Apologizing Doc Lashes Out At Criticism Over Racist Obama Email, Then Resigns

By GottaLaff

Original post here. Need a refresher?

Dr. David McKalip forwarded to fellow members of a Google listserv affiliated with the Tea Party movement the image [above]. Above it, he wrote: "Funny stuff."

What a peach:

Dr. David McKalip has told fellow conservative activists that thanks to the flap over his racist email showing President Obama as a witch doctor, he will no longer appear publicly in opposition to health-care reform.

"For now, in the interest of protecting this movement from any collateral damage, I am withdrawing from making media appearances on health system reform," McKalip wrote this morning in an email -- obtained by TPMmuckraker -- to fellow members of an online health-care discussion group affiliated with the Tea Party movement.

The email exchange obtained by TPMmuckraker also shows that even McKalip's apology to President Obama last night wasn't quite the heartfelt act of contrition it was presented as.

When McKalip showed the apology to his Tea Party cohorts, he included a separate message just for them -- published earlier by the Florida alt weekly Creative Loafing -- in which he minimized the email as a "lapse in judgment" and blamed the flap on "powerful enemies."

It reads:

I have had a very hard day. When you stand up and fight effectively for freedom and to protect the rights of patients from control by the government and insurance companies - you develop powerful enemies. They have used the opportunity of a lapse in judgment to try to discredit me since they can't discredit my arguments. I am proud of my accomplishments in this fight. I am more proud of the hundreds of thousands of Americans I have come to know who feel as I do and are willing to stand up for freedom. The next few days will be difficult, and I ask for your support.

The emails also show that McKalip's original response to the criticism he began to receive after we revealed his racist email was equally defiant. About an hour after our post went up yesterday morning, he wrote to fellow activists, in an email titled: "Race Baiting by Obama Camp on health care":

Here they come. The first of what likely will be many emails accusing me of being a rascist (sic) for forwarding this email of Obama as a witch doctor. Almost like Hillary and the Obama photo form the presidential campaign.

ADVICE TO ALL: DON'T GET ANGERED AND TAKE THE BAIT ON STUFF LIKE THIS. Remain calm and cool and discuss health policy at all times. The worst they got from me was that people are worried about the health care plans Obama has and that I am busy and had to end the call.

So Talking points memo is apparently painting me as a racist for sending around a picture that points out that health care will get worse if the government takes it over. Looks like I made the top of the list and they BUT THEY DID USE THE ONLY QUOTE I GAVE THEM!! (see below). Apparently they have a professional "Muckraker" for a reporter (see below).

This may be worth doing a story on about how these ultra liberal groups like to race bait and avoid the issue. Professional muckraker? Please. Now they are calling my office phones too!!! Yippee.

Lesson learned: Any attempt to discuss politics will lead to a race-baiting war. Also: Don't engage on anything that looks like personal attacks on Obama. It casues distraction that confuses the issues.

Don't let them bait you. I will choose to ignore them and always talk about the issues.

In response, one recipient, Robin Stublen, listed as the "FL Co-State Coordinator Tea Party Patriots" wrote:

What we cant tell them to kiss our white ass anymore? Man you guys are no fun at all.

[...] McKalip has now resigned as president of the Pinellas County Medical Association.

What an inclusive bunch. That Big Tent just keeps collapsing faster and faster under the weight of all that love, doesn't it?

Much more here.