SPOKANE — The state Democratic Party is targeting Airway Heights Mayor Patrick Rushing with an online petition drive demanding he resign for comments about the president and first lady that “embarrass the entire state.”
State Party Chairman Jaxon Ravens sent out an e-mail Friday afternoon with a “can you believe this?” salutation that accuses Rushing of making racist, sexist and homophobic comments online, including the recently publicized comments about Barack and Michelle Obama. On Facebook, Rushing compared the president to a monkey and Michelle Obama to a gorilla.
Rushing later took down the comments, which he described as banter between friends, said he made a mistake and insisted he isn’t racist.
The Airway Heights City Council, on which he sits, voted 5-1 to ask him to resign. Rushing, who cast the one “no” vote, refused and said resigning would be like admitting he was a racist. But he did deactivate his account with Facebook, which he called a tool of the devil.