GOP lawmakers hurl insults at Michelle Obama, hit Washington Post columnist
Yesterday, state Rep. Al Baldasaro took to Facebook to heap scorn on First Lady Michelle Obama. The Londonderry Republican posted a meme showing an African-American woman staring intently at her smartphone while everyone else in the photo is standing solemnly with hands over their hearts. “Michelle texting during the Pledge of Allegiance,” it read.
“Shameful and many Democrats don’t care!” Baldasaro wrote.
“What a class act,” replied Rep. Eric Eastman (R-Nashua).
“[C]lassy,” echoed Rep. Jeff Oligny (R-Plaistow).
The image, which has been bouncing around the internet since April, was captured during the 2015 White House Correspondents’ Association dinner. It’s not Michelle Obama.
The woman on the phone is Helena Andrews, Washington Post columnist and author of “Bitch is the New Black.” After the image went viral, Andrews acknowledged she was the woman pictured on her phone. “Apparently someone saw me on TV ‘texting’ during the dinner,” she tweeted. “FTR I was taking notes. On my phone. Because it’s 2015.”
That didn’t stop Baldasaro’s Facebook friends from blaming Michelle Obama. A dozen left messages mocking the First Lady. And it didn’t take long for the insults to turn racist.
“i am a Republican & i could care less what this P.oS does during the pledge, it would insult me even more if she actually said the pledge knowing her disdain for the country,” one man wrote, “she could diddle herself during the pledge as far as i am concerned we all knew she was never proud to be an American why would we expect her to say a pledge knowing her views? i say give her a banana & let her do her thing !!!!”