WICHITA — Republican congressional candidate Mike Pompeo apologized Thursday after his campaign posted on its Twitter feed and Facebook page a link to a blog that uses a racial slur to refer to his Democratic opponent and calls President Barack Obama an “evil muslim communist USURPER.”
Pompeo, who is running for Kansas’ 4th Congressional District, said a staffer, whom he identified only as the campaign’s communications director, posted the link to the wrong Google alert Wednesday before the campaign realized the mistake and removed it an hour later.
Pompeo apologized to his Democratic opponent, Raj Goyle, by phone Thursday morning and posted an apology on both websites in which he said he spent a “great deal of time visiting with the staff person who inadvertently posted the link.”
“I am convinced there was no malice in his actions,” Pompeo wrote. “The statements of the blogger in no way reflect my views. There is no place in campaigns or in public discourse for language of this nature.”
Josh Wells, the campaign’s communications director, declined to say whether he posted the link and referred all questions to Pompeo’s posted apology.
Pompeo is white, and Goyle is of Indian descent.
The offending tweet told Pompeo’s followers, “Here’s a good read,” and linked to a blog of retired Gunnery Sgt. Bob Pinkstaff.
