Second New Hampshire Dem. under fire for joking about Sarah Palin's death, resigns from state House
BY Meena Hartenstein
DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Thursday, August 12th 2010
nydailynews.com
Another New Hamphshire Democrat is taking heat for joking about the possibility of Sarah Palin's death.
Rep. Timothy Horrigan, a N.H. state legislator, resigned from his post and dropped his bid for re-election after making controversial comments about the former Alaska Gov, the Washington Post reports.
"Just for the record, I don't wish Sarah Palin dead...but not merely for compassionate reasons," Horrigan wrote on his Facebook page Wednesday. "I also want her to live because a living Sarah Palin is less dangerous than a dead one."
The state Democratic Party chairman said the posting was “out of line,” according to The Associated Press.
Less than 24 hours later, Horrigan announced he would be stepping down due to the remarks.
"I wish to resign from the House of Representatives effective immediately, and to discontinue my re-election campaign," he wrote in a formal letter to state House speaker Terie Norelli.
"I apologize for thoughtless remarks I made which have brought this House into disrepute."
Horrigan is the second N.H. Dem. this week to joke publicly about Palin's death.
Keith Halloran, a Democratic candidate for state representative, took aim at Palin and her daughter's ex-fiancée Levi Johnston in a Facebook posting following the Alaska plane crash that killed former Sen. Ted Stevens on Monday.
"Just wish Sarah and Levy [sic] were on board," Halloran wrote.
While Halloran has not responded to the GOP fury over his comments, Horrigan seemed remorseful about what he had written.
"I would like to offer a specific apology for making comments about Sarah Palin which could be -- and were -- misconstrued," he wrote on Facebook Thursday, following his resignation announcement.
"She is, as far as I know, not a bad person at all -- and certainly she deserves to live a long and happy life." |
