Senate candidate won’t apologize for sending ‘F-bomb’ in email

U.S. Senate candidate Michael Baumgartner is refusing to apologize for telling a Seattle-based reporter to “go f— yourself” (AP Photo/file)

We all know swearing is rude, especially if it’s not amongst friends, but dropping the f-bomb in an email may have been the best thing a U.S. Senate candidate could have done.

Michael Baumgartner is refusing to apologize for telling a Seattle-based reporter to “go f— yourself” after failing to focus on ending the war in Afghanistan during an interview requesting his comment on beleaguered Missouri Senate candidate Todd Akin.

Baumgartner, a Republican running against incumbent Maria Cantwell, says the email was a personal note to a writer at Seattle-based political blog PubliCola.

In the message, Baumgartner included a photo of a Navy SEAL who recently died in Afghanistan. The reporter, Josh Feit, later posted the photo and email comment on the website.

Baumgartner’s campaign originally released a statement apologizing for the expletive, but the candidate says that statement was released prior to his knowledge and he is not apologizing.

“No, I don’t apologize,” Baumgartner tells The Dori Monson Show. “It’d be completely disingenuous for me to stand up there and say that I feel bad for telling Josh this, it’s not true.”

Baumgartner tells Monson he thinks Feit had it coming.

“I’m not doing the political thing here where you stand up and give one of these hollow apologies.”

Feit said he was taken aback by the response and originally thought the e-mail couldn’t have been from Baumgartner.

He says Baumgartner expressed frustration about the lack of focus on the war in Afghanistan, but that the email was a surprise.

“This was not intended to go public, but certainly something I believe in, and I think all of our troops in uniform deserve a lot better than they’re getting right now,” says Baumgartner.

“If folks don’t want someone that gets fired up about 2,000 American men and women getting killed in Afghanistan in a war that’s cost a trillion dollars,” says Baumgartner, “then don’t vote for me, I’m not the guy.”

So far, many of his potential constituents are standing by Baumgartner’s actions.

Listeners to Dori’s show are saying they appreciate the candidate’s passion about such an important issue.

From Facebook:

Ward Isom: He should not apologize if he does not regret what he said. I will vote for him.

Anton Bakke: Love it! This guy definitely has my vote.

Liz Chadek: Love the guy. He’s got my vote! Very refreshing.

Yvonne Vianelli: Finally an Honest Politician! Love it!

Nellie Pearson: Never have I found a politician more relateable. He absolutely has my vote!

John Rawlings: No WAY should he apologize! We need elected officials that stand up for their beliefs, say what they mean and mean what they say – “Go F yourself” fits well into that category, in my opinion. He received my vote in the primary, and he’ll receive it in the general election as well.

Baumgartner declined to discuss specific details of what prompted him to send the note, but he reiterates that he doesn’t think the media is giving proper attention to the war.

“Frankly, it’s been a failure of leadership for both sides,” says Baumgartner. “I’ll be a clear, loud voice for a more sensible foreign policy.”

Baumgartner is a state senator who previously did diplomatic work in Iraq and Afghanistan. One of the prominent messages of his campaign has been to end the war in Afghanistan and stop American casualties there. He trails Cantwell in the polls.

Feit said he tried unsuccessfully to reach out to Baumgartner several times following the email.

By MyNorthwest.com Staff
The Associated Press contributed to this report