelled, Michael Schroeder, former chairman of the state Republican Party and an Orange County GOP activist, told The Times.
"I looked at it and my jaw dropped," he said.
I mean, goddamn...
So, here's a question, D.R.: why do you remain a Republican? You've not written much that sounds like you want to remain. I'm not doubting your sincerity, just wondering.
ReplyDeleteI think it would be good to state despite all the issues why you want to stick with the GOP and what you are doing to make it more hospitable to people of color. I know it's important to hear all stuff like this, but hearing this all the time can be quite depressing and make one want to just give up.