At a Republican brunch yesterday, former Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson’s son Jason said voters have “an opportunity to send President Obama back to Kenya,” about as blatantly racist a slur as you’re likely to hear without including the N-word.

When Thompson made this ugly remark, the audience greeted it with approving laughter, and he smirked like a little kid getting away with something nasty. Every person in the room knew exactly what he was saying: “Go back to Africa.”

Problem is, this right wing racist moment didn’t stay in that room; it was recorded and published by the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel. Oops.

So today we have what’s supposed to be an apology.

“The Governor has addressed this with his son, just like any father would do,” the campaign said in a statement. “Jason Thompson said something he should not have, and he apologizes.”

Once again, we saw what really goes on behind closed doors at meetings of conservative politicians, and it isn’t pretty. An apology doesn’t fix this.