The Baltimore Sun covers Woody Spong’s racist Facebook meme

By Ryan Miner 

I broke the story on Monday evening about Woody Spong sharing a racist meme on his Facebook page. Subsequent my article, Herald-Mail Media picked up on the Spong story and posted its own article last evening on its website.

Because Spong’s racist meme share has gone viral all over the state and elsewhere, The Baltimore Sun also picked up on the story and reported on it today.

In the Maryland Politics section of the Baltimore Sun, reporter Michael Dresser’s piece on Spong, entitled, “Washington County official faces scrutiny over comments, Facebook posting,” highlighted Jamie Raskin’s (the chairman of the Senate Executive Nominations Committee) concerns over Spong’s nomination.

Dresser wrote:

“Sen. Jamie Raskin, chairman of the Senate Executive Nominations Committee, said he has heard concerns about Spong from senators of both parties. He said he has seen nominations fail for conduct “less egregious” than alleged in his case.”

Dresser mentioned my coverage of the Spong story:

“The objections to his nomination were compounded this week when local Republican blogger Ryan Miner spotted a posting on Spong’s personal Facebook page. The posting depicted the 1930s and 1940s African-American character Buckwheat, widely regarded as a racial stereotype of a bygone era, and said that he had converted to Islam and taken the name Kareem of Wheat.”

Raskin (D-Montgomery) doesn’t seem hopeful about Spong’s nomination:

“Raskin, a Montgomery County Democrat, said Spong would receive a fair hearing but added that “this nominee has some explaining to do.”

Spong, who could not be reached for comment at his home or office, was not receiving much support from the senators who represent his home county.”

Not much confidence displayed for Spong by Andrew Serafini and George Edwards, Washington County’s state senators:

“Sens. Andrew Serafini and George Edwards, both Republicans, released a joint statement saying they were aware of Mr. Spong’s Facebook posting.

“While Mr. Spong has made valuable contributions to Washington County as an educator and community leader, his course of conduct over the past eight months raises concerns that will be considered by the Senate Executive Nominations Committee,” the senators said. “We will continue to respect the authority of the committee to independently evaluate nominees and make recommendations to the Senate of Maryland.”

In case you forgot the meme Spong shared on his personal Facebook page: