'It was political satire': Republican defends sending Obama chimp email... but she says she won't do it again



The Tea Party member who sent an email depicting Barack Obama and his parents as chimps, claimed today it was 'political satire.'

Marilyn Davenport, a 74-year-old elected member of the Orange County Republican Central Committee, apologised again and described her action as 'inappropriate'

But she reiterated she would not resign after criticism from many people within her own party including the local GOP chairman.



'Racist': The offending email, which was sent to a small group of Republican committee members, depicted Barack Obama and his parents as chimps

Speaking for the first time about the controversy, she said: "I feel that it was inappropriate and I offended people.



'I think it's only racist when the intent in my heart is to make it that way, and that was not the intent in my heart.

'Inappropriate': Marilyn Davenport speaking outside her home today in Fullerton, California

'To the President I would say obviously it was inappropriate and I would not do that again. It struck me as political satire.'

The email, sent to a small group Republican committee members, showed Obama's face superimposed on a photo of a baby chimp with two adult chimps in a family photo pose.



Text beneath the picture read: 'Now you know why no birth certificate.'

Davenport said she found the email to be relevant because of questions surrounding President's birthplace.



So-called 'birthers' claim Obama is ineligible to be president because there's no proof he was born in the United States. Hawaii officials, however, have certified Obama was born in that state.



Davenport said: 'My position would be I am concerned. I guess we should know his origin, shouldn't we? ... I guess I wonder why he doesn't tell us.'



Davenport, who represents the 72nd Assembly District in Orange County, said constituents are asking her not to resign.

Yesterday she issued an apology by email asking for forgiveness for her 'unwise behaviour,' just before the local Republican committee met for its monthly summit at a hotel in Irvine.

It said: 'To my fellow Americans and to everyone else who has seen this email I forwarded and was offended by my action, I humbly apologise and ask for your forgiveness of my unwise behaviour.

' I say unwise because at the time I received and forwarded the email, I didn't stop to think about the historic implications and other examples of how this could be offensive.'

Text: Underneath the racist picture were written the words: 'now you know why - no birth certificate'

'I am an imperfect Christian lady who tries her best to live a Christ-like honouring life. I would never do anything to intentionally harm or berate others regardless of ethnicity. Everyone who knows me knows that to be true.'

Davenport received a strongly worded public rebuke from the local Republican Party chairman, who also called for an ethics investigation into the incident.



Speaking on CNN, the county's Republican chairman, Scott Baugh, said: 'There's no question the e-mail is racist.



'The only question is what was in Marilyn's heart, what was her intent.

Remorse: Davenport said she never even thought of the email as racist until 'one or two other people tried to make this about race,' in her apology email

'But I don't think there's anybody on her committee or anybody in the world really that doesn't see it as a racist.



Baugh called for Davenport's resignation when she sent the email and maintained that he still thinks she should go.



'The bottom line is being sorry for something and having a sincere apology doesn't undo the action, it doesn't stop the consequences,' he said.



No response: The White House has not yet commented on Davenport's email

'There's still consequences for what she's done and what she's done will continue to bring controversy to my party so I'm inclined to think at this time that she should still resign from the committee.'



Davenport, who was not present at the meeting, represents the 72nd Assembly District in Orange County on the committee, which is made up of volunteer officials elected for two-year terms.



The group is tasked with fund-raising, campaigning and debating policy for the Republican Party.

The body's ethics committee is now investigating the incident, interviewing Davenport and will make a report back to the executive committee within a week, Baugh said.

Tim Whitacre, a long-time conservative activist in Orange County and representative of the county's 69th Assembly District, spoke in support of Davenport and said he had visited her on Monday afternoon.

He said the 'petite grandmother originally from Kansas' who taught Bible study classes and had a heart condition was terrified by the outcry and had taken her phone off the hook after receiving angry calls.



He asked committee members to forgive her and accept her apology - but said she didn't intend to resign.

Meanwhile the president of the California branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Coloured People decried the email as racist and dismissed Davenport's claims that it was intended as a harmless joke.

The White House has not yet commented on Davenport's email.

