Ah, spring, when a young man's fancy turns to love, and minor Republican officials start emailing racist JPEGs about the Obama family to one another. This week's casual racist: Orange County Republican Party central committee member Marilyn Davenport.

Davenport—a "Tea Party activist" (aren't they all?)—emailed the above image, accompanied by the caption "Now you know why no birth certificate," to several fellow conservatives. Prominent Orange County Republicans, including the party's current chair Scott Baugh, have denounced the email in no uncertain terms—Baugh called it "despicable" and "dripping with racism"—but Davenport says she won't resign. And also that she has "friends who are black." (In Orange County? Is she sure about that?) And also that there is a "double standard" about President Obama.

Anyway, guess what? Back in 2009 Davenport defended Los Alamitos Mayor Dean Grose, the Republican who sent the infamous image of the White House with a watermelon patch. And yet! She still sent this email. Marilyn! How dumb can you be?

[OC Weekly]