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| Judge Richard Cebull. |
Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull on Wednesday admitted to sending a racially charged email about President Barack Obama from his courthouse chambers.
Cebull, of Billings, was nominated by former President George W. Bush and received his commission in 2001 and has served as chief judge for the District of Montana since 2008.
The subject line of the email, which Cebull sent from his official courthouse email address on Feb. 20 at 3:42 p.m., reads: "A MOM'S MEMORY."
The forwarded text reads as follow:
"Normally I don't send or forward a lot of these, but even by my standards, it was a bit touching. I want all of my friends to feel what I felt when I read this. Hope it touches your heart like it did mine. "A little boy said to his mother; 'Mommy, how come I'm black and you're white?'" the email joke reads. "His mother replied, 'Don't even go there Barack! From what I can remember about that party, you're lucky you don't bark!'"
The judge acknowledges that the e-mail is racist but claims he did not intend for it to become public. Like that makes it better!
"It was not intended by me in any way to become public," Cebull said. "I apologize to anybody who is offended by it, and I can obviously understand why people would be offended."
Cebull said his brother initially sent him the email, which he forwarded to six of his "old buddies" and acquaintances.
He admitted that he read the email and intended to send it to his friends. "The only reason I can explain it to you is I am not a fan of our president, but this goes beyond not being a fan," Cebull said. "I didn't send it as racist, although that's what it is. I sent it out because it's anti-Obama."
I'm sorry I know everybody expects me to write some witty post eviscerating this asshole, but I am literally so sickened by that level of hate directed at our President that I am almost struck speechless.
However I would really like for some reporter in Montana to take a look at the cases that this judge has presided over, and compare whether or not the black defendants that come before him were treated any differently than the lighter skinned defendants that come before him.
Because I have to say that anybody who felt compelled, scratch that, excited to share this e-mail with his "old buddies," has a very deeply ingrained malignant racism that certainly must have expressed itself in a variety of ways over the years.
OT, but Gryphen, have you seen the explosion of anti-Rush articles in the last hour or so? He's getting it from all sides for that bullshit thing he said about Ms. Fluke. Things, I should say, he doubled down on the stupid.
ReplyDeleteEven some right wingers are condemning him *including* Santorum, who was quoted by CNN as saying Rush was "absurd" in what he said.
Also, the President called Ms. Fluke personally to support her and tell her her parents should be proud of her.
>>>*including* Santorum, who was quoted by CNN as saying Rush was "absurd" in what he said.<<<
DeleteWell it's that free porn thing little Rickie Google Me has a problem with.
Matter of fact he wants to ban porn, many forms of contraception, and drugs like Viagra!
Ooops- my mistake! Rickie Google Me sees nothing wrong with Viagra, it's just the contraception and sex without unwanted babies that has us on the highway to hell.
That's not exactly true. Santorum hardly condemned Limpballs. He gave him a huge out.
DeleteFrom HuffPo:
"'He's being absurd, but that's you know, an entertainer can be absurd,' Santorum told CNN's Wolf Blitzer on 'The Situation Room.' 'He's in a very different business than I am.'
"Santorum stopped short of actually denouncing Limbaugh, who called Fluke a 'slut' and a 'prostitute' for asking that employers and schools include contraception coverage in their health plans. Instead, Santorum criticized the president for his birth control policy."
No rightwingers have outright condemned Limbaugh. He's gotten some very tepid criticism at worst, and it's always accompanied by attacks on Obama's contraceptive policy, to emphasize that they still agree with Limpball's larger point.
They don't dare criticize their Dear Leader in any meaningful way because they are terrified of being eviscerated by him themselves. They don't dare, and they won't, so please don't give them credit for doing it. They deserve zero credit.
I thought judges were supposed to be objective. Republican judges, these days, are the most hateful and bigoted I have ever seen. Have they always been this way or is it just today's political climate?
ReplyDeleteAnti President Obama would have been discussing alternatives to his policies. Racist is what that email was. If that judge is so stupid he can't tell the difference and sent it anyway, he should be booted from the bench and his law degree and bar exam passing questioned severely.
ReplyDeleteI wonder how the judge would feel if someone said something like that about HIS mother.
ReplyDeleteMOST republicans are RACISTS who can't stand the fact that a successful, intelligent black man was elected president of our country. I can't wait until November when they realize President Obama will be re-elected! This judge should lose his job.
