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The email featured side-by-side pictures comparing Mrs. Obama to the Grinch, a Dr. Seuss character, because of their similarly wind-blown hair. “Sorry, just had to forward this latest holiday message,” O’Neal reportedly wrote in the email he shared with fellow Republican lawmakers. “I’ve had worse hair days, but this is pretty funny.” According to the Lawrence Journal-World, at the bottom of the email thread was the text, “I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing Mrs. YoMama a wonderful, long Hawaii Christmas vacation — at our expense, of course.”
A rep for O’Neal said the government official didn’t write the “Mrs. YoMama” remark and O’Neal said late Thursday in a statement that he didn’t notice the offensive remark in the original email before passing it along.
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“Cartoons are intended to be humorous. This one made me laugh — I’ve had bad hair days too,” said O’Neal, who represents a district that includes Hutchinson. “I forwarded it too quickly, missing the text included in the body of the email. To those I have offended, I am sorry. That was not at all my intent.”
This is the second incident within a month in which government officials have made offensive remarks about Mrs. Obama. Three weeks ago, Wisconsin Congressman Jim Sensenbrenner made headlines when it was reported that he commented on the backside of the FLOTUS, saying, “She lectures us on eating right while she has a large posterior herself.”