CA GOP Official Marilyn Davenport Apologizes for Obama Chimp Picture, Says She Wasn't Being "Racist"

Marilyn Davenport, a California Republican party official, has apologized after sending out an e-mail of President Barack Obama's face super-imposed onto a chimpanzee. She said she wasn't trying to be racist. Really Ms. Davenport? She reportedly sent the e-mail, which showed a "family photo" featuring the president as a chimp with two chimp parents, along with the offensive caption: "Now you know why -- no birth certificate." That's racist and disrespectful, but not surprising that this could come out as we start a new presidential election campaign.

UPDATE#1:

Ms. Davenport offered a second, less defiant apology after receiving death threats.

Yeah, Marilyn Davenport was spooked into saying sorry. This didn't come from her heart. She had no choice but to back off. Here's an excerpt from her apology, though it wasn't delivered in person by her, but her mouthpiece:

"To my fellow Americans and to everyone else who has seen this e-mail I forwarded and was offended by my action, I humbly apologize and ask for your forgiveness of my unwise behavior," the 74-year-old wrote.

"I say unwise because at the time I received and forwarded the e-mail, I didn't stop to think about the historic implications and other examples of how this could be offensive," Davenport said.

"I would never do anything to intentionally harm or berate others regardless of ethnicity," she said in her apology. "Everyone who knows me knows that to be true." Source

We could have avoided all this if she had just done the right thing and not pushed this racist email to others. Too bad she can't be removed from office. Her behavior isn't representative of her district. This was a distraction from the issues confronting Americans like you and I.

Photo credit: Obama chimp/Marilyn Davenport (NY Daily News)