No kidding it's racist: Rutland County, Vermont Republicans "Apologize" For Racist Facebook Post

[cali]

Last edited Tue Jul 17, 2012, 07:15 AM - Edit history (1)

A county Republican Party chairman in Vermont apologized Monday afternoon for a racist statement that had appeared on the county GOP's Facebook page.

The apology came after Green Mountain Daily reported Sunday that the Rutland County GOP had posted the joke on their Facebook page, generating a series of negative comments. The post and comments have since been removed from the page. The post read:

Just wanted to let you know -- today I received my 2012 Social Security Stimulus Package. It contained two tomato seeds, cornbread mix, a prayer rug, a machine to blow smoke up my butt, 2 discount coupons to KFC, an "Obama Hope & Change" bumper sticker, and a "Blame it on Bush" poster for the front yard. The directions were in Spanish. Watch for yours soon.

<snip>

In a statement posted Monday, county Republican Chairman Rob Towle apologized for the Facebook post, saying that the party had not written the original post and was trying to showcase frustration with the economy:

I totally regret that some members of the Democratic party were offended by the satirical post on this page yesterday. There were some that commented on the post that they did not see how the possibly inflammatory comments were anything other political commentary. This page is not the original author and the intent was to show the author's frustration at the current economic situation that he/she finds themselves in.

<snip>

Vermont Democratic Party Chairman Jake Perkinson described the post as "appalling" and demanded an apology from state Republicans. Perkinson also compared the incident to last week's comments by Maine Gov. Paul LePage (R) at a fundraiser for Vermont Republican gubernatorial candidate Randy Brock where he compared the IRS's role under the Affordable Care Act to the Nazi Gestapo.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/16/rutland-county-republicans-facebook-joke_n_1677453.html

[ananda]

1. They're not really sorry for the racism.

They're just sorry that people got offended.

Sheesh.

[cali]

2. totally lame non-apology

stupid fucks. As if the republican party in Vermont weren't in enough trouble and utterly powerless.

[Curtland1015]

10. Ah yes, the "A$$hole's Apology".

I'm sorry you decided to get offended.

[nolabear]

3. Gee, equal opportunity dickitude.

You just can't make this shit up.

[alcibiades_mystery]

4. Holy crap!

Dude used the term "Democratic."



"I totally regret that some members of the Democratic party were offended..."

[cali]

7. it's vermont. I can only recall one repub official who used the

sneering "democrat party", and he's now working for Romney.

[Marr]

5. That's not an apology-- it's a middle finger.

"I totally regret that some members of the Democratic party were offended by the satirical post..."

That is not an apology.

[surrealAmerican]

6. What a poorly written non-appology.

"This page is not the original author and the intent was to show the author's frustration at the current economic situation that he/she finds themselves in." That's pretty close to incomprehensible.

Also that post is not a joke. A joke, by definition, must include some kernel of humor.

[joeybee12]

8. One of the lamest apologies ever...

Worthless assholes.

[Judi Lynn]

9. Everything they do is stupid, and vicious. Such ugly, slow-witted, clumsy, rigid people.

Not really like human beings at all.

[redgreenandblue]

11. Excuse my ignorance, I only get the "KFC" and the "Spanish" parts.

[cali]

12. the prayer rug is an obvious reference to Islam

The cornbread thing is the same as the KFC shit, and all of it is stupid.

[redgreenandblue]

14. When I read "prayer rug" the first thing I thought was "Huh? Christianity? Why?". lol.

Hard to keep up with all the stupid stereotypes.

[Ganja Ninja]

13. "the intent was to show the author's frustration at the current economic situation"

Instead it showed the GOP for what it is. They should have left it up. It was an honest unadulterated look at what motivates the Republican base. They are what we thought they are.

[cali]

15. and yesterday Towle was forced into a real apology

<snip>

Rob Towle, the Rutland County committee chairman, called the statement “stupid and insensitive.” On Monday, he apologized to Democrats he said were offended by the post. A day later, he was directing his apology to everyone.


<snip>

Towle’s initial apology came after state Democratic Party Chairman Jake Perkinson issued a statement Monday calling the statement “appalling” and “vile.”

Towle said someone else had written the message and shared it on his personal Facebook page, and he reposted it on Sunday on the county Republican Facebook page.

<snip>

Towle confirmed Tuesday that in responding to questions from the website, he initially had defended the posting, but had since changed his thinking.

“I realized that it was inappropriate and insensitive and I’m truly sorry for having posted it in the first place,” Towle said in a telephone interview with The Associated Press.

<snip>

http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/vermont-county-republican-chairman-apologizes-for-facebook-post-seen-as-racist-attack-on-obama/2012/07/17/gJQAy1m2rW_story.html