Republican apologises after accusing Obama's daughters of 'lacking class'
A one-time spokeswoman for the Republican Party hijacked all political discourse in the United States this Thanksgiving weekend by suggesting on Facebook that the daughters of the first family lacked "class" as they stood by their dad as he performed the ritual pardoning of the White House turkey.
The posting by Elizabeth Lauten, who nowadays manages the press for a Republican congressman from Tennessee, got her into a gravy boat-load of trouble and left the nation debating whether the Obama girls - Malia, 16, and Sasha, 13 - were indeed showing signs of adolescent revolt (and whether it should care).
"Dear Sasha and Malia," the post began, "I get you're both in those awful teen years, but you're part of the First Family, try showing a little class."
She went on to suggest that they were dressed like "they deserve a spot at a bar".
Such was the ferocity of the backlash on social media, up to and including loud demands that she be fired from her job and exiled from the Republican Party, Ms Lauten was within hours back on Facebook acknowledging she had been praying for hours for redemption and asking the nation to forgive her.
It is a grand fuss to which the two girls might very well respond with a shrug. If they care to respond at all.
- Independent