Republicans urge Dems to condemn PAC's comments on McConnell's 'Chinese' wife

FILE: Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., and his wife, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao at the Republican National Convention in Tampa, Fla. (AP)

Republicans on Tuesday condemned a liberal super PAC’s recent online comments about Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s wife, saying the racially motivated and “disgusting” remarks should be condemned at the highest level of the Democratic Party.

The group, Progress Kentucky, purportedly said in a recent tweet that McConnell’s Taiwan-born wife, former Labor Secretary Elaine Chao, “has the ear of (Sen. McConnell) -- she's his wife. May explain why your job moved to China!"

The tweet does not appear on Progress Kentucky’s Twitter feed, but group spokesman Curtis Morrison acknowledged its existence Tuesday and said it would be removed.

Morrison told local radio station WFPL-FM that a group volunteer sent the tweet.

"It’s not an official statement,” he said. "It’s a tweet. And we will remove it if it’s wrong. … Inferring that Elaine Chao is not a U.S. citizen was not our intention."

Another tweet from Progress’ account suggested Chao’s "Chinese” money is buying state elections, referring to members of her family last year giving $80,000 to the state Republican Party.

Jesse Benton, the manager of McConnell’s 2014 reelection campaign, said race baiting for political gain is “unconscionable” and that Progress Kentucky “should be ashamed.”

“We hope all Americans can agree that these disgusting tactics have no place in American," he said.

National Republican Senatorial Committee spokesman Brad Dayspring also said the comments were “disgusting” and called for them to be condemned by such high-ranking Democrats as President Obama adviser Jim Messina, Democratic National Committee Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.