Tea Party group defends depicting Obama as skunk

HUTCHINSON, Kan. - A tea party group in Kansas says its depiction of President Barack Obama as a skunk is satire, not racism as the leader of a civil rights group alleges.

Hutchinson-based Patriot Freedom Alliance says on its website that like the president, the skunk is "half black, half white, and almost everything it does stinks."

The Hutchinson News reports local NAACP president Darrell Pope sees no humor in the depiction, which he calls a blatant statement of racism.

Local tea party supporter Chuck Sankey says former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has been the target of worse insults than what's on the website.

Patriot Freedom Alliance meets regularly and has hosted rallies in the Hutchinson Sports Arena.

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by RepubsSuck December 13, 2011 11:31 AM EST: "Local tea party supporter Chuck Sankey says former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin has been the target of worse insults than what's on the website."

Hey Chuck, nice try but Sarah Palin was not, and is not, President of the United States and therein lies the disrespectful difference. And we're supposed to believe that you're not smart enough to somehow know that...right, and the KKK embraces Jews too!; Reply to this comment

by usdefender1 December 12, 2011 10:35 PM EST

Obama can't be a Skunk. Skunks don't tell big untruthful stories, or use a teleprompter...

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by steeepe December 13, 2011 11:44 AM EST: Teleprompter! The horror!!! Wow, how could anybody ever use a teleprompter? That should disqualify him from public office right away. I'm glad you focus on the most important issues that face the country. Thanks!


by sweetgurlinmay December 12, 2011 6:08 PM EST: The problem with the skunk reference is that it seeks to denigrate the president's humanity and it appeals to a very ugly racist underbelly within our society and it coarsens the public debate. Have politicians been historically debased in cartoons in an ugly and vicious manner? Yes, they have, Is this the right thing to do? NO, however, the specter of race has never been an issue due to the previous presidents being all white. Furthermore, the primary issue is that whatever disagreements one may have with the Obama administration, this has nothing to do with his genetic makeup, nor his biracial racial status. It would be akin to using a person's eye color or weight as a tool to demonize. Sadly, the United States has a history of racial injustice and humiliating other people base on race. There is no place for this in our politics, there are plenty of legitimate issues on which to disagree with President Obama and these grievances should be voiced, but the Tea Party only belittles itself and loses any possible supporters or credibility with the horrendous ugliness of race as its backdrop; Reply to this comment


by Zann-Zel December 12, 2011 3:19 PM EST: by al-glob December 12, 2011 1:52 PM EST
Hi Zel,
I wanted to vote for Hillary in 2008, knowing that she was the most learned & competent of anyone running.
I now consider myself a Tea Party person because just speaking for myself, I know from experience that teaching helplessness & dependence on another or govt will ultimately bring un-happiness & un-fullfilling lives. That's sad to me.
I think Hillary is smarter than Obama & knows how to truely help those that actually require help.
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So you were a Hillary supporter. So was I. So AM I!
But let me ask you this - Did you ever sit down and compare their websites, their platforms? They were practially Identical! The only difference was that Hillary's healthcare plan did not include a penalty & Obama's did. So let go of your anger that he won the primary! ; ); Reply to this comment

by dagrandma December 12, 2011 3:12 PM EST

Once again the Tea Party crosses the racism line but accuses the left of being racist because the left doesn't get their little joke. How about this for humor: I'm going to start associating Republican presidential candidates with planets. Let's see, there's Uranus....and Uranus....and Uranus...and Uranus...oh well, nevermind.

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by RepubsSuck December 13, 2011 11:35 AM EST: ...and they are terrible at even trying to disguise their racism. I agree with you though, I think all of the GOP candidates, Tea Baggers and even the next white president of the US I will call him/her the dreaded white female "C" word and see if that flies....


by stevex47 December 12, 2011 2:47 PM EST: tea birthers are kinda like lost sheep.

Their sheepherders palin, trump and cain quit on them. Awwww....; Reply to this comment


by ariz_1944 December 12, 2011 2:21 PM EST: Am rapidly discovering that there is NOTHING that the VILE TEA-BAGGER PIGS will NOT SAY, or DO!! Am ashamed to even admit that THEY LIVE in AMERICA!! Hope they ALSO quickly go the way of the CARPET-BAGGERS, KKK, and all other un-AMERICAN Groups!! They are PROOF that ABORTION MUST BE KEPT LEGAL, and in their case, SHOULD BE MADE RETRO-ACTIVE!!! KEEP AMERICA ALL-AMERICAN!! NO RACIST ATTITUDES ALLOWED!! REMEMBER "WE THE PEOPLE" Refers to ALL AMERICANS, not just WHITE, but ALL!!!!!; Reply to this comment

by 1988JAck December 12, 2011 2:00 PM EST

Sick people, the Tea Partiers, they are too radical for America. Vote all out of office.

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by Former_Marine_Sgt December 12, 2011 3:06 PM EST: I,m not sure we have any registered Tea Party members in office.
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We have alot of them that claim to be. Bachmann being one of the most vocal.

by mountainstates1 December 12, 2011 1:55 PM EST

Tea Partiers are nothing but vile, anti-American scum. The people they pushed into office last fall have not done one thing to create jobs and have only suceeded in making the rich richer, and the poor poorer. Tea Partiers, you are a bunch of un-educated, unpatriotic, narrow-minded dolts.!

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by democracy8 December 12, 2011 2:43 PM EST: America_is_Great: Are the Democrats in control? The House is controlled by the Republicans and nothing can really get done in the Senate unless something is passed by the House first. So, where are the Jobs the Republicans said they would push for???

by minermanal December 12, 2011 1:47 PM EST

Does it make a white person racist when they say that President Obama is black? Does it make a black person racist when they say that former President Bush is white. It is not being racist, it is just a statement of fact. Is President Obama half black and half white? His father was black and his mother was white. The President states he is multiracial. If he admits that he is half and half, where is the racism in using the skunk as an example? I think that his policies stink so the imagery works perfectly. If he were white and Republicican the Dems would say he was Hitler or call him a Nazi (oops they did that already). They would say he is a dumb hick from texas (oops they did that already also). Liberals are about the most racist people on the planet and happily hide that fact by calling everyone else racist to deflect attention from themselves.

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by mountainstates1 December 12, 2011 1:57 PM EST: Go "boo" some of our returning troops like you conservatives did at your last presdential debate...that will make you feel better about being an anti-American Republican!


by minermanal December 12, 2011 2:15 PM EST: You mean the whole two or three people in crowd who booed? LOL. Conservatives love our troops. Could it be that the people who booed dislike the idea that gay people should be in the military? Or that gay troops should be able to get married in the base chapel? Does it make them bigoted to believe so? Everyone is entitled to their own opinion. BTW I am a VET and I find your comment offensive (even though you are entitled too it since it is your opinion).