Bomber, gangster, gay Obama toon sparks outrage

A billboard depicting US President Barack Obama as a terrorist, a gangster, a Mexican bandit and a gay man has sparked off an outrage.

The billboard, erected along the I-70 Colorado highway sometime on Monday, depicts the four 'Obamas' sitting around a table with playing cards showing only sixes bunched in groups of three. 

Also on the table is a copy of the Declaration of Independence, a liberty bell, a toy soldier and a statue of Justice holding a balance.

Under the table are rats labelled as the IRS (Internal Revenue Service), trial lawyers, the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency) and the FBI. 

Beneath the cartoon is the line 'Vote DemocRAT. Join the game'.

Who paid for the billboard is not known. But the artist who drew the cartoon has been identified as one Paul Snover.

The GJSentinal quoted Snover as saying: "I am not allowed to say who (paid for it) at this time. If it had been me, I would have included the Republicans as part of the problem."

"The Constitution has been thrown in the trash and burned by our very own government and we the people watched TV while America burned! The enemy is not at the gate, it is a cancer within our own borders," Snover said, adding, "From what I have learned of history and what I see going on in all levels of government, I can but conclude that there is no constitutional republic any more, only a sick tyrannical twisted dictatorship."

However, not all share Snover's views.

"It is beyond distasteful, and it is disrespectful of the commander-in-chief," said Martelle Daniels, chairwoman of the local Mesa County Democrats, calling it "clearly racist and homophobic."

"Certainly it is not designed for intelligent discourse at all," she added.

Chuck Pabst, the local Republican Party chairman, told the GJ Sentinel that the billboard is in bad taste.

"It is reprehensible and disrespectful, and that is not what any honourable person would put forth," Pabst said. "To ridicule somebody in this manner is juvenile."