Orange County, California, GOP official Marilyn Davenport — who last month sent around an email with a family photo depicting President Obama as a chimpanzee — was censured yesterday by her colleagues in a 12-2 vote, which basically means nothing. State law says her racist emailing ways are not enough to get her shitcanned, so they went with a wrist slap that's most likely a Tea Party™ badge of honor, anyway. Orange County GOP honcho Scott Baugh told the OC Register:

"She was censured because she knew the email she was sending out was controversial," Baugh said after this morning's vote. "After it went out, she downplayed it as a joke. Instead of owning up to her error, she immediately sought to blame others."

But she sort of apologized, and besides, this type of racist Obama emailing is so out of character for Tea Party Patriots™, and certainly doesn't represent the views of the entire movement. She even has "friends who are black," okay? She sure looks like a pleasant old lady.

[Image via AP]