GREAT FALLS (MT) TRIBUNE 2/29/12; “HELENA — Chief U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull on Wednesday admitted to sending a racially charged email about President Barack Obama from his courthouse chambers. Cebull, of Billings, was nominated by former President George W. Bush and received his commission in 2001 and has served as chief judge for the District of Montana since 2008....
The subject line of the email, which Cebull sent from his official courthouse email address on Feb. 20 at 3:42 p.m., reads: "A MOM'S MEMORY." The forwarded text reads as follows: "Normally I don't send or forward a lot of these, but even by my standards, it was a bit touching. I want all of my friends to feel what I felt when I read this. Hope it touches your heart like it did mine."A little boy said to his mother; 'Mommy, how come I'm black and you're white?...His mother replied, 'Don't even go there Barack! From what I can remember about that party, you're lucky you don't bark!'"...
*
The judge acknowledged that the content of the email was racist, but said he does not consider himself racist...."It was not intended by me in any way to become public,"....Cebull said his brother initially sent him the email, which he forwarded to six of his "old buddies" and acquaintances. He admitted that he read the email and intended to send it to his friends. "The only reason I can explain it to you is I am not a fan of our president, but this goes beyond not being a fan," Cebull said. "I didn't send it as racist, although that's what it is. I sent it out because it's anti-Obama.".