May 9, 2008
Senator Judd Gregg
393 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510Senator John E. Sununu
111 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510Senator John McCain
241 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington, DC 20510Dear Senators Gregg, Sununu and McCain:
In a New Hampshire Republican Party Newsletter dated May 8, 2008, New Hampshire Republican Party Chair Fergus Cullen included a joke suggesting that former President Bill Clinton and former First Lady Hillary Clinton should have been assassinated upon the inauguration of President George W. Bush. The text of the joke is as follows:
HUMOR (Send your family-appropriate political jokes to fergus@nhgop.org):
Almost seven years ago I sat, as did millions of other Americans, and watched as our government underwent a peaceful transition of power. At first, I felt a swell of pride and patriotism as I watched George W. Bush take his oath of office. However, all that pride quickly vanished as I later watched the Clintons board Air Force One for the last time. I saw 21 Marines, in full dress uniform with rifles, fire a 21-gun salute to the outgoing President and first lady. It was then that I realized how far America’s military had deteriorated under the Clinton administration. Every last one of them missed.
This instance of humor is distasteful, inappropriate, and shows incredibly poor judgment on the part of Fergus Cullen. It is in no way, “family friendly” as the criteria for included jokes is implied in the newsletter. There is nothing humorous about assassinating a President, regardless of political affiliation, and such jokes should not be tolerated from a leader of your Party.
I urge you to immediately and publically call Chairman Cullen to resign.
Sincerely,
Ray BuckleyChair, New Hampshire Democratic Party
I would tend not to advocate the punishment of whomever was responsible for this joke, out of a concern for protection of freedom of speech. If his boss wants to fire him, so be it, but beyond that there should be no legal ramifications.
His words represent the members of his party. The implications of such speech is deleterious to the image of the GOP; not to mention, as I have stated, to the honor of our armed forces.
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p>I don’t think he should go to jail, but he may be eligible on a technicallity.
I’d like to see them fire John Sununu instead.
maybe ‘transition’ is a better word.