GOP official who sent Obama chimpanzee email: 'I am not a racist'

An Orange County Republican Party official who sent an email that portrays President Obama's face superimposed on a chimpanzee with the words: "Now you know why -- No birth certificate!" apologized for her action but insisted she's not a racist.

The comments of Marilyn Davenport, an elected member of the party's central committee, marks a turnaround for the official, who over the weekend described the controversy as "much to-do about nothing."

County GOP Chairman Scott Baugh has called for Davenport to resign, saying the email was "dripping with racism and is in very poor taste."

"The California Republican Party believes the actions in question are completely unacceptable," California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro added in a statement Sunday.

In an interview with the OC Weekly on Monday, Davenport said: "I wasn't wise in sending the email out. I shouldn't have done it. I really wasn't thinking when I did it. I had poor judgment." She added: I am not a racist, but I do think I need to apologize again with different words."

In a statement over the weekend, Davenport had said "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."

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Comments

[Hot-Rod]

Not enough. She has a history of this kind of activity e.g. defending the infamous "Watermelon Patch" in front of The White House. Tell her to go back to Kansas.

[affableman]

Spoken like a true OC Republican. Never a clue.

[politicallyactive]

"one or two people TRIED to make this about race".....
Yeah, sure...YOU had no intent to forward this email because it was racist...RIGHT!!!!
The only thing worse about emailing this "joke" to all of your buddies is now you are lying about your intent.
Did you ever consider telling the truth?
NAW....to honest, to easy.
Lady, you're either lying or you are the dumbest person in Orange County.
You people just can't get over the fact that an African-American is the President.
You all must just lay awake at night and squirm in your own personal hell of disbelief.
So, now you resort to lying.....hey! Here's a shovel, just keep digging yourself a deeper hole.
Your refusal to resign will put another black-eye on the GOP, self-inflicted as usual.
Any group of people that bows down to the likes of Palin and Bachmann don't have a grip on reality.
Carry on....people like you will continue to get Democrats re-elected.

[Jazz]

For Marilyn Davenport to say "I am not a racist" is an even deeper insult to ones Intelligence and I say yes you are a racist. The implications made by you sending this email has a very long history of twisted views held by some in this nation. The only difference is that your invisible sheet has been removed from your face by your own divisive hand.

[umwut]

It's hard being a republican in Southern California, let alone have officials that won't admit this is racist. This type of crap may have flown a few decades ago, but it has no place anywhere near politics.

[Wil Davis]

Anytime you have a picture of a black person and anything to do with monkeys, banannas, watermelons, etc has racial undertones that are unacceptable. Me being a black American myself thinks that even if someone sent it to you, and you are'nt a racist, you don't pass it on you delete it. Don't be part of the problem, be part of the solution.

[San Pedro mother of two]

Yes, you are a racist and you should not be representing a major political party. And you are also stupid to not realize the Internet is forever.

[Robert]

What a surprise. An unreconstructed racist says she's not a racist. Like they say, it's a big tent, and there's room in the LEADERSHIP of the Republican Party for all kinds, including throwbacks like this.

A good example of why no Republican should ever be elected to any office, anywhere, in 2012. It's the only way they'll ever get the message.

[CalifObserver]

"I am not a racist"

I seem to recall another famous GOP'er with a similarly strange line.... "I am not a crook..."

When the shoe fits...perhaps you ought to wear it.

[diegof]

"Not a racist," my foot! Seems that all racists think they have to do nowadays is SAY they're not, and that makes it okay for them to proceed with the crudest forms of stereotyping and caricaturing. They're wrong. It just makes them the worst sort of racists: the complacent, oblivious kind.

[CITIZEN]

Oh it was a joke, I have black friends. I forgot it was offensive. Give me a break, she knew it was beyond poor taste. If she claims as she does she didn't think it was in poor taste then she is a bold face lie. She knew just what she was doing. When someone is caught saying something about one of the racist tea party people they must resign. She has got to go now.

[gmarantz]

Oh, she's not a racist. Hhhhhhmm. And Nixon was not a crook.

[So what]

"in no way did I even consider the fact he's half black when I sent out the email." Simply stated, she is a liar. She does not see what she did as racist, because she will never understand that concept. She truly believes that she is somehow better.

