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* The story about Montgomery County Republican Party Chairman Jim Allen’s racist, sexist, etc. e-mail about Erika Harold has gone national. From a press release…
RNC Chairman Reince Priebus released the following statement in response to comments made by Jim Allen, Chairman of the Montgomery County, Illinois, Republican Party:
“The astonishingly offensive views expressed by Chairman Allen have absolutely no place among the leaders of our party at any level. His behavior is inexcusable and must not be tolerated. He should apologize to Erika Harold and resign immediately.”
*** UPDATE *** IR…
Illinois Review has learned that Montgomery County GOP chairman Jim Allen has resigned his position following a controversial email he sent regarding GOP candidate Erika Harold.
*** UPDATE 2 *** Resignation confirmed. From IL GOP Chairman Jack Dorgan…
Today, I accepted the resignation of Jim Allen as Montgomery County Chairman. These types of offensive and inappropriate remarks have no place in our Republican Party.
posted by Rich Miller
Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 1:55 pm
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Illinois Review is saying that Allen has resigned.
Comment by dave Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 1:57 pm
The Grand Old Party of Self-Immolation continues its death march.
Comment by Knome Sane Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 2:09 pm
Gotta love how quickly the GOPies can burn people at the stake. Wonder what ChopperJim and WhackyJack think of this assassination?
Guess we may need to slide over to the IL Review to check
Comment by CircularFiringSquad Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 2:16 pm
There are bigots and people making stupid comments in both parties. Always have been and always will be. Just one more rotten apple tossed from the barrel.
Comment by Downstater Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 2:16 pm
Priebus gets it. No lily-livered words like “misguided” and “inane.”
“Astonishingly offensive.” Savvy?
Note too, Priebus just doesn’t just talk about Allen’s “words:”
“His behavior is inexcusable and must not be tolerated.”
That ain’t some RINO talking. That’s Scott Walker’s right-hand man.
For crying out loud, Harold is a young black woman who wants to be a Republican and she has to take this abuse.
Comment by wordslinger Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 2:16 pm
Here is a handy template for the RNC:
“The astonishingly offensive views expressed by (name of low-level GOP goof) have absolutely no place among the leaders of our party at any level. His behavior is inexcusable and must not be tolerated. He should apologize to (target of stupid comment) and resign immediately.”
That should save them some time. I suspect Reince could put out 2-3 of these per week without much trouble.
Comment by 47th Ward Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 2:16 pm
47th Ward, I’m enjoying the fact that your form text only says he, not he or she
Comment by J Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 2:26 pm
Rep. Phil Gingrey (R-Ga.) told colleagues on the House floor on Tuesday that young boys and girls should take classes on traditional gender roles in a marriage because there are some things fathers do “maybe a little bit better” than mothers.
From Huff Po.
so when is that clown in Congress going to be asked to resign?
same branch of the nut tree.
Comment by Amalia Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 2:28 pm
Mark today as the first of Jack’s many Excedrin headaches.
Comment by Bluefish Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 2:29 pm
Good Riddance! But let’s hold the same standard for both parties.
Comment by Empty Suit Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 2:32 pm
Gnome, there is honor in Self-Immolation
Comment by anon Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 2:37 pm
===But let’s hold the same standard for both parties.===
Suit,
A GOP County Chair uses poor judgment while criticizing a GOP candidate. The national GOP Chair takes action by asking for the resignation of the County GOP Chair. And what you get out of this is that somehow there are two standards for each party.
Where, or how ,are the Dems involved in this incident? Please tell me. I too, love a good conspiracy. (snark)
Comment by Endangered Moderate Species Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 2:43 pm
A satisfactory resolution all around…
Comment by Cincinnatus Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 2:52 pm
Priebus is charged with the daunting task of G
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 2:57 pm
and quick, not allowed to fester or roll into multiple news cycles.
Comment by steve schnorf Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 2:59 pm
Gosh, Republicans are angry these days . . .
http://thinkprogress.org/politics/2013/06/20/2190281/paul-lepage-vulgar/
Comment by Bill White Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 3:07 pm
Good riddance.
Comment by Liandro Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 3:19 pm
Respect.
Comment by soccermom Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 3:21 pm
@ endangered….
I recall a few years back when a certain female Democrat lawmaker called former Northwestern University President Arnold Webber by the name of “Dr. Bagel” because he was Jewish. It was on the front page of papers.
I could go on and on. Unfortunately, these types of statements come equally from all parties.
Comment by dazed & confused Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 3:29 pm
I read the email. Think I just spotted the next salesman for the KKK Death Ray Radiation Zapper.
