Dutchess County Republican Committee Chairwoman Corinne Weber has resigned over a chain e-mail she forwarded to party members, some of whom were offended by its content.

Weber forwarded an e-mail to more than two dozen Republicans on Friday night that makes a veiled reference to Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama and suggests he is the Antichrist.

The note, a bit of Internet flotsam that has floated around for months, inaccurately summarizes passages from the Book of Revelation. In fact, it refers to Chapter 13 of the Book of Revelations (sic).

The e-mail contends the “anti-Christ” will be a man in his 40s who is of Muslim descent and has a massive Christ-like appeal, but will destroy everything when he is in power.

The e-mail asks the reader, “Do we recognize this description?”

It also asks readers to post the message as many times “as you can,” including to media outlets.

“I refuse to take a chance on this unknown candidate who came out of nowhere,” the e-mail said.

Though the version forwarded by Weber did not mention Obama by name, earlier incarnations do.

Obama is Christian. The Book of Revelation was written before the prophet Muhammad founded the Islamic religion.

Weber deferred comment Monday to Vice Chairman Michael McCormack.
McCormack said he received a letter of resignation from Weber and he read it aloud at the Dutchess County GOP summit on Saturday.

“Her resignation is based on Corinne’s feeling that she is doing what is right for the Republican Party in Dutchess County,” McCormack said. “The contents of the forwarded e-mail did not reflect the sentiment of the Dutchess County Republican Committee or Corinne Weber.”

The entire committee rejects the content in the e-mail, McCormack said. Weber will submit her resignation to the Executive Committee tonight. McCormack will become interim committee chairman.

Former City of Poughkeepsie Councilman Erik Haight, a member of the city’s GOP committee, said he heard McCormack read Weber’s letter on Saturday.

“It said that she had inadvertently sent out an offensive e-mail,” Haight said.

Weber also e-mailed a message to members of the county committee that read, “I inadvertently forwarded an e-mail last evening that I hadn’t read and that contained content that I disagree with and find offensive.”

Some found the forwarded e-mail to be very offensive.

County Clerk Brad Kendall said, “It was inappropriate. It didn’t reflect the views of the Republican Party I know.”

He said he responded to Weber and felt she should resign.

State Sen. Steve Saland, R-Poughkeepsie, said, “My reaction was I found it grossly inappropriate. I thought it had no place in politics or any other community. I immediately asked that the chair resign.”

Assemblyman Marc Molinaro, R-Tivoli, also had the same reaction. He said he called Weber and asked for her resignation.

“I will say the content of that e-mail does not reflect my beliefs or the beliefs of the party,” Molinaro said.

Source: Poughkepsie Journal