ReplyDeleteWhat a surprise!! An old, white, Republican sending a racist e-mail. Who would have thought that would ever happen???????
ReplyDeleteI read somewhere yesterday that the 9th Circuit has opened an investigation of the judge. Hope that's true and he's impeached.
ReplyDeleteI haven't seen that, but I do hope it's true. This has to be classified as an impeachable offense.
Delete>>>I read somewhere yesterday that the 9th Circuit has opened an investigation of the judge<<<
DeleteThe judge asked for the review himself.
>>>The Judicial Council of the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals opened a misconduct review of Montana's chief federal District Court judge for forwarding a racially charged email about President Obama from his courthouse computer.
Judge Richard F. Cebull asked for the review as calls mounted Thursday for his immediate resignation. Legal ethics experts predicted the incident would result in a public admonishment.
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/nation/la-na-montana-judge-20120302,0,2200737.story<<<
The most he will likely get is two lashes with a wet noodle. That might be a public admonishment- or if he's lucky a private one. See the link.
Resign? Impeached? Serious sanction? Not likely.
Absolutely disgusting! I would not be surprised if under that black robe we find a white one... along with a pointy hat/mask tucked away in a closet. What a sick excuse of a man, let alone a judge. Yet another terrific and well-reasoned Bush appointment. It makes me wonder how many other racists in a position of power there are (very scary!)
ReplyDeleteImpeach his ass.
ReplyDeleteO/T Julianna Moore is on the Daily Show on Tuesday March 6.
ReplyDeleteYay! Thanks for letting us know.
DeleteAlicat
After President Obama was elected I got a racist email from a person that know my parents. You know what I did? I deleted it and blocked her email address. That's what you do with garbage. How on earth a judge can have such bad judgement is beyond me. I think it was Dylan Ratigan that said the number one reason to vote for Obama is the appointment of judges. I have, for several years now, been doing my research on judges before I vote.
ReplyDeleteHere is a website I use:
http://judgepedia.org/index.php/Main_Page
This is what wikipedia has to say about the appointments.
...As of February 2012, most federal appeals courts still had a majority of Republican appointees...
Here is the link:
http://tinyurl.com/6u8qeth
Alicat
Also note: This kind of thing has gone on for ages. Only it used to be that the good-old-boy bigots who control the power structure would snicker over their vicious jokes in exclusive clubs where no one was the wiser. There's a brief window of time now when the older generation doesn't "get" that there's no such thing as privacy on the Internet. That's why this guy tried to get away with the --I just meant to send it to my friends-- defense. We need to take advantage of this window of time to make major changes before the next generation of good-old-boy bigots moves into position in the corrupt military-industrial-media-government complex. As Bruce Springsteen says in his upcoming album, "Bring on Your Wrecking Ball!"
ReplyDeleteBruce Springsteen discusses "Wrecking Ball"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEdX2IT41eE
Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band - "Wrecking Ball" (Live At Giants Stadium)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lqASHIMbkcg
Judges are supposed to recuse themselves in any case they they know the person personally( they are suppsoed to find out if there would be any problem ) or have a bias. How could any one of certain races or liberal people feel that they would be getting anything but the shaft but that is the way of this country now bunch of natzies. heard wis has a bill where a single parent would be charged with neglect. Georgia one that there will be no marches or people protesting if they don't like the reason so If you don't think like a republican.
ReplyDeletePeople are going to have to fight back against all these natzies in the clothes of reb and teabaggers.
Ah, but Montana is 89% WHITE, so I doubt this judge has even met a black man, let alone had coffee with him. The people in Montana are there for a reason, just like Wyoming...they don't mix with 'others,' whom they consider to be less than human and certainly not worthy of any rights.
DeleteMontana has also been in the news for its militia/anti government types.
DeleteHis "judgement" speaks for itself...........
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/02/28/obama-birther-lawsuit-race-gordon-warren-epperly_n_1307938.html?ref=mostpopular
ReplyDeletethis epperly guy sounds lovely...is he apart of the secessionists? no woman nor non white citizen is eligible for elected office (says he)
The 14th Amendment these guys like to promote for their purposes is the amendment giving former slaves citizenship, the vote and other civil rights. Men only of course. Maybe we should start using Section 3 of that Amendment to respond to some of the anti-government BS that also comes from these guys.
