Some efforts to honor former President Barack Obama's legacy — including in the state where he's a hometown hero — have met with furious opposition.
According to Politico, Illinois Democrat state Rep. Andrew Thapedi received death threats, hateful emails and phone calls after he introduced legislation for an Obama state holiday in Illinois, Politico reported.
“We’re digging a grave especially for you,” Thapedi said one of the emails warned after the bill was described on Breitbart.com, Politico reported.
"It has been a hodge-podge of responses, from one end of the spectrum to the other: Joy, jubilation on one side; absolute, unadulterated venom on the other side."
Other moves in Illinois to honor the Obama presidency, however, are also drawing skepticism, including a proposal to have an "Obama Day" — without a day off — and plans for the Obama presidential library and museum is in the South Side of Chicago with an eye-popping $1.5 billion price tag.
Pat Brady, a former state GOP chairman, said most Illinois Republicans wouldn't argue with recognizing the former president.
"The reality is he's the first African-American president in the history of the country," he told Politico. "I think Democrat or Republican, we should take some pride in that.
But he told Politico a government day off is a stretch.
"The most important issue is the financial crisis here,” Brady said. "I think most people see [a debate over a day off] as: 'why are we talking about this now?'"
San Francisco lawyer Harmeet Dhillon, a California representative on the Republican National Committee, told Politico there's another reason to be wary of the commemorations: Timing.
"I don’t have any principle objections to naming the institutions” after Obama, but “I believe that privilege should really be reserved for people who have passed away," Dhillon said.
"I would take the same view on naming things after the Bush presidents, or after Clinton.’’
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