A Virginia county GOP committee sent a mass email out that included an image of President Obama as a zombie with a bullet through his head. The image also includes a picture of a disfigured Nancy Pelosi.
“We are going to vanquish the zombies with clear thinking conservative principles and a truckload of Republican candy,” were the words that accompanied the image — along with an invitation to a Halloween parade.
Though both Democrats and Republicans were outraged by the level of violence depicted in the image, Loudoun County Republican Committee chair, Mark Sell, called it “a lighthearted attempt to inject satire humor into the Halloween holiday.” In a statement he released to the media, Sell blamed the offended viewers for misinterpreting the image’s intent. “Apparently, some individuals have interpreted an image of Barack Obama that appeared within the email as intending to portray the president as a victim of a violent crime. Nothing could be further from the truth, and we deeply and sincerely apologize to the president and anyone who viewed the image if that was the impression that was left. The LCRC deplores any effort to display, suggest or promote violence against the president or any other political figure.”
“The disgusting image used today on a mass e-mail has no place in our politics. Ever,” Pat Mullins, chairman of the state’s GOP party, told the Washington Post website. “The Republican Party of Virginia condemns the image and its use in the strongest possible terms.”
“This is a disgusting and violent portrayal of the president of the United States,” Democratic Party of Virginia spokesman Brian Coy told The AP. The Republican governor of Virginia, Bob McDonnell, called for an apology.
The image was first reported on the northern Virginia blog, Too Conservative, which featured the following comment:
“This cartoon montage just arrived as part of an LCRC email blast. I am no fan of Barack Obama, but putting up a photo of him as a zombie with a bullet hole in his head???????????? Like him or not he is the legitimately elected the President of the United States and Commander in Chief of our armed services in a time of war. THIS IS DISGUSTING AND SHAMEFUL. Someone should send this to the US Secret Service.”
It will be interesting to see how conservative talk show hosts will discuss this story.
What say you, Bill, Glenn, Rush? –kathleen cross