DeleteAmendment XIV, Section 3: No person shall be a Senator or Representative in Congress, or elector of President and Vice-President, or hold any office, civil or military, under the United States, or under any State, who, having previously taken an oath, as a member of Congress,or as an officer of the United States, or as a member of any State legislature, or as an executive or judicial officer of any State, to support the Constitution of the United States, shall have engaged in insurrection or rebellion against the same, or given aid or comfort to the enemies thereof. But Congress may by a vote of two-thirds of each House, remove such disability.
Yuck. When I lived in Montana, I recall a few other Montanans like this man.
ReplyDeleteThey hate government, except when government socialism works in their favor (career, benefits, perks). A local or city, county, state or federal job or monies from one or more of those entities for contracted work.
They'll also go on and on about native Montanans. Which means, native born, yet white people who've been there for the last hundred to two hundred years or so. Yet some people like him won't include people who've been in Montana longer. Such as native Americans as native Montanans to white people who use the term don't include non-white people.
I hope this racist douche loses his cushy federal job. He's a racist and pretends not to be. Though he could be stupid and naive, yet in that case, he's not a good federal level judge.
And this guy has federal benefits forever and a job that can last forever. So much for small government for the right wingers! They just don't want government to work for the rest of us.
DeleteBeaglemom
What can we do from across America to get this asshole off the bench? He needs to be made 'an example of a racist' and fired/removed. Anyone have ideas who we contact - emails - phone number? I have no clue!
ReplyDeleteI just wrote to all the senior executives over Limbaugh's show asking that he be removed from the air. I also made a copy of all the companies supporting/endorsing his show and will not purchase their products. Plus, plan to contact each of those companies.
Limbaugh was just as nasty about the situation today. He is not backing down from what I can see so far! Perhaps he will if his ratings drop and the sponsors remove themselves from his show. His assault on women is idiotic...! What friggin jerks we have on the extreme right!
Thank God, we have our calm, kind, respectful and smart, President Obama. I was delighted to see he called Ms. Fluck - he is so, so smart! He always seems to 'one up' them, doesn't it! He will be reelected, I'm sure! Can hardly wait to vote for him again!
Santa Claus!
ReplyDeleteExactly what I was thinking! Or that Burl Ives snowman character in Rudolf the red nosed raindeer. A racist Burl Ives snowman.
DeleteHe looks like that actor who plays the coroner on CSI (Las Vegas).
DeleteTo even have a person sitting as a judge that would send an email such as that is an indication of the pure rot that has become America. Face it, many would be accepting of that kind of behaviour and have a hard time finding anything wrong with it. To a Canadian this is about on par with the absolute ridiculous fucking mess you are in with the birth control question. What the fuck is wrong with you people?
ReplyDeleteSurely these two example alone are reason to equate your country to the corruption that was Nazi Germany in 1944 just before it all came tumbling down. Add in the picture you posted of the soldier delighting in tortureing the Muslim person lying on the ground and there's little doubt left that you people and your country are the dregs of humanity.
Post that and redeem youself just a little you evil youall cocksucker!
I agree with you and I'm an American! People that call themselves Americans - are supposed christians - and on the extreme right - are the sewage of our country. They make me sick and many of us know that they are bringing a horrid name to our country.
DeleteThank God, we have President Obama and First Lady Michelle representing us. People who are nothing but kind, respectful, smart and well educated people.
I am sick of Palin, Santorum, this particular judge, Gingrich, Limbaugh, and it goes on and on. What friggin assholes!
Jeebus, calm down you sniveling canuck motherfucker! Stop lumping everybody together. We all have our skeletons in the closet.
DeleteYeah, I'm ashamed and frightened at the level of hate that has been unleashed from the bowels of Hell in the Form of the GOP/Teabaggers/Fundie Extremists! The Muslim those soldiers are torturing was actually dead in that picture - and if I remember right was just 15 years old.This is Sarah Palin's kind of people - she probably had her a nice big 'O' looking at that picture of her son's bloodthirsty pal's trophy of a dead Muslim 15 year old noncombatant citizen 'savage'of a country we forced our way into. Her idea of "rill" manly soldiers - luring over an innocent boy, killing him, mutilating the body, posing to capture this exhilarating moment on film to share with the Wasilla VP candidate and her sex trafficking Pimp husband. Fundie Christian Pride!
