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

[Marc]

I have no idea if she is a racist or not, and I don't really care. I'm black and I'm not personally offended by the email but I do understand why so many people are. Her poor judgement alone is enough to justify a resignation.

[Mike]

Completely out of line and uncalled for...

But raises a curious question... Why was it OK to portray Bush as a chimp? Everyone did it, and no one ever apologized. Double standard because you can't insult a black man?

[Very Concerned Citizen]

I dont believe it? Maybe I just woke up and this is just a Dream! Well I'm awake now and it's not a dream.
What in the world was this woman thinking? Maybe she thought no one would find out or it would just blow over...Wrong.
As much as the President has tried to put Race Issues behind all of us, now this! OMG!
Resign now before it get's worse. Every news organization in the world is now on board with this. How can she ever go in public without running into some controversy or scrutiny? Keep your personal Jokes and Comments off the World -Wide Internet, unless you want every in the world to see them.

[Philip Sacks]

She is entitled to be a racist,but being in her party's inner circle to indicate she did not realize the consequences of what she was doing, was plain stupid.
Apparently this is the only position the opposition can take on ehat he is doing.
Still no jobs.

[RogerRabbit]

It's interesting to read some of the comments....most are on target....It would be great if just like with addicts, people were subjected to racism interventions... it would be an appropriate response given she's in denial...regardless, there are plenty of folks who never once think of running for office and who would never think to carry on in such an unprofessional way.

someone commented about how her case was another example of free speech being curtailed. WRONG: Free speech like other rights comes with responsibility; grow up.

And to the poster, who whined about the liberal media not making a fuss about Joan Rivers calling the first lady, "blacko." I'm not making any apologies for Joan Rivers but you're comparing a comic--someone who has made a career of being offensively funny--to a political party official.

[MICK]

apologize? for what? you cant show a picture of mohammed or obama as an ape? or face the consequences- is this an islamic thing? or are we going into sharia law here? what a joke!

[Tapas Sinha]

Davenport is the true representation of the Republican Party. Americans should learn what the Republican Party is made of. Davenport wrote but the rest of the members feel the same way but don't say it in the open. These people, are the cums of the world.

[Katie]

The way this woman should determine if she is racist, is to ask herself if she would have sent this e-mail with a white politician. Either she is racist or was raised in a home which was racist. Sometimes things rub off and we don't even know it. Either way, it is disgusting.

[Robert Lugo]

It still amazes me to read such irresponsible messages from elected individuals who are supposed to be matured. It represents the complete opposite and I commend the GOP leadership for demanding her resignation. Tho individual does no belong in public office.

[Karlito]

What was it that Nixon claimed?

[Peaches]

She knew what she was doing when she sent the email. She is not the best or the brightest. It seems has if she is the dumbest. Did she not think it would cause a problem. We all know that their are racist people in this world, weather they admit to it or not. I am sure all you racist people, where having a heart attack when President Obama was elected. I sure President Obama would not be subjected to all of the racism if his skin color was white. President Obama is one of the most intelligent president we have had in office in a very long time. The Bush Era is over, after all he has gotten our country in this big mess. It will take another 12 years to get us out of this mess. United we stand, Not so in America!

[Carol]

Libs, you cannot demonize the entire Republican Party over an isolated incident! Harry Reid didn't resign when he described Barack Obama as a "light skinned" African-American "with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one." That racist comment would have brought down the entire Democratic Party if conservatives made these infrequent issues into major ordeals like liberals do.

[Cardinal Fang]

"I'm not a racist," she said as she took off her white robes and pointed hat... And Republicans wonder why they're now only 30% of registered voters in California...

[Mikey]

Most racists don't think that they are racist...they just think they're being funny. Too bad that they will never know how ignorant and racist they are and it's really amazing that it's coming from an elected official. Not a surprise, especially since she's a republican. And the worst part is that A) She still has her job and B) Because she lives in Orange Country where the average idiot has implants by the age of 12 she will most likely get voted in again.

[John]

When she says "one or two other people tried to make this about race" sort of sums up the company she keeps - doesn't it. At least one or two other people could see the underlying message she was conveying and it was not right.

[Bill Doran]

It really does'nt matter whether the President is white or black it comes down to respect for the office something Republicans apparently don't have unless one of theirs is in that office.

[SMG]

Was racism involved when Lincoln was called and caricatured as an ape and a gorilla? How about when Reagon was called an ape? Remember Bonzo? Obama like all other politicians throughout history are fair game. The skin is too thin here. Obama wanted this job. He needs to man up and take the(good)perks and free vacations along with all the bad or the negatives. Where is the picture in question?

Posted by: SocorroV | April 19, 2011 at 07:25 AM
_________________________________________

Are you really that dumb? Any reference to "Bonzo" with Reagan was due to the fact he starred in a movie WITH A CHIMP called "Bedtime for Bonzo!"

[ScaredOldWhitePeople = GOP]

This is fantastic, it really is. Rational citizens should really thank this senile woman for outing the OC conservatives' true opinions regarding our President and his race/birth place. So much better than any PR campaign the Democrats could ever think of. Please, please don't resign old racist lady. You and Trump are a gift from Jesus/Allah/Buddha/Flying Spaghetti Monster.

[Sergio Aguirre]

thats freaking scary! any repubs or conservatives attempt to defend that is also ignorant and racist!!! That is simply unacceptable and you can't have people like her in office especially in a diversely cultured state as California. It's pretty pathetic that someone in her position is still tolerated in this society!!! She should resign and really take some time out to see that she is totally off-base!!

[Sophie]

Devil's Advocate: Let's say she honestly didn't think it was racist, and didn't connect it at all to the President's heritage before she sent it out(right). Is that the sort of email that's becoming of a politician? How do you teach your children civil political discourse if you are equating our President to a monkey? This is the sort of thing that I would expect from a juvenile, not from someone I should respect, whether or not she thought it was a racist. And an OC Republican who might be racist? Wow, that's unheard of!!

[carlos]

why can't she put bush face instead of obama? bbush deserves it well!

[Chris]

The Left didn't apologize when they posted pics of George Bush as a monkey. They didn't apologize when they called Scott Walker Hitler. So why is the Left to any apology?

[Ray]

My question is this? Did she create it? Because if she did then I would call her a racist! Now on the other hand I get goofy emails all the time of things like this so because she forwarded it to some friends and the media makes a big deal about it now shes the bad one? I dont give 2 cents about the lady but come on people, lets look at some real facts about this before we pass judgement.

[Razza]

Here we go again. An Orange County republican who has nothing better to do, except being obssesed to be a racist every day when ever she meets her kind, comes down on the president of the country with no respect to the presidency which could have been occupied by any other person of another race, for that matter, it might even be occupied in the distant future by this lady's distant relative.
Lady, save your soul by resigning.
Our planet carries many races, is full of problems and we do not need many of your kind to bring disaster to our little earth.

[abigdog]

The fact that she can see ANY humor in the image speaks volumes about what is in her simple mind. She is an embarrassment to the Republican party (or should be).