Judge's racist, misogynist email targets Obama's mom

--- Sponsored Email --- Dear National Memo Reader:  Racism and misogyny are abhorrent in American public life -- especially among judges, who are supposed to dispense justice fairly and without bias. While judges are entitled to their private political opinions, a high-ranking Federal judge has used his government email address to send out a hateful, racist and misogynist joke about President Obama's late mother. Please consider the following message from People For the American Way about this outrageous misconduct and what you can do about it. Sincerely, Harold Itzkowitz Associate Publisher for The National Memo Team

A Tea Partier federal judge was so blinded by his hate for President Obama that he used his official email to forward a disgusting "joke" attacking the president's deceased mother. Check out the forwarded email and sign our petition telling the judge to step down now. "The only reason I can explain it to you is I am not a fan of our president, but this goes beyond not being a fan. I didn't send it as racist, although that's what it is. Is sent it out because it's anti-Obama." -- Judge Cebull Dear Activist , Have you heard about the Montana federal judge who got caught forwarding a disgusting racist, misogynist "joke" about President Obama's deceased mother? Sign our petition now telling him to do the right thing and RESIGN his post as chief judge of the Federal District Court for Montana. Judge Richard Cebull, the chief Federal District Court judge in Montana, admitted that sending the email to his personal contacts -- from his official email account on a government computer -- showed "terrible judgment" and that he was aware that the joke was racist, but that he did not send it because it was racist. He sent it because it was "anti-Obama." And, in his eyes, that made it okay. See the outrageous email he sent and sign our petition urging Judge Cebull to step down now. Judge Cebull submitted himself for disciplinary review to the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, which has jurisdiction over Montana, and wrote a seemingly sincere apology to the president in which he said, "Honestly, I don't know what else I can do." Well that's easy -- he can and should resign. PFAW called for his resignation, and we were soon joined by editorial boards both in Montana and at the New York Times. Please add your voice to the call for Judge Cebull's resignation too. See Judge Cebull's shocking email and sign PFAW's petition now. Judge Cebull's hatred for the president is so extreme that he forwarded on a very personal attack that he KNEW was racist and tasteless. He did it because it was, in his words, "anti-Obama." Welcome to the Tea Party Era. The Far Right's hate rhetoric against this president has created an environment where even people who should know better consider racist, misogynist attacks ... even attacks on his deceased mother, fair game. Nothing is out of bounds if its purpose is to denigrate or hurt the president. You've heard the term "snow blind" -- Judge Cebull was "hate blind." And that hate blindness surely led to his transgression. Regardless of what led to it, his action clearly shows a severe lack of judgment, potential bias, and a temperament unbecoming of a federal judge. He needs to step down now. Sign our petition now urging Judge Cebull to resign. Thank you for standing up against Tea Party extremism and right-wing hate. -- Ben Betz, Online Strategy Manager P.S. A federal judge is free to hate the president and his policies, just as other Americans are. And he is free to privately tell his friends that. But Judge Cebull used his official government email address to make a statement that has now become very public. It is important that Americans see their judges as neutral arbiters, not as political figures. Therefore, it is imperative that Judge Cebull resign.     pfaw.org  |  privacy policy  |  subscribe   |    |  contact us | Facebook  |  Twitter  |  YouTube   Do not reply directly to this e-mail. Please use pfaw@pfaw.org. 1101 15th Street, NW, Suite 600, Washington, DC 20005-5002, 202-467-4999