Comment by Mouthy Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 3:32 pm
@dazed & confused
They don’t come equally from all parties. The Republicans are the champs by a landslide.
Comment by Mouthy Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 3:37 pm
==astonishingly offensive==
Yes; also please recognize and reject this kind of behavior when directed at pols on the other side, not just a fellow Republican.
Comment by Wensicia Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 3:52 pm
I also read the email. He’s a raving lunatic and a supreme jerk. I hope the idiocy of his statements mitigates the pain that Ms. Arnold is feeling right now.
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 3:57 pm
I think you are all missing how impressive Allen’s screed was. Usually such rants are long manifestos full of inconsistent capitalization and extensive conspiracies. Allen was quite economical in his misogyny, racism, and xenophobia.
Comment by ArchPundit Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 4:05 pm
Funny how people like Jim should have resigned but if he were a democrat he only miss spoke
Comment by crunch Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 4:09 pm
Wordslinger touched on the really stupid part a bit. What the guy did is way off the reservation. To go off like that over a possible primary challenge to a favored candidate is insane. I suspect we would have heard him sing her praises had she instead went for something like Governor lite. Not my party but remember the big tent thing folks.
Comment by Bemused Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 4:10 pm
Archpundit: I suspect that Allen’s facility with racist and sexist language was due to years of practice.
Comment by TooManyJens Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 4:11 pm
Yeah, that’s right crunch–Jim Allen is the victim here.
Comment by Chavez-respecting Obamist Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 4:14 pm
===Funny how people like Jim should have resigned but if he were a democrat he only miss spoke===
Crunch,
Reince Priebus was not so easy on poor ole misspoken Jim Allen.
Priebus’ quick and clear actions are a good sign there is hope the GOP will regain its footing in the political landscape.
Comment by Endangered Moderate Species Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 4:21 pm
===Funny how people like Jim should have resigned but if he were a democrat he only miss spoke===
Geez, Crunch, did you really want the guy to stay on? In a way, I wish he had….”Never engage your opponent when he’s busy with his own self-destruction.” I’m pretty sure I’ve seen that stated here on Cap Fax a time or two.
Comment by Deep South Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 4:34 pm
Clearly the comments from a Republican leader in a county of 30,000 people are indicative of the feeling of an entire national party. Gloria Platko on the other hand is an anomaly
Comment by Generation X Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 4:45 pm
“Unfortunately, these types of statements come equally from all parties.”
Actually, they don’t. Democrats for all their faults are much more careful about offending various minority groups.
Comment by wishbone Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 4:46 pm
“Clearly the comments from a Republican leader in a county of 30,000 people are indicative of the feeling of an entire national party.”
Of course not all Republicans are racists, and I don’t think anybody is saying that.
Unfortunately, there have been too many instances in which African Americans were belittled by the GOP and conservatives. The voter laws were pretty widespread. There were comments from leading conservative voices and GOP leaders, that blacks only vote Democratic because they get handouts, the 47% comments, etc. Now you have an African-American actually trying to become a Republican, and this happens. No wonder the GOP has a hard time with the AA vote.
Comment by Grandson of Man Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 5:06 pm
HE GAWN
Comment by WizzardOfOzzie Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 5:53 pm
not very bright but r davis should maybe explain why he did not cooperate with the fed investigation against him has anybody asked him to resign
Comment by fake county chairman Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 6:38 pm
Even with Rauner’s money, Erika Herald could not buy the fantastic PR she’s gotten from Jim Allen’s dumb rant. If she beats Davis, she’ll certainly owe one to former Chairman Jim Allen!
Comment by Johnny Justice Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 7:26 pm
Agree with Johnny Justice. This has a chance to jumpstart a campaign in a major way
Comment by Generation X Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 7:41 pm
I was out all day and just read about this. Sickening. I about lost my dinner. I am proud of Rance Priebus’ immediate and powerful response to the situation. I feel terrible for Erica and hope she gets added strength and courage from all the support she is receiving as a result of this.
Comment by Responsa Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 8:00 pm
This story has went world wide. UK mail!
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2344652/Illinois-GOP-leader-sends-RACIST-rant-targeting-Miss-America-whos-running-Congress–Republican.html
Comment by World Wide Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 9:46 pm
Props to RP, but Dorgan should have beat him to the punch on a stringent condemnation. I would have also liked to see the downstate House Republican Caucus be as quick to condemn Allen as they were to endorse Rodney.
Comment by Midstate Indy Thursday, Jun 20, 13 @ 10:52 pm
It is worth noting that Karen Lewis of the Chicago Teachers Union made inflammatory remarks directed against “rich White people” who she accused of engaging in racism against black and Latino public school students, but that did not raise a stir here.
