RNC official boasts of launching 'Willie Horton-style' attack ad -- and the internet tears him apart

Is the Republican Party even trying to deny that it's racist anymore?

On Monday, Republican National Committee communications chief Sean Spicer posted a tweet that linked to a Roll Call story about the GOP launching a "Willie Horton-style attack" on Democratic vice-presidential nominee Tim Kaine.

In case you need a reminder, the so-called "Willie Horton" ads were used by George H.W. Bush's presidential campaign in 1988 to slam Democratic rival Michael Dukakis as soft on crime. They focused on Dukakis's support of weekend furlough plans for prisoners during his time as governor of Massachusetts -- and they singled out a black man named Willie Horton who had committed assault and rape after escaping during one of his furloughs.

In general, the consensus is that the ads were filled racially charged fear mongering that preyed upon white Americans' anxieties about black criminals. In fact, the man who masterminded the ad campaign, Lee Atwater, even apologized on his deathbed for it.

Despite this, Spicer and the RNC apparently believe that the Willie Horton ads are a point of pride in the GOP's electoral history.

As you might expect, many people on Twitter were eager to slam Spicer for bragging about launching a new Willie Horton attack. We've posted some choice examples below: