Topeka — Two ministers on Thursday delivered more than 30,000 petition signatures calling for the resignation of House Speaker Mike O'Neal for an email he forwarded that referred to President Barack Obama and a Bible verse that says "Let his days be few and brief."
In a prepared statement, O'Neal, R-Hutchinson, issued an apology. O'Neal's office said he is not stepping down.
Revs. Tobias Schlingensiepen and Jim McCollough on Thursday deliver petition signatures in the Capitol seeking ouster of House Speaker Mike O'Neal, R-Hutchinson, over recent emails he has forwarded.
After leaving the box of petition signatures in the speaker's office, Rev. Tobias Schlingensiepen, senior minister of the First Congregational Church in Topeka, said O'Neal's apology went further than previous statements by the speaker.
But Schlingensiepen said O'Neal still should leave office. His recent emails that have attracted national attention "tears at the civility of this country," Schlingensiepen said.
State Rep. Melody McCray-Miller, D-Wichita, says she wants the House to issue some kind of sanction against the speaker. She said the speaker's actions need to be taken seriously and "need to stop."
The petition against O'Neal was put together by the online network Faithful America and criticizes the speaker for forwarding an email that cites Psalm 109:8 that says, “Let his days be few and brief; and let others step forward to replace him.”
The email states: “At last — I can honestly voice a Biblical prayer for our president! Look it up — it is word for word! Let us all bow our heads and pray. Brothers and Sisters, can I get an AMEN? AMEN!!!!!!”.
The petition reads: "As people of faith, we believe that scripture should never be used to justify praying for the death of anyone. Speaker O'Neal's hateful abuse of scripture is unacceptable and a disgrace to his office, and he should immediately resign."
Schlingensiepen and Rev. Jim McCollough, executive director of the Topeka Center for Peace and Justice, noted the next verse in the psalm talks about making children orphans and wife a widow.
But O'Neal has said he was referring to Obama's days in office, not his death.
"I respect the President and the Office," O'Neal said in his statement. "The forward contained a single verse and was only intended as election commentary regarding the President's days in office. I have apologized and I am sincerely sorry," he said.
In recent weeks, O'Neal has also apologized for forwarding an email that referred to first lady Michelle Obama as "Mrs. YoMama" and compared a picture of her to the fictional character Grinch. O'Neal said he forwarded that email too without being aware of the "Mrs. YoMama" reference.
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matthew2600 (anonymous) says…
O'Neal said he forwarded that email too without being aware of the "Mrs. YoMama" reference.
Sure that checks out, he must be telling the truth.
beatrice (anonymous) says…
I wouldn't step down either. It was obviously about Obama's time in office. Seriously. Otherwise, am I to believe Speaker O'Neal actually reads the Bible?
What does not being AWARE of "Mrs. YoMama" mean? Does it mean he didn't see it in the e-mail, or was he ignorant and unaware of the potentially sensitive indications of a White male using that phrase to describe a Black female First Lady?
FalseHopeNoChange (anonymous) says…
If O'Neal had E'd, "Obama is the typical white person", like Obama spoke of his grandma, he wouldn't have the Liberals so upset. But, he pulled a Harry Reid, then said he was sorry. Unprecedently, it appears "sorry" only works sometimes.
beatrice (anonymous) replies…
So you equate what O'Neal to what Reid said? Got it.
beatrice (anonymous) replies…
what O'Neal sent to what Reid said, that is
FalseHopeNoChange (anonymous) replies…
You brought up the O'Neal/Reid fopas similarity yesterday.
Thanks for the input.
Even though O'Neal is a small time Kansas political pip squeak and Reid is a High Powered Mormon politcal Giant, for Liberal purposes it, works.
beatrice (anonymous) replies…
Why picking on his religion?
FalseHopeNoChange (anonymous) replies…
It'd seem the Romney thing to do.
thebigspoon (anonymous) replies…
Great way to foster respect and thoughtfulness in any debate, FHNC. This is what makes discourse fruitful: say something totally meaningless and back it up with something meaningless that shows you have not thought about it in the first place.
consumer1 (anonymous) says…
Two ministers on Thursday delivered more than 30,000 petition signatures calling for the resignation of House Speaker Mike O'Neal
Did they forget the separation of state and church????
