Montana judge apologizes for sending racist joke about Obama and his mother

[brooklynite]

Source: Washington Post

The chief federal district judge in Montana has apologized for sending others a racist joke about President Obama and his mother.

Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull said he passed along the joke because it was “anti-Obama” but acknowledged that it was racist.

Cebull apologized in interviews with the Great Falls Tribune and Billings Gazette.

Read more: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/44/post/montana-judge-apologizes-for-sending-racist-joke-about-obama-and-his-mother/2012/03/01/gIQAZQgfkR_blog.html

---

Personally, when things like this happen, I don't believe in demanding an apology. I'd rather ask the person to explain, for the benefit of the public, what exactly he thought was "funny" and why, and see how he answers.

[msongs]

1. "I am sorry.....that I got caught". nt

[denverbill]

2. Unless the apology was included in his letter of resignation, it's not accepted.

I'd be fired if I emailed a shitty racist joke like that from my work email and got caught. How much worse is it for a federal judge to do it?

[The Wielding Truth]

6. I agree with you. Resignation should be mandatory.

[xtraxritical]

16. He probably will resign and then run for the US Senate.

Just appealing to his base I guess (the lowest common denominator).

[The Magistrate]

3. He Must Resign, Sir: Apology Is Not Nearly Sufficient

The man has less business being a judge than a sponge does.

[CurtEastPoint]

4. Typical GOP non-apology ... "Sorry IF anyone was offended..."

asshole

[Hassin Bin Sober]

5. "Cebull was nominated to the district bench by President George W. Bush"

Golly. What a surprise.

[DallasNE]

9. Where Was The Filibuster When We Needed It

That's snark as I detest the filibuster but it does help point out the difference between Democratic and Republican use of the filibuster that an extremist like this gets confirmed while so many of Obama's people can't get an up or down vote.

This "joke" was horribly sexist as well as being racist. He needs to send a letter personally to President Obama that concludes with "accordingly, please accept my resignation effective immediately".

[nanabugg]

32. Bush should publically ask for him to resign.

[jaysunb]

38. Totally agree !

THAT, would be the ultimate smack down and righting of just one of the mistakes GWB made.

And..it may gain him a small measure of respect from some of us.

[HangOnKids]

39. GWB Never Does The Right Thing

Maybe Cheney can invite the judge hunting and shoot him in the face?

[bakpakr]

7. If I were a defense attorney;

And I had a case and the defendant I was representing were of any color or heritage other that Caucasian that had him slated as the judge I would be smiling from ear to ear.

Also any attorneys that had cases before him should be calling for those cases to be retried based on his DEMONSTRATED bias.

I just love how his judicial career went from set for life to out on his butt in the time it took to push a button.

[freshwest]

10. +1,000

[montanacowboy]

8. I sent this info to Big Eddie last night

I hope he has it on his show

It's all over the Great Falls Trib this morning, big picture of the mofo

[Ptah]

12. Human rights groups, citizens call on Cebull to step down

Human rights groups, citizens call on Cebull to step down

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20120301/NEWS01/120301005/Human-rights-groups-citizens-call-Cebull-step-down?odyssey=mod|breaking|text|Frontpage

HELENA – Human rights groups and citizens from across the country who
are outraged by the revelation of a federal judge’s racist email about
President Barack Obama are now calling on Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull to step down.

<snip>

Travis McAdam, executive director of the Montana Human Rights Network, said citizens
from throughout Montana and across the country are flooding the organization’s phone
lines and email inbox with angry calls for Cebull to be removed from his post as the
state’s top federal judge.

“People are really angry and motivated and wanting to do something,” McAdam said Thursday.

The Montana Human Rights Network and other groups are now circulating
online petitions calling for Cebull to resign.

==============

[RKP5637]

11. Unfit for service as a judge. n/t

[aquart]

13. Not accepted. Resign.

[anti-alec]

14. Apology accepted if...

you resign effective immediately and agree to testify against the BFEE.

[jobycom]

15. Why do people who think racist stuff is so funny always say they aren't racist?

If I heard a joke like that about Clarence Thomas or Alan Keyes, for instance, I would hit delete instead of send, probably after blocking future emails from the sender, even if I don't like the two men.

To do otherwise, your honor, is the definition of racism.

[flpoljunkie]

17. And, explain exactly what was it about this racist joke that 'touched his heart.'

[yardwork]

22. Yes. That was just bizarre and added to the offensiveness of the email. Behavior was repugnant.

[Doctor_J]

18. Why can't he be fired for this?

This piece of shit gets a federal pay check, using my tax money.

