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Orange County Republicans have censured an official who sent an email that included President Obama's face superimposed on that of a chimpanzee with the words "Now you know why - No birth certificate!" County GOP Chairman Scott Baugh has called for Davenport to resign, something she has refused to do. Baugh had said the email was "dripping with racism and is in very poor taste."

<p>LOS ANGELES — A Southern California Republican Party official was under fire yesterday after allegations she sent an email that included an altered photo depicting President Barack Obama as an ape.</p> <p>An email reportedly sent by party central committee member Marilyn Davenport shows an image, posed like a family portrait, of chimpanzee parents and child, with Obama's face artificially superimposed on the child. Text beneath the photo reads, "Now you know why no birth certificate."</p>

LOS ANGELES – A Southern California Republican Party official was under fire Saturday after allegations she sent an email that included an altered photo depicting President Barack Obama as an ape. An e-mail reportedly sent by party central committee member Marilyn Davenport shows an image, posed like a family portrait, of chimpanzee parents and child, with Obama's face artificially superimposed on the child. Text beneath the photo reads, "Now you know why no birth certificate." Davenport, when reached by The Associated Press, said she would provide a written statement with her response, but several hours later she had not issued...

A member of the Tea Party has sent a racist email with a picture of Barack Obama and his parents as chimpanzees, it has been revealed. The email sent by Marilyn Davenport, a Southern California Tea Party activist and member of the central committee of the Orange County Republican Party, was titled: 'Now you know why - no birth certificate.' The attached picture showed a mocked-up photo of the President as a baby chimpanzee being held by his so-called parents - also chimps in human clothing. Racist: The email, which included a picture of the Obama family as chimps, was...

This afternoon, Marilyn Davenport sent an email to fellow Orange County Republican elected officials, apologized if anyone was offended and blasted the "liberal media" for reporting the story. "I simply found it amusing regarding the character of [President Barack] Obama and all the questions surrounding his origin of birth," Davenport wrote. "In no way did I even consider the fact he's half black when I sent out the email. In fact, the thought never entered my mind until one or two other people [Scott Baugh, Orange County GOP boss and Moxley] tried to make this about race . . ....

Even as the nation’s best-known governor refuses to say whether he will oppose a new oil tax contained in a November ballot initiative, several leading conservatives steadfastly stand by him. “The Democrats of Sacramento represent a tax-and-spend agenda that is not likely to change,” wrote the GOP’s “great right hope” of ‘02, Bill Simon Jr., in the latest American Spectator. “The governor could go a long way if he represented a stark contrast to that agenda. People like candidates with a vision, and Schwarzenegger has a reform-minded one.” On the balance, Arnold’s been a great governor,” Scott Baugh, former GOP...

OC Republican Party Chairman Scott Baugh invited me to attend a small get-acquainted lunch on November 20 with Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner. As readers know, Poizner is already running hard for the Republican gubernatorial nomination in 2010. This was the first time I had listened at any length to Poizner, and I came away with an overall positive impression. Poizner brings a number of strong qualities to his campaign: he's energetic, articulate, personable and has a sense of humor. And let's face it: his ability to self-fund from his personal fortune is a tremendous asset for a Republican in a...

... "I am not going to quit this race and I am going to win this race," Nguyen told reporters called to his campaign headquarters for a press conference. .... Campaign spokesman Bill Braniff conceded someone close to the campaign, in fact, wrote the letter, which was later translated to Spanish and sent out. "I acknowledge that somebody connected with the campaign did draft it," said Braniff, adding that the translation of the text had altered its original intent to address only people who were not citizens and thus ineligible to vote. Braniff said an initial English-language draft of the...

10-19) 18:14 PDT Garden Grove, Calif. (AP) -- Orange County Republican leaders on Thursday called for the withdrawal of a GOP congressional candidate who has acknowledged that his campaign sent a letter threatening Hispanic immigrant voters. County Republican Chairman Scott Baugh told The Associated Press that the party's executive committee voted unanimously to ask candidate Tan D. Nguyen to pull out. Nguyen's attorney said Thursday night his client has no intention of quitting. Earlier Thursday, Nguyen told The Associated Press he has fired a campaign staffer who may have been the source of the letter that falsely told Hispanics immigrants...

The New Majority Committee burst onto the scene five years ago with a flurry of political gunfire and a manifesto calling for reform of the county Republican Party. A civil war erupted, with the millionaires of the New Majority funding a $300,000 takeover attempt and the GOP establishment turning from battles with Democrats to fend off the insurgency. Today when the former combatants meet, you can practically hear strains of "Kumbaya" wafting in the air. The New Majority's drive to bring an abortion-rights, pro-gun control, pro-minority faction into the party has lost its aggressive, strident tone - to the point...

Scott Baugh shows off his back yard with the unabashed glee of a schoolboy with his first bicycle. Then he goes through photos of a recent dinner there, pointing to his guests with the same guileless enthusiasm.The Huntington Beach back yard features a lagoon-like pool that includes a waterfall, waterslide, footbridge, spa, kids' pool, and swim-up bar with a palm-frond sunshade. Friends have dubbed the suburban expanse "Mandalay Baugh."And his guests? U.S. Sen. John Sununu, New York First Lady Libby Pataki, Rep. Ed Royce, former Secretary of State Bill Jones and a collection of the county's top politicos. Not that...

The Republican left Posted: April 8, 20041:00 a.m. Eastern © 2004 Newspaper Enterprise Assn. "In politics," Richard Nixon once astutely observed, "no victory is ever complete." No matter how overwhelming the national landslide racked up by one party, some particularly obnoxious representative of the defeated party will always ruin the victor's day by winning his or her personal re-election. And, within each party, there will always be those who insist on behaving as much like members of the other party as possible. Thus, the Democrats have to live with the fact that Zell Miller is a Democratic senator from Georgia, even though...

by John Gizzi Posted Mar 30, 2004 Orange County Republican Chairman Tom Fuentes, dean of party leaders in the Golden State's 58 counties, is retiring after a record 20 years of service. Fuentes became chairman in 1984 at age 35. A successful businessman in the civil engineering field, he used his private-sector management skills to rebuild a party that had been living a "hand-to-mouth" existence. Today, it boasts a full-time staff and headquarters, and a bi-annual budget of $1 million. Fuentes also led the party in dealing with Orange County's demographic changes. As Democrats began making inroads in a region...

<p>"Free at last, free at last, thank God, I'm free at last." Fuentes, who ably guided the party's membership drives, voting efforts and fund-raising activities since 1984, has plenty to do now that this volunteer job is over. He serves on numerous organization boards and will remain deeply involved in Republican politics.</p>

Fuentes to leave helm of O.C. Republicans Under recent pressure to resign, GOP boss offers no explanation. LEAVING: GOP Assembly candidate Van Tran, left, shakes hands with Tom Fuentes after the resignation announcement. COSTA MESA – Orange County Republican boss Tom Fuentes announced Monday that he'll resign next month, ending several years of behind-the-scenes jockeying to persuade the GOP icon to step down. "I will return to the floor of this body to work with you," Fuentes told the county party's governing Central Committee at its monthly meeting at the Sutton Place Hotel. "I will continue to walk with you,...