Fretster (anonymous) replies…
Separation of church and state has zilch to do with this. Wow, just wow.
TheSychophant (anonymous) replies…
They were simply the messengers. The message was purely secular.
thebigspoon (anonymous) replies…
And this comment, c1, is why it takes no effort at all to discount your posts. Facts matter not, emotion matters supremely, and that's supposed to be taken as quality debate. I might say that your comment represents the effort that the small percentage of voters who elected our present state government put into their decisions.
tange (anonymous) says…
"O'Neal said he forwarded that email too without being aware of the 'Mrs. YoMama' reference."
More than filtering, a user so unaware may indeed be in need of parental controls.
Agnostick (anonymous) says…
Dog whistle politics...
dabbindan (anonymous) says…
i'm a frickin' liberal, but this rises only to the level of stupid and sophomoric behavior. maybe, if there was no other interpretation of the phrase, but the "days in office" is plausible. i believe most of the biblical "days are numbered" references are life span references, but who is to say o'neal is biblically acquainted.
even at the height of the bush/cheney/rice debacle, i resisted the temptation to forward demeaning emails, and there was plenty of fodder. o'neal needs to try to be a bit smarter... and a bit more mature.
observant (anonymous) says…
Hard to be believe that someone can get to be speaker of house and still be so stupid. But then I remember I'm in Kansas, so that is the norm for elected officials. Another example being brownie and BS he's pulling, and the stupid Kansas GOP/Teabagger party loves him. Never under-estimate a Kansas voter's sheer determination to vote against their own interests.
beatrice (anonymous) says…
Well, this doesn't look like political theatre at all.
Instead of printing them out, wouldn't it have been more fitting to have forwarded the list of names via e-mail?
camper (anonymous) says…
The email states: “At last — I can honestly voice a Biblical prayer for our president! Look it up — it is word for word! Let us all bow our heads and pray. Brothers and Sisters, can I get an amen? amen!!!!!!”.
Not much to interpret here. It is obvious that his dislike for the commander in chief occupies his thoughts. It is really sad that this is the best we can get to represent us. The best and brightest are not choosing to get into politics these days. It is easy to see why. Politics is a dirty biz where the finish line is about the book deal and merchandising yourself for a nice fee.
And the same sentiment that the speaker seems to hold, is almost too similar to that same sentiment served up by that dubious church in Topeka.
Anyone seen that despicable anti-Obama sign on I-70. Junction City?
We are now in a time where Barry Goldwater and Bob Dole would be considered liberal. Strange days indeed.
kansanbygrace (anonymous) replies…
Was just thinking about how the current powers in Kansas would hate Ike or Ev Dirksen, or, like you say, Bob Dole or Barry Goldwater, guys who used their political power to improve the lives of all, who worked for the benefit of the nation more than for the perpetuation of a "power base" and self-aggrandizement. They used their lives in service to others, not in service to themselves. Still lookin' for one of them to emerge from the woodwork.
voevoda (anonymous) says…
The surprising thing is the Speaker O'Neal would rather admit that he doesn't know the Bible very well instead of admitting that he wishes President Obama the worst.
TheSychophant (anonymous) replies…
I disagree. Its not surprising. its revealing. The religious right philosophy is so full of contradictions that they frequently find themselves arguing against their own beliefs. Perhaps the best example of this are those of the religious right whom support Newt despite their professed commitment to family values and their belief in the religious sanctity of marriage. .
tanzer (anonymous) says…
Does anyone believe he actually respects Obama?
spiller (anonymous) says…
The slur against the President is stupid but the slur against the First Lady is unconscionable. He is a public servant, not Rush Limbaugh or Glenn Beck. His behavior is so crass and ungentlemanly that he at least deserves to be sanctioned.
allanwanalos (anonymous) says…
o'neal? The damage is already done. I wonder if islam knows stuff about you that we dont? O'neal is not sick but its people like him in power who make the world a dangerous place to live .
allanwanalos (anonymous) says…
the u.s unemployment rate statistics are running low. 8%? Republicans need to move fast and make it less a secret which candidate they want to unveil.Osama is dead. There is something ...,.about Obama that .....need to be carefull about. ....The secret backing by key republicans.