[lastlib]

19. "If I offended anyone, I'm sorry I got caught..."eom

[pinto]

21. Yep

[tk2kewl]

20. the operative word in the thread title is "sending"

nt

[movonne]

23. What really gripes me is they say this kind of

stuff and then apology and that takes care of the problem...It should not be enough ... he should step down as a judge...he is a judge and he should not be expressing his racist crap...

[elleng]

24. Off with his head!

That's all, folks.

[cosmicone]

25. How come no one has asked him to resign?

We expect and should expect better from the judges who are the arbiters of right and wrong.

[Doctor_J]

29. because he's a republican

if a Dem judge had said something like this about Bush, (s)he'd have been run out of office the same day, then probably assassinated later that week.

[tblue37]

26. As bad as the racism is, I am even more disgusted by the gross, smarmy

Last edited Thu Mar 1, 2012, 05:14 PM - Edit history (1)

sexual insult against his much beloved and long dead mother!

She was married to her son’s father! She did not get impregnated at some wild party during a drunken orgy in which she engaged in beastiality with dogs, yet that is precisely what the “joke” strongly implies was what led to the president’s conception.

This jerk really should resign over this!

Who thinks it is okay to say such gross, disgusting things about someone’s dead mother?

Oh, that’s right—she was a woman. Therefore, Republicans believe it to be acceptable and appropriate to make any nasty joke about her.

Just imagine the outrage if any Democrat had said something even half that nasty about some Republican’s dead mother!

[lunatica]

27. You can't explain funny

Some people think slipping on dog shit and breaking your leg is funny. The judge would probably start giggling while trying to explain why it's funny to him.

[Skittles]

28. not good enough

this guy has no business judging ANYONE

[Smilo]

30. Too little, too late - nothing less than resignation will work n/t

[Auggie]

31. The judge:

Resign, asshole

[SemperEadem]

33. he should be removed from the bench

or very, heavily censured by the Montana Bar with a letter in his file as he has demonstrated that he does not possess the proper mindset of one who has been entrusted with executing the law.

[Doc Holliday]

34. In a perfect world...

This douche-nozzle would be 'invited' to the White House for a visit with the President. The President would take him someplace where they could have some privacy, and discuss the whole business one-on-one.

First words: "So... you've got something to say about my mother?"

[cloudbase]

35. None of this shit would be happening

if the president had gone all Sgt. Hartman on Joe Wilson.

[HangOnKids]

36. Update More Groups Call For Resignation

http://www.greatfallstribune.com/article/20120301/NEWS01/120301014/UPDATE-4-07-p-m-More-groups-call-Cebull-resign?odyssey=mod|breaking|text|Frontpage

This guy resigns tomorrow at the latest IMHO.

[glinda]

37. Again this needs to be called out. They spew. They apologize. They get away with it.

[rocktivity]

40. “This is a private thing that was, to say the least, very poor judgment on my part,” Cebull said.

Well, it isn't as though his job DEPENDS on how good his judgement is...


rocktivity

[Drunken Irishman]

41. A judge without judgement is unfit. He needs to resign immediately.

[MD20]

42. OBAMA, use your general attorney general to mete out justice on this racist throwback!

Apology not accepted. A full review of every case involving minorities and women that this cretin has ever presided over is my demand. But don't stop there. A federal investigation into the whole cliquish clan is in order.
As Chief justice for the district, his obviously biased judgement has probably had deleterious effects in every
aspect of his domain.

[me b zola]

43. I see it a bit differently

If a judge is caught engaging in racists anything, they should lose their licence to practice law. This judge is unfit.

[ZombieHorde]

45. OK, I'm slow...

how is the joke racist? To me, the joke seems to be saying the mother had sex with lots of people and a dog at a party. Is the joke racist against the mother or the President? What is the joke's commentary on race?

[calvin_re]

46. The joke isn't funny

The judge is an educated person that's why he must act with correct manners. He must be impartial but it seems that he favors some politicians and when he is not in favor to some he would send a disgusting joke.

Here's the joke:

“A little boy said to his mother, ‘Mommy, how come I’m black and you’re white?’ His mother replied, ‘Don’t even go there Barack! From what I can remember about that party, you’re lucky you don’t bark!’”

http://www.newsytype.com/14863-judge-apologizes-to-obama-for-racist-email/

The joke insinuates that the mother of the PRESIDENT had sex with different people and even to a dog. And the reason why he is black is because of the dog. For me the joke is not funny. It is insulting. The mother of the president is already gone. He must at least respect the memory of the president's mother! He must at least respect the position that Obama is holding in this country!