GOP Staffer Resigns After Realizing She Can't Unsay Racist Bullshit About Children

[chaya]

GOP staffer resigns over criticism of Obama daughtersWashington (CNN) -- A senior Republican staffer is resigning after her comments that the Obama daughters should "try showing a little class" caused a firestorm of criticism on social media this weekend

Comments

[bowl_of_glow]

lol bye

[theidolhands]

Wrong, rude, and an over-the-top excuse to say what she really thought? Yes.
Was resigning the right move? Probably.

Where is the racist part?

The remarks reminded me of what was often said about W. Bush's daughters (and were also considered out-of-bounds).

[tabaqui]

I don't remember any Dem senator, congressperson or staffer saying *anything* remotely like this about this Bush girls. The press, sure - that's kind of their job, even though the kids should *always* be off limits. But not anybody else.

Got any citations?

[natyanayaki]

And to be fair, wasn't the media criticizing the Bush twins for their technically illegal activity? Under-age drinking and the like (and this was while they were already adults: over 18 and under 21)?

[theidolhands]

Thank you for contributing that possible factoid; I think in society we still tend to think of college age people as "children" and learning their way, but that is an important distinction. I had to bring it up because I saw so many people running to shame/compare Bush's daughters to Obama's (with photos) in an ironic sort of counter-argument (as well as images of the senator herself at 17, while she was not attending a political function). I mean, I'm not surprised people did it, but it was such a similar knee-jerk reaction to the exact sort of thing that Ms. Lauten is being criticized for and wanted to introduce that notion into discussion.

To be clear though: I agree that Elizabeth Lauten was out-of-bounds, misused her position, and her resignation is a complete acknowledgment of that.

[blackjedii]

It's a staffer though - a tiny little fish in the pond.

Call me when actual representatives are held accountable for their horrible comments.

[rhysande]

She wasn't a low level staffer, though. She was a senior staffer and a director of communications for a member of the United States House of Representatives. Her position required her to know when and how to be discrete and what was unprofessional, inappropriate, and off limits for release, even in her personal life.

IA, I'd like some accountability for the horrible/misleading/false comments said by those higher up.

[natyanayaki]

I'm extremely annoyed that she was allowed to resign. As a communication's director she should have been fired for incompetence.

[moonshaz]

I agree, but I'm happy to take the resignation over the alternative of her being allowed to continue in the job!

[louisiane_fille]

Her "apology" came across as insincere. It came across as more of "I got publicly smacked down for what I wrote, so I'm going to issue a half-assed apology and hope this dies down, even though I'm not really sorry".

I can't ever remember anyone other than the press talking about the Bush twins' drunken antics. This woman (who should have known better) was way out of line.

[that_which]

And she needed to pray with her parents first.

I'm going to be more generous than she and assume that she's not a reflection on their character, since they appear to know that attacking children is in poor taste, even if they haven't been able to impress it on her.

[louisiane_fille]

Attempting to duck and cover with religion as her shield. She knew she was wrong for saying those things and now she's just trying to cover her ass.

[that_which]

I don't think she knows it was wrong at all. I think she's a wannabe Laura Ingraham/Ann Coulter, and she forgot that her boss, who she was speaking for, is an elected official, not a wingnut billlionaire with a website.

Nut graf:

"As a society, we like to say that race doesn't matter anymore, or rather, that is our ideal- that race shouldn't limit and set boundaries. Yet it seems to me that at every chance, we make it more of an issue than it needs to be. How is race ever going to take a backseat to political or social issues if we keep making it a huge factor?

Don't get me wrong, I'm not saying people are not discriminated against or that people are treated fairly all the time, but I cannot believe that people have to make such a big deal out of it. There are many more important things to worry about in the world."
This is not a woman who's missed the fact that people of color are getting the fuzzy end of the lollypop. This is someone who knows that, doesn't care, and blames those people for poisoning the discourse by bringing it up

[bella_cheval]

ON WHAT PLANET DID THE OBAMA GIRLS OUTFITS LOOK LIKE THEY WERE HEADED TO A BAR?? Geebus flying fuck.

I've read somewhere that Lauten was a miserable, angry person all the way thru college. Doesn't surprise me she'd be this way even now.

[rhysande]

In those preppy little outfits? Planet ABA.