Deleteany email that starts out "i usually don't forward these on...." are never worth reading.
ReplyDeletei never understood the need to forward any kind of crap in this manner.
and the judge is beyond the pale. boot him out.
What an appropriate name : Richard See Bull.Richard Frank Cebull (born 1944) is a United States federal judge.
ReplyDeleteRichard F. Cebull
Born in Billings, Montana, Cebull received a B.S. from Montana State University in 1966 and a J.D. from the University of Montana Law School in 1969. He was in private practice in Montana from 1969 to 1997. He was a Trial Judge of the Northern Cheyenne Tribal Court from 1970 to 1972.
See, he was born and educated in Montana, and never left. His world view consists of what he was taught by his parents and what he learned in Montana Schools. I doubt the man considers blacks even human.
I read about this shit the other day and all I can say is....it's going to get worse!
ReplyDeleteThe fact that his personal belongings are not boxed up and sitting by the court house door tells me there is something wrong with our system.BP inOR
ReplyDelete"It was not intended by me in any way to become public," Cebull said. "I apologize to anybody who is offended by it, and I can obviously understand why people would be offended."
ReplyDelete~~~~~~~~~~
Right. That's because you'd prefer to keep your obvious racism secret.
KAO
1) Was this email sent on a government computer?
ReplyDelete2) Why doesn't this man resign in disgrace? How can he ever "judge" anyone else again? His disrespect for his country and his job mean he should go do something else.
Absolutely!
DeleteWhat a disgrace.
If I were a black man, I would demand my case be heard in front of another judge.
Okay everyone – including all trolls. I'd like everyone to imagine that this judge was an atheist, and then he made the same comment about Franklin Graham or some other noted Christian. Or, imagine that the judge was a democrat and made the same comment about Dick Cheney during the years of the Bush presidency. Can we all imagine the fire-storm of response from the right - including from congress and the administration itself – that would have ensued? A certain someone from Alaska in THAT situation may even have put the judge within the scopes of her infamous map, so to speak.
DeleteNot saying such outrage would be justified, or that the original act would have been justified. Not at all. I am merely trying to point out the solar-system-sized breadth of difference in responses by the 'righties' between situations where one of their own is the victim of any slight whatsoever, and situations involving their perceived enemies – when they eagerly victimize, trash, and pile it on with a shovel at every opportunity. "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you", is absolutely red-pencil-edited out of all of their bibles and has no place in their course of conduct, no question about it.
Sadly, My Mom is a Tea Bagger and has been forwarding racist screeds against our President from the day in Setember 08 it became apparent that he would win.
ReplyDeleteI have a folder on my hard drive that is FULL of crap like this.
It will take the passing of this 60+ generation to make any real progress. I'm encouraged by the multi-cultural younger generation who in many instances are of mixed ethic backgrounds.
My own two nephews and niece are Half Mexican Half caucasian, and I know it grinds my Mom to this day...
sigh...
Please don't lump all 60+ year olds together. That's ageist - not much better than being racist.
Delete(61 and planning to vote for Pres. Obama again.)
aw, don't feel too bad :) Both my parents are teabaggers too. I can't wait until they start sending me racist stuff this election season, cuz I'm totally gonna cal them out on it.
DeletePlease don't lump together all people over 60. That's called ageism, just as bad as racism. There are plenty of under 60 people who have ugly souls, too.
Delete(61 and voting for President Obama AGAIN.)
As a 65 yo white women, please don't lump all of us into the "60+ generation to make any real progress" - I am a true Obama patriot and I abhor judges such as this one. Not all of us "older" people are teabagger racist idiots! Some us actually are intelligent and support the changes in our country with open arms, hearts, and wallets.
DeleteSo, please don't lump us all in the same basket as your Mom. Some of us evolve with the times, others not so much.
68 and proudly liberal all my life. Agree, though that too many of my age mates have never left behind their '50's era prejudice.
DeleteTypical shit-eating right wing "apology". He's not sorry he sent it, he's just sorry we saw it.
ReplyDeleteThank you, thank you for posting these. I love Springsteen. Just, thank you. Very emotional.
ReplyDeleteCome on, Judge Cebull. You're supposed to be all about accountability. Resign.
