Alaska Investigating Racist E-Mails

(AP)  Alaska officials are investigating racist jokes about President-elect Barack Obama that have been circulating on state government e-mail accounts.

One of the five e-mails obtained by The Associated Press asks about the outcome of the Democrat's victory after all the time and money invested and concludes: "Another black family living in government housing!"

State officials were unaware of the e-mails until asked about them by the AP.

Three of the racist messages were confirmed by the state's information technology division after an electronic search of the government's e-mail system, Administration Commissioner Annette Kreitzer said Wednesday.

"It's embarrassing to the state," she said.

Kreitzer said she alerted the office of Gov. Sarah Palin - the failed Republican vice presidential candidate - about the e-mails.

Bill McAllister, Palin's spokesman, said in an e-mail that the matter concerned individual actions taken by a handful of state employees among thousands.

"My understanding is that the Department of Administration is following up on this with the individuals who took action to forward the offensive e-mails," he said. "This is, of course, a confidential personnel and disciplinary matter that has nothing to do with the governor's office."

The Rev. Alonzo Patterson, state chairman of the Alaska Black Leadership Conference, encouraged Palin to address the e-mails.

"They're doing that in a state setting," he said. "She should condemn it."

Officials were not releasing the names or positions of workers involved.

It appears the original e-mails were sent to state employees from outside the state system, but some state employees forwarded them.

It was not immediately clear how many workers were involved in forwarding the e-mails.

The personnel files of state workers who circulated the jokes will be examined for a pattern of similar behavior, Kreitzer said. Discipline will be determined by past behaviors and could range from diversity training to letters of reprimand, she said.

The state was investigating whether the two other e-mails given to the AP also were in the state system, Kreitzer said.

[dagrandma]

There are some truly vile e-mails out there about the president-elect, several of which have been e-mailed to me by someone with whom I will never e-mail again. I don''t think it is right or fair that the employees of the state of Alaska are sending these e-mails on state-owned computers on state time.

[dagrandma]

I can only hope that Congress authorizes the one million dollars for the Michelle Obama facelift - I would approve that money to get that ugly puss CHANGED. I mean come on - it looks like a 18 wheeler smacked her in the face. It is a disgrace to this country and we should bail out the incoming frist lady.
Posted by StutteringBO

Well, StutteringBO, what do YOU look like? Do you think Michelle should go to Hollywood where she can begin to like all those doll babies out there who are 70% plastic?

[awash77014]

geez, the Governor really put the great state of Alaska on the map!

[barbjc1]

To Rafterman1,
You have misinterpreting my message. Perhaps I did not make it clear. Let me try again, what I meant when are the American people going to stop tolerating the news media that continues to feed racism. Also, who hollers first, the so-called Black leadership, that hasn''t done a thing since Martin L. King to improve the education or mentality of a large majority of the black population.
Even Bill Cosby has come out and told the black population to stop blaming "whites" for their problems.
Some of the best friends I have ever had while living around the WashD D.C. area were black women. So do not try to suggest that I am a racist. I know some whites that are trashier than any blacks I have ever met.
Again I ask who and how much did the AP pay someone to come up with this anyway?

[longtree-2009]

names and positions should be published. after all, their wages or salaries are paid by taxpayers. in this the 21st century such behavior should not be tolerated and it should result in immediate dismissal of all parties involved. simple really. but palin is in charge, so nothing will happen to anyone.

[whymayiask]

There are way to many other problems facing this nation. Honestly, who cares about some Obama bashing jokes. Bush sure got his fair share of them. Oh yeah! I forgot that pesky double standard.

[inventagod2]

"This is, of course, a confidential personnel and disciplinary matter that has nothing to do with the governor''s office."

mmm hmmm

[jmagarotz]

I take it you''''re not a big fan of Palin then....

Posted by earache4 at 09:52 AM : Dec 18, 2008

I don''t know, she''s smarter than some of those commenting on this site.

[wdrussell1]

Cheer up Stutt, you are the problem. Be happy you live in the US, where a limpwristed wussy like you can showoff your ignorance.

[jmagarotz]

But the ones that are racist are 99 percent Republicans and conservative. Deal with that fact.


Posted by Rafterman1 at 09:13 AM : Dec 18, 2008

And you''re another libtard that believes everything the media tells you. All idiots disgust me equally no matter their race, religion or creed.