Comment by Esquire Friday, Jun 21, 13 @ 12:10 am
A few things:
1) I of course find the comments as deeply offensive as most people here; and
2) I tend to work to elect Democrats.
That being said, there is a real question about how the press and public responds to offensive comments by Democrats and by Republicans.
As others have noted, Monique Davis received very little coverage for her deeply offensive remarks. This weekend, Karen Lewis blamed “rich white people” for all of the problems facing Chicago schools.
We just didn’t see the outrage on those remarks.
It would be good for Democrats to start looking at the conduct of their friends.
Comment by VonKlutzenplatz Friday, Jun 21, 13 @ 7:09 am
Now I get it…
A few stories about a Democrat here or a union official there saying “rich white people” are equivalent to the steady stream of Republicans talking about “legitimate rape”, “stick a pill between your knees”, “watermelon patches on the White House lawn”, “fried chicken State Dinners”….
Need I go on?
Neither party is perfect but the Republican propensity for racist and misogynist comments seems, shall we say, ingrained and much too routine. Almost as if, to repeat what another poster said above, the Republicans have had years of practice at hating on women and minorities.
Comment by A. Nonymous Friday, Jun 21, 13 @ 7:31 am
Here’s a question: How many wrongs make a right? And how far do you take this?
I mean, if your first response to a Republican doing something awful is to say, “Well, a Democrat did something awful, too” — do you then support gang retaliation shootings? If your business partner embezzles from your firm, will you be mollified if he says, “Well, other people embezzle sometimes - and they got more”?
I am no fan of Karen Lewis, but it is not considered an insult to call someone rich or white. To call someone a streetwalker, however, or to suggest that a graduate of Harvard Law School can get a job only as a “minority quota” — folks, those are insults, by any definition. And you cannot excuse those insults by saying that someone, sometime, somewhere said something bad, too.
Do you have no moral compasses? Is there no action that you find reprehensible, no matter who commits it?
Comment by soccermom Friday, Jun 21, 13 @ 8:28 am
The existence of a political faction that consists mostly of “rich white people” who seek to concentrate wealth and push everyone else into poverty strikes me as a simple statement of fact.
Also, “rich white people” is generic. What Jim Davis said about Erica Harold was targeted at a specific person.
Comment by Bill White Friday, Jun 21, 13 @ 8:32 am
PS - What Jim Davis said about Erica Harold was targeted at a specific person . . .
Who is supposedly on the same team as Jim Davis.
Comment by Bill White Friday, Jun 21, 13 @ 8:34 am
Bill, so if she had blamed “poor black people” for the problems, you would have said that’s fine? Since she’s not comparing?
Maybe I’m not clear on your point, Bill. Are you saying some racism is really really wrong, and other racism, eh, move on?
Racism is wrong, Bill. It is wrong when the GOP does it and it is wrong when my friends in the Democratic Party do it.
By the way, interesting that Karen seems to think that the people of Lincoln Park are the problem, while people in places like Kentucky and Mississippi are not part of the problem.
And Monique Davis? She faced zero sanction for her comments. No committee assignments lost. Nothing at all.
Yes, the GOP does it more. Way more. That’s part of the reason that I support Democrats. But my own party has a problem and my own party ignores it.
Comment by VonKlutzenplatz Friday, Jun 21, 13 @ 9:18 am
Racism and bigotry are ugly, but so are “double standards.”
For the record, I voted for Hillary R. Clinton in the 2008 primary because of the noises emanating from the Trinity United Church of Christ that I found hard to ignore in good conscience.
Comment by Esquire Friday, Jun 21, 13 @ 10:04 am
@ Esquire -
The former pastor of Trinity UCC who made “the noises” about inequality in America was not on the ballot in the 2008 primary.
For the record, I recall my very white, very Lutheran pastor using similar blunt language while discussing sinners — greed, selfishness, etc. — from the pulpit. I also recall frequent mention of similar blunt language among hard core right wing televangelists.
Bottom line, I don’t think a given pastor using the “d” word is all that unique.
Comment by A. Nonymous Friday, Jun 21, 13 @ 10:43 am
A. Non,
While it didn’t impact my vote (as a lakefront guy, I had to support the home team), I also wouldn’t try to justify the actions of Rev. Wright.
The President clearly and unequivocally condemned the remarks.
Interesting that you would not do the same.
Again, it goes to my point that my own party has far too many who accept conduct when it is coming from our own side.
It serves to reduce racism from a major problem to a political prop.
If it is a major problem (and I think it is) we need to be as aware of it when it comes from our side as when it comes from the other side.
We can’t express outrage when others do it, but try to explain it away when we do it.
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