Three Montana TEA Party legislators issued their support for a federal judge in the state who sent racist emails, the Great Falls Tribune/AP reported today.
Rep. David Howard, R-TEA Park City, wrote of Judge Richard Cebull, who sent the racist email:
"Thank you for exercising your unalienable right of Free Speech. May God Bless you in everything you do."
Rep. Ken Peterson, R-TEA Billings, said he doesn't think the racist email "reflects in any way on his ability to be a judge."
Rep. Jesse O'Hara, R-TEA Great Falls, said he is "100% in agreement with Peterson."
Judge Cebull emailed a racist "joke" about President Obama's mother. Several Montana newspapers and watchdog groups are calling for Cebull to resign.
One of the oddest part of this story is Cebull's bungled but hilarious response when questioned by a reporter. Cebull says yes,
"the e-mail is racist, but I didn't send it as racist....I did not forward it because of the racist nature of it. Although it is racist, I'm not that way, never have been."
And the creepiest part of the story is the original email from Cebull, which he sent when he sent along the racist joke to his trailer park acquaintances.
"Normally I don't send or forward a lot of these, but even by my standards, it was a bit touching. I want all of my friends to feel what I felt when I read this. Hope it touches your heart like it did mine."
"Touching" is not how most people would describe the joke, unless perhaps you are a judge who also moonlights for the KKK on nights and weekends.
And, as is often the case in these situations, Richard Cebull (perhaps he goes by "Dick") did not apologize for sending the email. Rather, he more narrowly apologized "to anyone that was offended."
This diary is cross-posted at theMontana Cowgirl Blog.