ReplyDeleteYears ago now, right after President Obama was selected as our candidate for President, (I know I probably have referred to this before but it has been years) I got an email from a very good friend (?) of mine; it too had a positive title to it like "Obama wows the crowds in Europe" or something. Thinking it was a positive report of his appearances there, I clicked on it and read it only to discover that it was one of those early ones that likened his appearances there to being treated like a "rock star" in an unflattering and critical way (this was before SP entered upon the scene for the GOP and the fact that the crowds went crazy for her and they touted this as being very good of course); the email went on to talk about President Obama's relationship to (I am blocking right now) his acquaintance in Chicago who was deemed a radical in his early years. My point is, it was ugly, it was unnecessary, I felt betrayed, and then I realized this same "friend" had also forwarded emails to me during the Kerry campaign that had to do with the swiftboating incidence. I was livid and I sent her a return email cc'd to all those on her recipient list indicating that 1. she either read the email, and liked it and thus passed it along to me and about 20 other people, or 2. she just willy-nilly forwards emails of this caliber to anyone/everyone on her "recipient list" - neither of which is particularly flattering. I then let her know that I don't want and do not appreciate having "junk email" show up in my box that I do not like! I have never gotten over it. This action on the part of a Judge is many times worse than what happened to me, but I just relate on such a personal level.
ReplyDeleteThe story is about more than one judge doing something wildly inappropriate. It's about a conservative movement in which the bile and animosity directed at the president are so poisonous that even someone who should know better confuses political criticism and sick personal attack.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/michael-b-keegan/blinded-by-the-hate-the-r_b_1317267.html?ref=politics
The whole "I didn't mean for it to go public" could also be said for:
ReplyDeletesex offenders
Child abusers
Spouse abusers
Drug addicts
Child porn distributors
..
The list goes on and on...
Just because "I didn't want it to go public" doesn't mean it isn't who you really are in private...
My husband, an attorney, said that he hopes the 9th Circuit really pounds the Judge for this incident. He told me the 9th Circuit is THE most liberal Circuit in the U.S. (as opposed to the 4th Circuit which is our area and very, very conservative). However, I feel he should do the right thing and resign. It sickens me that he's appointed to the bench for life.
ReplyDeleteSouthern Virginia Voter
The judge should be cited for violation of 4 USC s 8, Respect for Flag:
ReplyDeleteb)The flag should never touch anything beneath it, such as the ground, the floor, water, or merchandise.
d)The flag should never be used as wearing apparel, bedding, or drapery. It should never be festooned, drawn back, nor up, in folds, but always allowed to fall free.
Cebull said: I didn't send it as racist, although that's what it is. I sent it out because it's anti-Obama."
ReplyDeleteNope. You just contradicted yourself with that statement by admitting you knew it was racist but claiming you sent it because it was anti-Obama.
It is in no way anti-Obama but is enormously disrespectful to Obama's mother. It is a vile, filthy piece of writing disguised as a joke -- a very poor one.
You are guilty as charged, Judge, and furthermore a disgrace to the practice of law. Your choice -- your only choice -- is to resign because you will have lost any effectiveness as a judge you may have had in the past.
It is amusing to ponder that the judge may not even have the intellectual ability to imagine that, because he is a judge, God will hold him to a higher standard. Think about that one for a while, righties. Or is the phrase, "love your neighbor as yourself" edited out of your bibles as well? Unfortunately, we all know the answer to that question.
DeleteMontana resident here. We have our share of crazies in the legislature but we have a great governor to balance that out. But I am deeply ashamed of this asshole because it puts a black mark on my beloved state that will take a very long time to wash off. I hope he does the right thing and resign. His judgement and impartiality have seriously undermined and we just don't need this type on the federal, or any, bench.
ReplyDeleteYeah, I read about this the other day; was so outraged I was going to post a link on here. Then, I just didn't have the heart to. I really wanted to put it out of my mind. I can't believe someone could make such a sick, sick joke about our president's mother. Or ANYONE'S mother.
ReplyDeleteGeorge W. Bush.
ReplyDeleteMontana. (Where they are disappointed they didn't reach the 220 limit on killing wolves.)
I think that pretty much explains it all.
I hope there is a way this guy can be impeached and disbarred.
Here is the letter he sent to President Obama.
ReplyDeletehttp://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2012/03/judges_apology_over_racist_obama_email_honestly_i_dont_know_what_else_i_can_do.php?ref=fpblg