Remember a few weeks ago when President Obama gave the traditional ?presidential pardon? to a turkey on Thanksgiving Day? And how his daughters ? Sasha and Malia ? were with him at that press conference?
And did you learn how Elizabeth Caufen, a staff member of Rep. Steve Fincher (R-Tennessee), went on a Facebook tirade criticizing the young teens for their demeanor and even their dress (which quickly led to her resignation)?
In case you’ve forgotten, here’s Caufen’s message from Nov. 30:
“Dear Sasha and Malia: I get you’re both in those awful teen years, but you’re a part of the First Family, try showing a little class. At least respect the part you play.Then again, your mother and father don’t respect their positions very much, or the nation for that matter. So I’m guessing you’re coming up a little short in the ‘good role model’ department.”
Well, that circumstance not only cost Caufen her job (yeah, she resigned), but it struck a chord of familiarity to other First Family, too, including Patti Davis, daughter of Ronald Reagan. Davis remembers what it’s like to be in that role, and quickly came out to support the Obama ladies. Here’s her letter to Obama’s daughters:
?Dear Sasha and Malia,
Here is a story you might find interesting given the latest unprovoked (and undeserved) attack on you by Elizabeth Lauten, who I, by the way, had never heard of before.
When my father was president there was an evening event in Los Angeles for Queen Elizabeth, hosted by my parents. The dress was ?cocktail attire? which, to my thinking, is a somewhat broad category. There was a clothing line called Laize Adzer then and it was quite popular and fashionable ? a sort of high-end peasanty look that required all the pieces ? belt, scarf, etc. ? to look like the magazine ads. I splurged on one of the dressier outfits and wore it to this event. In the broad category of cocktail attire, there was indeed a broad spectrum of fashion statements there. One woman was dressed sort of like a flapper. Another looked almost slutty, in a poofy sort of way. But I was singled out by a journalist who wrote the next day: ?There were 150 people there. 149 of them were properly dressed. Patti Davis?? I can’t even recall the rest of the assault, only that there was one.
As First Daughters, you can’t win. There will always be bitchy people sitting at their keyboards, seething with anger at their own lives, ready to take it out on you. But in this case, I think you did win. The internet exploded with rage at Elizabeth Lauten and in defense of you. People have suggested she should lose her job, be exiled to a desert island, and other harsh recommendations that I won’t print here. Many have pointed out how appropriate you both looked as the teenagers you are ? ?normal? is what a few have said.
And while there isn’t anything normal about the life you are living right now, you still can be. An adult woman attacking you the way she did is despicable. Take it for what it is and be glad you are the smart and well-adjusted girls you are. And if you ever see Elizabeth Lauten sitting at a bar dressed like the teenager she isn’t?just walk past and resist the temptation to say something snarky to her. Trust me, you’re light years ahead of her.?
It’s good to know that political polarization takes a backseat on issues like this, isn’t it? Sure makes us feel better about the holiday spirit!
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