Oct 16, 2008 12:45 pm US/Pacific
SoCal GOP Group Depicts Obama In Racist Caricature
RIVERSIDE (AP) ―
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Illustration in a San Bernardino County Republican group newsletter depicts Barack Obama as a donkey on a $10 food stamp bill adorned with a watermelon, ribs and a bucket of fried chicken.
Riverside Press-Enterprise
A San Bernardino County Republican group has distributed a newsletter picturing Barack Obama on a phony $10 bill adorned with a watermelon, ribs and a bucket of fried chicken.
The illustration was denounced by various GOP officials after it appeared in the October newsletter of the Chaffey Community Republican Women, Federated, the Riverside Press-Enterprise reported Thursday.
Diane Fedele, president of the group, said the move had no racist intent.
"I never connected," she told the newspaper. "It was just food to me. It didn't mean anything else."
The Obama campaign declined to comment, saying it does not address such attacks.
The newsletter was sent to about 200 club members and associates last week by mail and e-mail.
Fedele said she had received the illustration in e-mails and decided to reprint it to poke fun at a previous remark by Obama that he doesn't look like other presidents.
"It was strictly an attempt to point out the outrageousness of his statement. I really don't want to go into it any further," Fedele told the newspaper. "I absolutely apologize to anyone who was offended. That clearly wasn't my attempt."
Fedele said she also planned to send an apology letter to her members and apologize at the club's meeting next week.
Sheila Raines of San Bernardino, a black member of the club, complained about the image to Fedele.
"This is what keeps African-Americans from joining the Republican Party," she said. "I'm really hurt. I cried for 45 minutes."
California Republican Party press secretary Hector Barajas denounced the newsletter.
"This material I've seen inspires nothing but divisiveness and hostility and has absolutely no place in this election, or any public discourse," he said Thursday in a written statement.
The club is a volunteer group that is not directly responsible to the state party, he said.
"They're an entity unto themselves," he said.
The image was also condemned by Assemblyman Bill Emmerson, R-Redlands, and state Sen. Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga.
Emmerson said he was offended and sickened by the newsletter.
"Bias and racial comments and even suggestions are frankly what weakens us as a people. I think we as Americans need to rise above that," Dutton said.
(© 2009 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)
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