Ridicule Rains on Republicans; Black Refuses to Fire Staffer for 'Obama Spook' Picture
Marge Schott and Lester Maddox, er, we mean Robin Smith and Bill Hobbs have exited party headquarters, but the laughs just keep coming from Tennessee Republicans.Wonkette was only the first national blog to hurl ridicule their way over the racist "Obama Spook" picture emailed by a staffer for Senate Republican caucus chair Diane Black: 
How are the Republican politicians doing with the email today? Not too good, as usual! It's a busy Monday, as one Republican official already got busted doing racist anti-Michelle Obama stuff on the Facebook, and now we're learning about some super-funny racist emails sent out by a Tennessee GOP legislative staffer for Republican state senator Diane Black. Let's meet the charming Sherri Goforth, who sent the image above to god knows how many people because, ha, a Negro in the White House?There is much knee-slapping over Goforth's explanation that she sent the email to the wrong list:
Yes, yes, Republicans must be careful not to hit the "wrong button" when sending out the racist bullshit. Sadly, our liberal technology sector has yet to create a button that would only send your racist fuckwad idiocy to fellow mouth-breathing racist cretins who think there is NOTHING as funny as the idea of ... people with dark complexions. Even when you're just sending the Funnies to proper white folk, there is still often a "N.L." who will complain about old-fashioned Southern comedy.
Update: House Democratic caucus chair Mike Turner: "It's irresponsible. It's despicable to have that type of racist humor coming out of their caucus. This is blackbird revisited."
Update II: More ridicule, this time from the Atlantic's Ta-Nehisi Coates.
Update III: Democratic Party chair Chip Forrester calls on Black to fire staffer: "Is this indicative of what Senate Republicans think about our Commander-in-Chief? This email is reprehensible, insults the office of the President, and is embarrassing to all Tennesseans regardless of political party."
Update IV: GoldnI on Daily Kos adds Black background:
For those of you not familiar with her boss, Senator Diane Black, she's a Republican who was the main Senate sponsor of S.J.R. 127, a trigger amendment passed this year that, if passed in one more legislative vote and by a ballot initiative, will allow abortion to quickly be banned in Tennessee should Roe v. Wade ever be overturned. She also rudely cancelled a meeting with GLBT activists from her own district (you know, people she was elected to represent) at the last second by saying that they "wouldn't change her mind" and therefore she didn't even need to hear from them. So in other words, a really charming individual who's doing SO MUCH for the people of her district.
Update V: Black finally says something. Goforth sent the email from her state computer. Black says she reprimanded her verbally and in writing, and that's enough:
"I think this was a bad decision on her part," Black says. "She fully understood. ... It really doesn't matter to me why it was sent -- whether it was a mistake or a decision -- it won't be tolerated. ... The communication sent from this office ... does absolutely not reflect my opinions or my beliefs. I won't tolerate those kinds of communications coming from this office."
More Black: "Obviously this communication was done without my knowledge. It absolutely does not reflect my beliefs." Goforth is a 20-year state employee. "She has nothing in her 20 years of ever doing anything inappropriate such as this. She obviously feels very badly about this and people make mistakes and she made a mistake."
Update VI: "It's racism," said Democrat Rep. Johnny Shaw of Bolivar, who is black. "And no one has any business being in state government that is a racist such as this. She should be fired."
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