Thaindian News

Washington, Apr 17 (ANI): Some Orange County Republican leaders have condemned an email distributed by a veteran party committee member, portraying US President Barack Obama’s face superimposed on a chimpanzee, with the words written: “Now you know why - No birth certificate!”

County GOP Chairman Scott Baugh has demanded the resignation of Marilyn Davenport, an elected member of the party central committee who sent the email to some committee members and others last week, the Los Angeles Times reports.

The paper quoted Baugh as saying that received a mail on Friday afternoon and spontaneously replied that it was “dripping with racism and is in very poor taste,” and added that the issue should be referred to the Orange County GOP’s ethics committee.

According to an email Baugh sent to committee members on Saturday, Davenport described the Obama photo as a “joke” and wanted to know who had leaked the email to the OC Weekly’s R. Scott Moxley, who broke the story. She called the leak “cowardly” and wrote, “Anyone brave enough to come forward?”

Meanwhile, Davenport has declined to resign over the controversy.

“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,” she added.

In the latest development, Arizona’s legislature has passed a “birther bill” asking Obama to prove he was born in America before contesting the 2012 presidential elections. (ANI)