[Steve Gaghagen]

Hahahaha .... "I need to apologize again with different words."

Then just keep trying I guess until you stumble on some that work? Is that the idea?

Sorry, Marilyn. Your "poor judgement" was in letting your true, racist nature be clearly seen. Cat's finally out of the bag and you can't stuff it back in.

Time to retire. The world has left you behind.

[katie]

she's an idiot and a racist. that first "apology" was anything but.

[David]

First comment a racist whines after being caught doing something incredibly stupid and racist?

"I'm not a racist!"

[MJ]

As a long time Republican -- I am offended by the actions of Marilyn Davenport! Excuse me, did this woman just say that she is not a racist? When you send material out into the public doman as this woman has done, and who holds a public position within the state Republican Party, she should be FIRED.

I don't care if it was a Democrat, he or she should be FIRED. When Joan Rivers called the First Lady "BLACKO" -- you didn't hear too much complaint from the liberal media -- did you? Nevertheless, Davenport's actions are inexcuseable.

Her actions shows disrespect to the millions of African Americans and the 120 million people who live in South America whose descendants are from Africa. Marilyn Davenport has offended millions of African Amercans by releasing this offensive and dispicable crap! Just by the sheer galls that she refused to accept personal responsibility for her actions shows her inability to continue in her position. DAVENPORT HAS GOT TO GO!!

[Mike]

Let's start with the obvious: Marilyn Davenport may claim that she is not racist, but for any political figure to send something like that out to the public in the 21st Century and not understand its implications is mind-boggling.

How could she not have shown the proposed email to her PR people before hitting the send button? Surely someone would pointed out to her just how tasteless, offensive ... and racist the email would be for anyone of African ancestry?

Is it too much to ask that people in the public eye have a cursory knowledge of history, i.e., people have been using images of monkeys, chimpanzees and other animals to denigrate Africans (and those of African ancestry) for hundreds of years. How could she not know that fact and edit herself accordingly? In the end, no one should be vilified for one, solitary action (with exceptions); but she should know that in the era of the 24-hour news cycle, actions (and their accompanying sound bites) speak louder than words.

[RUJoking?!]

Funny, but cartoonists frequently drew images of Bush & other presidents with ape-ish features, & no one complained.

Some animals are more equal than others on this farm.

[marvin williams]

From the words of Richard Nixon during the watergate scandal of the 70's " I am not a crook, I don't even know what a crook looks like" It never ceases to amaze me how some people are elected to public office and don't realize that certain comments or gestures can often lead to offensive behavior and in their mind the thought never occured to them until the fallout begins. Please!

[cewarrior]

Compare this to the Bush picture just demonstrate ignorance Have you ever been forced to seat separated from someone with a different skin color? I hope we, Californians,not paying her salary Who could elect someone like that? And people still saying that Obama administration is socialist I am republican and I am very ashamed of this woman behavior

[Not Racist]

When someone says they're not a racist and insists they're not, they probably are.

[Rosech]

Much ado about nothing and the resemblance is amazing! More and more invasion into free speech is happening in this country. Gee, Muslims never like caricatures, do they? So, what about all the caricatures with respect to other presidents and known persons? Gee, what is so special about Obama. Does he have such a sad image of himself that he can't stand anything? Apparently so. Frankly, I found the caricature funny and definitely not inappropriate unless we are quickly losing another of our Constitutional freedoms. Wake up, America, and stomp out the hypocrisy that is going on and every leaden step to crush us and our freedoms via the Constitution which Obama and his administration are constantly degrading!

[Alan Bravender]

Typical Conservative "half apology". The only thing she regrets is having been called out on it. One wonders what other kinds of inappropriate materials get circulated amongst our elected officials. Maybe because many of our local , State and Federal representatives AREN'T very good at the job they were elected to do - they should spend more time brushing up on Civics 101 or maybe reading the Constitution theyclaim to love and protect because they don't seem to know what they're talking about and apparently spend too much time doing pretty low brow kinds of behavior that even 4th Graders know is tasteless. Where are Grown Ups in government ?

[happyHBmom]

Half black? He identifies himself as African American. Clearly she is among those who think there should be a distinction there- and her lack of understanding is appalling. Not being racist isn't about being color blind any more, it is about understanding ALL of our ethnic identities and how they shape us.