We talked yesterday about Maine Republican Party Chairman Charlie Webster, who believes he found evidence of “voter fraud” last week — “dozens of black people” voted in rural areas, he said, which he sees as problematic because “nobody” in those towns “knows anyone who’s black.” Webster said he’d launch a vote-caging scheme to prove these voters were casting illegal ballots.
Yesterday, the Maine Republican talked to TPM, and after falling in a ditch, Webster just kept digging.
Webster said he wasn’t racist and that he had several black friends.
“There’s nothing about me that would be discriminatory. I know black people. I play basketball every Sunday with a black guy. He’s a great friend of mine. Nobody would ever accuse me of suggesting anything,” he said.
How is it possible in this day and age that some folks have never learned about the absurdity of the “some of my best friends” argument?
Nevertheless, Webster told TPM that he “regrets” his choice of words, and by the end of the day, the state GOP chairman was in full retreat. He said in a written statement he’s “truly sorry,” adding that his remarks “do not express the values of the Maine Republican Party.” Webster also noted that he’s also scrapped his idea for a vote-caging scheme.
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