(Image Credit: Jameson Hsieh/AP Photo)

Republicans have joined Democrats in condemning a Missouri State Fair rodeo act that featured a bull nearly stampeding a clown wearing an Obama mask.

"Inappropriate," "shameful" and "out of line" were among the responses to Saturday's performance in Sedalia, Mo.

"If what's being reported is true, then it's shameful and it's unacceptable," Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo., wrote in her official statement on the event.

"The young Missourians who witnessed this stunt learned exactly the wrong lesson about political discourse - that somehow it's ever acceptable to, in a public event, disrespect, taunt, and joke about harming the president of our great nation," she added. "Missouri is better than this, and I expect someone to be held accountable."

Some Missouri Republicans were equally outraged. State Lt. Gov. Peter Kinder tweeted, "The @MoStateFair celebrates Missouri and our people. I condemn the actions disrespectful to POTUS the other night. We are better than this."

Republican State Rep. Caleb Rowden of Columbia also chimed in via Twitter. "I don't agree w/ this Prez on any things. But he is deserving of respect and shouldn't be the object of political stunts. Out of line!" he said.

The liberal-leaning blog ShowMeProgress.com first picked up the story from a Facebook post by a fairgoer. "The announcer wanted to know if anyone would like to see Obama run down by a bull. The crowd went wild," the post read, according to the blog.

As of the afternoon, the clown has reportedly been "permanently banned" from performing at the fair "ever again."

Missouri State Fair officials issued an apology for the "disrespectful" show that they posted to their Facebook page. "The performance by one of the rodeo clowns at Saturday's event was inappropriate and disrespectful, and does not reflect the opinions or standards of the Missouri State Fair," the apology read.

The fair's statement concluded, "We strive to be a family friendly event and regret that Saturday's rodeo badly missed that mark."