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GOP Activist: Gorilla on Lam Just Michelle's Ancestor

South Carolina Republican apologizes, sort of, for racist remark

By Jason Farago,  Newser Staff

Posted Jun 15, 2009 7:07 AM CDT

(Newser) – Turns out that pegging a primate as a member of the first lady's family tree on a public website might not be the best career move, as an activist in the South Carolina GOP is finding out. Rusty DePass has apologized after making a comment on a friend's Facebook photo of a gorilla that had escaped from a local zoo, reports local TV station WIS—"I'm sure it's just one of Michelle's ancestors—probably harmless."

Fellow Republicans tried to distance themselves from the comment, and the mayor of Columbia said that DePass should apologize for the "racist" statement. DePass said in an interview he was "as sorry as I can be if I offended anyone" but went on to insist that "the comment was hers, not mine." He said that the first lady had recently stated that all humans are descended from apes, but there have been no reports of any such speech.

Sarah Brown, Carla Bruni and Michelle Obama attend a ceremony to mark the 65th Anniversary of the D-day landings in Normandy, Saturday, June 6, 2009.
Sarah Brown, Carla Bruni and Michelle Obama attend a ceremony to mark the 65th Anniversary of the D-day landings in Normandy, Saturday, June 6, 2009.   (AP Photo/Francois Mori)
Michelle Obama poses with third grade students at Ferebee-Hope Community School in southeast Washington.
Michelle Obama poses with third grade students at Ferebee-Hope Community School in southeast Washington.   (AP Photo/Manuel Balce Ceneta,)
First lady Michelle Obama walks the family dog, Bo, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, June 14, 2009.
First lady Michelle Obama walks the family dog, Bo, on the South Lawn of the White House in Washington, Sunday, June 14, 2009.   (AP Photo/J. Scott Applewhite)
Carla Bruni and Michelle Obama, reacting  during an arrival ceremony at the Prefecture of Caen, northwestern France.
Carla Bruni and Michelle Obama, reacting during an arrival ceremony at the Prefecture of Caen, northwestern France.   (AP Photo/Bob Edme,File)
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COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 39 comments
MarkFL
Jun 16, 2009 12:25 PM CDT
LiberalJesus, I do believe you just SAVED me (from having to write a similar comment).
Toon
Jun 16, 2009 12:20 PM CDT
Not the right comment to make when the Republican party is trying to claim that the Holocaust Museum shooter is not a conservative.
zygote
Jun 16, 2009 5:07 AM CDT
Someone needs to take English lessons--Derni?

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