( CNN ) -- Montana 's chief federal judge has offered his apologies for forwarding a racist e-mail aimed at President Barack Obama . Liberal advocacy groups demanded that U.S. District Judge Richard Cebull resign . Cebull , in an interview Wednesday with the Billings Gazette newspaper , offered his regrets for forwarding the e-mail , saying it was `` a hard lesson to learn . '' `` To say it 's inappropriate and stupid is an extreme understatement , '' Cebull said in courthouse chambers on Wednesday , according to the newspaper . `` There is no doubt it 's racist . It was n't forwarded for that purpose . If anything , it was political . '' The Billings-based judge was named to the bench by President George W. Bush in 2001 . He has been chief judge since 2008 , overseeing two other full-time district judges , three senior or part-time judges and five magistrates . His chambers did not return a call from CNN for comment . Cebull did not write the offensive material , but admitted forwarding the February 20 message to a few friends after it was sent to him by his brother . The Great Falls Tribune newspaper was given a copy and reported the message went : . `` Normally I do n't send or forward a lot of these , but even by my standards , it was a bit touching . I want all of my friends to feel what I felt when I read this . Hope it touches your heart like it did mine . `` A little boy said to his mother , 'Mommy , how come I 'm black and you 're white ? ' His mother replied , 'Do n't even go there Barack ! From what I can remember about that party , you 're lucky you do n't bark ! ' '' Obama is of mixed race . Cebull said in the interview his conduct in court over many years has shown he is not a racist , but he admitted the public got that impression from the e-mail . `` And I do n't blame them , '' he added . The judge also separately told the Great Falls Tribune , `` The only reason I can explain it to you is I am not a fan of our president , but this goes beyond not being a fan . I did n't send it as racist , although that 's what it is . I sent it out because it 's anti-Obama . '' Some legal organizations said the apology was not enough . `` If he has any respect for his office and for ideals of equality and human dignity on which our country was founded , Judge Cebull will step down today , '' said Bob Edgar , president and CEO of the left-leaning nonprofit Common Cause . `` The message he has acknowledged circulating demonstrates a lack of judicial temperament that ought to disqualify him from further service . '' It 's rare and generally very difficult to force federal judges from office . They receive tenure , and the Constitution guarantees they can remain on the bench `` during good behavior . '' Standards warranting removal are not clear , beyond a violation of civil or criminal law . Congress would have to initiate impeachment proceedings , but the few judges to face that have usually resigned before those proceedings went far . There is no indication the judge in Montana would be subjected to either option .
District Judge Richard Cebull calls action `` inappropriate and stupid '' It was n't meant to be racist , he says ; it was political . He should resign , the left-leaning nonprofit Common Cause says .