The head of the Snohomish County Republican Party apologized Tuesday after the organization’s booth at the Evergreen State Fair in Monroe sold “$3 bills” depicting Barack Obama wearing Arab headgear and featuring a camel.
Geri Modrell, the Snohomish County Republican chairwoman, said a volunteer had brought the bills to the fair thinking they were funny.
“I don’t think it’s funny,” said Modrell, who said she ordered the bills removed as soon as she learned about them. “They were offensive. The volunteers are being told very clearly they must not do these sorts of things.”
Very sad when volunteers must be educated about not being assholes. But there you have it. Later in the story, someone accuses the person handing out the bills of committing “…an absolute hate crime.” Kinda silly, unless uneducated stupidity is now a hate crime. And later:
Modrell said she hopes the presidential campaign will avoid illegitimate personal attacks — such as insinuations about Obama’s religion or McCain’s age.
The difference is, of course, that Obama is not a Muslim (not that there’s anything wrong with that.) McCain is (self-described) “older than dirt.” That’s not an insinuation. It’s a fact.
Incertus
The chances for assholery among volunteers pretty much approaches one, and I think that’s the case for both parties. I do think that the Republicans generally aren’t as good at policing their own, but that’s due in part to the fact that Democrats have a wider range of groups in their coalition, and the members of those groups don’t take being slighted very well.
Jorge
Politico has a post of Leahy comparing McCain to Reagan in the senior moment department.
thomas
But in olden days – the crusades – McPOW was a POW of the Saracens.
I’m not talking about a previous life here folks.
Zifnab
Ah, queer as a $3 bill, get it? They’re covering all their bases if they can get a picture of someone rolling one of these things up to do some blow.
Speaking of which where’s Tom DeLay when you really need him?
KRK
Woohoo, a chance to mock both Republican “creativity” AND my neighboring county. Go, Snohomish County Republicans!
NonyNony
The chances for assholery among volunteers pretty much approaches one, and I think that’s the case for both parties.
I was going to make this point, but Incertus beat me to it. I’ve worked as a volunteer for both Republicans and for Democrats and you get assholes no matter what. Something about politics just draws out the assholes like moths to a flame.
oh really
But these volunteers are Republicans.
First, you can’t educate (or even train) Republicans to not be assholes. It’s like educating a cat to not kill mice. It’s never going to happen.
Second, what you define as assholery, Republicans define as virtue. My guess is that Modrell thought the bills were high-larious until she got cornered. It’s only a matter of time before these volunteers are in paid positions. Rest assured they’re prime candidates for high level State Department positions if McPOW gets elected.
The Moar You Know
PLAUSIBLE DENIABILITY
Rick Massimo
Please stop giving them the fig leaf of “modern” Republican Party. It’s been 30 years.
zeppo
Hum, I actually LIVE in Snohomish County… There are definitely pockets of freepers here, but for the most part, I would HOPE that this is not representative of our very nice, usually sane county. Too bad I didn’t see this, as I would have raised some hell about it. But then, I have kind of seen my fill of show chickens, sheep, cows, chainsaw carvings, etc. After a while, all the sheep start looking the same to me.
Notorious P.A.T.
I hope the Republicans will avoid personal attacks too. I also hope to own and captain my own spaceship within the next year.