Some paradegoers vexed by political parade float

Criticism has arisen over a float in the annual Naches Sportsman's Days parade that some are calling offensive and in bad taste.

Sponsored by a local group that's part of the tea party movement, the float resembled an oversized red wagon. Riding on it was a man wearing a President Obama mask, cracking a whip over a youth pulling the wagon.

Several people on the float carried signs critical of federal spending, Wall Street bailouts, tax increases and U.S. Sen. Patty Murray, who is locked in a re-election battle with Republican Dino Rossi.

Organizers of the Sportsman's Days event said they've received complaints that the float and its depiction of Obama was "over the top" and involved a racial stereotype from the slave era more than 150 years ago.

Kirk Groenig, who heads the group "Remember Us ... We The People," which sponsored the float, rejected the criticism as well as a contention it contained racial overtones.

"It's ridiculous when people say it is racism. I reject any of that," Groenig said in a telephone interview Monday, adding the group is trying to bring attention to overspending and the growing national debt. "It has nothing to do with that. We need accountability."

But members of the Lions Club, which organizes the annual Sportman's Days events, including the parade, say they've been hearing criticism from some who saw the parade.

"We know that there has been some negative comments with people questioning this one entry on Saturday," said John McGowan, a past Lions Club president and a co-chairman of the event planning committee.

"Those folks are somewhat upset about their perception of the float," he said. "It was an entry with a political message."

Lions Club president John Miles said he's heard critical comments from parade watchers.

"There's respect for the position (of the presidency) and I think (Groenig) exceeded any good taste in his group's presentation," Miles said.

James Parks, president of the Yakima County NAACP chapter, called the float "sad" but said he didn't consider the intent to be racist.

"A lot of people will see it in different ways. I don't see it as being racist.

"It's more ... about the economy. If the economy was better, I don't think we would have all these things happening," he said. "I think there are better ways for people to protest what's going on in the government."

Mary Stephenson, chairwoman of the Yakima County Democratic Party, said she had not seen the video that was posted on YouTube. She had only heard about it from a local television station.

She said the group's effort to demonize Obama was unfortunate.

"It is inappropriate to do name-calling or to demonize someone," she said.

The group that Groenig heads submitted its parade application two weeks ago, describing the float as an attempt to "attract, educate, organize and mobilize our fellow citizens to secure public policy consistent with core values of America, fiscal responsibility, limited government and free market enterprise."

Groenig, who said the group may enter the float in the Yakima Sunfair Parade on Sept. 25, described it as a skit to portray the group's concerns about overspending.

"All we were trying to illustrate was the spending has to stop. The government has to listen to all of us citizens. A lot of voices are ignored," he said.

* To see the video, go to www.youtube.com/user/RememberUsWethePeopl