GOP official resigns over Clinton quote

She’d be shot in 2016 run, state’s Rhoda told reporter

A Republican Party of Arkansas official resigned Wednesday after making controversial comments about former Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton just days before she's scheduled to make an appearance at a Little Rock store.

Johnny Rhoda, a former legislative candidate and a minor party official, told a reporter for U.S. News earlier this week that if Clinton ran for president in 2016, "she'd probably get shot at the state line." Both Democrats and Republicans took to the Internet on Tuesday and Wednesday to call Rhoda's comments inappropriate.

Clinton, wife of ex-President and ex-Arkansas Gov. Bill Clinton, is scheduled to sign copies of her new memoir, Hard Choices, at the Chenal Wal-Mart Supercenter off of Cantrell Road in Little Rock on Friday, beginning at 11:30 a.m. Wristbands for entry will be distributed beginning at 7 a.m., Wal-Mart officials said.

Rhoda, a pastor and insurance agent, did not answer calls made to a phone number listed for his Clinton-based business, and calls to his cellphone throughout the day Wednesday went straight to an automated message saying his voice mail had not been set up.

Republican Party of Arkansas Chairman Doyle Webb issued an emailed statement just after noon Wednesday.

"Moments ago I received the resignation of Johnny Rhoda as 2nd [Congressional] District Republican Chairman," Webb wrote. "He was apologetic for the statements he made to media yesterday and although he feels he was taken out of context, he knows that his statements have created an unnecessary distraction from the important issues before the State today."

Webb went on to thank Rhoda for decades of service to the party. Party spokesman Holly Wilson said district First Vice Chairman John Nabholz would take over for Rhoda on an interim basis.

Several Democratic campaigns and party representatives have tried to parlay the resignation into a campaign issue in the 2nd Congressional District campaign between Republican French Hill and Democrat Patrick Henry Hays, and in the lieutenant governor's race, where 2nd District U.S. Rep. Tim Griffin is facing Democrat John Burkhalter.

Burkhalter's campaign issued a news release late Tuesday saying Griffin had called Rhoda a "major asset to our campaign" and a "leader in Arkansas."

"Dangerous and violence-inciting language may work in Washington. But Mr. Rhoda's divisive and threatening words have no place in Arkansas," wrote Mariah Hatta, a spokesman for Burkhalter's campaign. "Congressman Griffin may be used to these tactics but we call on him to immediately denounce the statement, and relieve Mr. Rhoda from any official role in his campaign, and issue an unequivocal apology."

The news release from Burkhalter's campaign includes links to an archived announcement on Griffin's congressional campaign website announcing Rhoda would organize campaign volunteers in Van Buren County.

Griffin issued a news release of his own, saying Rhoda's remarks were "obviously inappropriate" and offensive.

The Republican said in a phone interview Wednesday that Burkhalter's campaign was incorrect about Rhoda's involvement in his current campaign.

Rhoda "had volunteered in 2010 for a short period in my congressional campaign," Griffin said.

After learning of Rhoda's remarks, "I did suggest that it would be a good idea for him to resign, from the party, not from my campaign, because he's not with my campaign," Griffin said.

"I think sometimes people say things they shouldn't. That's part of being human, but when you do, you own up to it. And I think that him resigning was the best thing for him and for the party."

Requests for comment to Burkhalter's campaign staff members were not returned Wednesday afternoon.

Griffin wasn't the only Republican criticized by Democrats after Rhoda's comments.

The Democratic Party of Arkansas issued statements on Rhoda's comments Tuesday and Wednesday, both alleging that the GOP's 2nd District nominee had remained silent on the matter.

"It is absolutely despicable that Rhoda made these comments about our former Secretary of State and First Lady of Arkansas," wrote Candace Martin, executive director of the Democratic Party of Arkansas. "Violent rhetoric is always unacceptable and the fact that Republican French Hill and RPA Chairman Doyle Webb haven't denounced these comments shows a complete lack of responsibility."

The campaign of Hays, Hill's Democratic opponent, called Rhoda's comments "disgusting and reprehensible." Hays' campaign manager, David Furr, said that the resignation "seems like the appropriate action."

Hill's campaign did not answer messages seeking comment Wednesday afternoon.

Metro on 06/26/2014

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