CONCORD — Republicans expressed outrage Wednesday over a Concord Monitor opinion page cartoon depicting House Speaker William O'Brien with a Adolf Hitler-like mustache.

The Monitor's editor said that while the cartoon was “harsh,” it was also “on point.” She said the cartoonist's views are his own and the newspaper's editorial board members are not the cartoonist's “censors.”

Last week, O'Brien, R-Mont Vernon, had state Rep. Steve Vaillancourt, R-Manchester, removed from the House floor after Vaillancourt directed the Nazi term, “Sieg heil,” at the speaker after a dispute over a procedural issue. Vaillancourt later apologized to the speaker and the House.

The cartoon, commenting on that controversy, contained the words, “If the mustache fits.” Click here to view the cartoon.

O’Brien declined comment on the cartoon, but House Majority Leader D.J. Bettencourt, R-Salem, and 39 other GOP House members demanded an apology from the Monitor.

Bettencourt said that until an apology is issued and the cartoon is "retracted," he "will not talk to the Concord Monitor or dignify their behavior by participating in any of their stories."

Calling the cartoon "completely unfathomable," he e-mailed all House Republicans asking that they "might consider a similar policy."

Monitor editor Felice Belman said that if Bettencourt and other House members refuse to speak to Monitor reporters, they will deprive their constituents of their views on issues.

"While they think they are punishing us, they are really punishing their own constituents who are eager to learn what’s going on in the House," she said.

Belman said the Monitor gives "plenty of space" to Bettencourt and others to express their opinions.

"I didn’t think he was going to like the cartoon," Belman said. "I would give him a bunch of space in the paper if he wants to say so."

Earlier, state Republican Party chairman Wayne MacDonald said the cartoon was "insulting to the institution of the State House" and "should offend all New Hampshire citizens."

MacDonald urged the Monitor "to retract this cartoon and apologize" to O’Brien.

Belman, in a Monitor blog post responding to MacDonald, wrote, "We make room for lots of different views in the Monitor Opinion pages. We’re not looking only for opinions that the newspaper’s editorial board supports _ and we don’t ask that our columnists or letter-writers or our cartoonist agree with the board."

She wrote that when Monitor cartoonist Mike Marland submitted his cartoon, "there was significant discussion here among the senior editors and our publisher about whether to put it into the paper. In the end, we are not Marland’s censors. He is entitled to his view of the speaker, and his views are his own.

"This cartoon was harsh, no doubt," Belman wrote. "But it seemed on point, given last week’s circus."