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UPDATE: Read The Huffington Post, Blinded by the Hate: The Real Problem With Judge Cebull's Email, which states:
"Earlier this week a Great Falls Tribune reporter found something startling in his inbox: a shockingly racist and misogynistic email forwarded from the most powerful federal judge in Montana, which 'joked' that the president of the United States was the product of his mother having sex with a dog. The story soon became national news, with groups like ours calling on Judge Richard Cebull to resign. . .
Attempting to explain his email forward, Judge Cebull told the reporter, John S. Adams,
The only reason I can explain it to you is I am not a fan of our president, but this goes beyond not being a fan. I didn't send it as racist, although that's what it is. Is sent it out because it's anti-Obama.
Judge Cebull is hardly alone in using the old 'I'm not racist, but...' line. In fact, his email was the result of an entire movement built on 'I'm not racist, but...' logic that equates disagreement with and dislike of the president with broad-based, racially charged smears. These smears, tacitly embraced by the GOP establishment, are more than personal shots at the president -- they're attacks on the millions of Americans who make up our growing and changing country.
Mainstream conservatives have genuine objections to President Obama's priorities and policies. But since he started running for president, a parallel movement has sprung up trying to paint Obama as an outsider and an imposter -- in unmistakably racially charged terms. Too often, the two movements have intersected.
The effort to paint Obama as a threatening foreigner sprung up around the right-wing fringe in the run-up to the 2008 election with the typically muddled conspiracy theory that painted him as both a secret Muslim and a member of an America-hating church. They soon coalesced in the birther movement, which even today is championed by a strong coalition of state legislators and a certain bombastic Arizona sheriff.
But the birther movement, the 'secret Muslim' meme and the idea that the president of the United States somehow hates his own country are no longer confined to the less visible right-wing fringe. Former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, until recently a frontrunner in the GOP presidential race, continually hammers on the president's otherness, most notably criticizing his 'Kenyan, anti-colonial behavior.' Rick Santorum flatly claims that Obama does not have the Christian faith that he professes, and eagerly courted the endorsement of birther leader Sheriff Joe Arpaio. And before they dropped out, Rick Perry and Herman Cain couldn't resist flirting with birtherism. . .
When a federal judge has seen so much racially-charged propaganda against the president of the United States that he can claim not to know the difference between genuine disagreement and offensive personal smears, something in our discourse has gone terribly awry."
I posted the following comment:
"The hatred to which you refer to has been percolating on talk radio for years.
In April 2009 I received an email from the owner of a talk radio station titled 'Obama's Momma In Nude Porn Pictures? - not a joke'. I replied to the sender that I thought something like that was 'below even 'Republi-con' (my radio term for Republican hypocrites) low standards for newsworthiness. But I guess there is no shame for the sake of the party.'
In May 2009 the same person sent me the email the Judge received, it even had the same title 'A mother's love'. My reply was that the sender needed 'to get counseling. I am serious, your hatred for Democrats has warped your judgment.'
That talk radio station allows the pastor of Hickory Hammock Baptist Church two hours each Friday afternoon to promote what are now mainstream Republican ideas. The birther conspiracies, the 'secret Muslim' meme and 'Obama hates American' are regular topics on the show, with guests who parrot the ideas.
The talk-radio campaign of fear, anger and hatred has been fermenting since the last election. Rush Limbaugh's 'slut' comment is only the tip of the iceberg."
In April and May 2009 you may remember that I noted that there were no limits to shameless Republi-con hatred, as evidenced by emails circulated within Republi-CON circles.
Even a federal judge has been affected by the relentless Republi-CON campaign of fear, anger and hatred.
Read the Washington Post, A federal judge’s e-mail spreads racist venom about Obama.
