This story is updating
People and politicians are speaking out against an incident at the the Missouri State Fair on Saturday. A clown wearing a President Barack Obama mask appeared at a rodeo this weekend, and the announcer asked spectators if they wanted to see "Obama run down by a bull."
The spectacle came to light when a member of the progressive website Show Me Progress posted photos and text from fairgoer Perry Beam of Higginsville.
"The announcer wanted to know if anyone would like to see Obama run down by a bull," wrote Beam, according to the post. " The crowd went wild. He asked it again and again, louder each time, whipping the audience into a lather. One of the clowns ran up and started bobbling the lips on the mask and the people went crazy."
Many of Missouri's high-ranking politicians denounced the performance on twitter.
Democratic US Senator Claire McCaskill tweeted:
This incident is shameful. http://t.co/eYYcWWzzfO
— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) August 11, 2013
On her website the Senator pointed out that the fair is publicly funded and said "I expect someone to be held accountable."
Lt. Governor Peter Kinder, a Republican, also tweeted against the incident:
The @MoStateFair celebrates Missouri and our people. I condemn the actions disrespectful to POTUS the other night. We are better than this.
— Peter Kinder (@PeterKinder) August 11, 2013
See video of the incident below:
http://youtu.be/EFax5CMyJno
Despite the video and multiple witnesses, there is some disagreement as to who was saying what. The announcer has been identified as Mark Flicken, Boonville School Superintendent and newly-elected president of the Missouri Cowboy Rodeo Association. Flicken told Missourinet that it's not his voice in the video disparaging Obama. The masked clown (not yet identified) was wearing a wireless microphone, said Flicken.
A State Fair spokesperson said the performance Saturday in Sedalia was "inappropriate" and "does not reflect the opinions or standards" of the fair.
