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Kansas House speaker apologizes for forwarding ‘Mrs. YoMama’ email

David Martosko Executive Editor
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Mike O’Neal, the speaker of the Kansas House of Representatives, has apologized for forwarding a tasteless email to other lawmakers which referred to the first lady as “Mrs. YoMama,” the Kansas City Star reported Thursday.

The boorish email also included a photo comparing Mrs. Obama, on a bad-hair day, to the animated Christmas-villain Grinch.

“Sorry, just had to forward this latest holiday message,” O’Neal wrote in reference to the photo when forwarding the message. “I’ve had worse hair days, but this is pretty funny.”

The message he forwarded said, in part, “I’m sure you’ll join me in wishing Mrs. YoMama a wonderful, long Hawaii Christmas vacaton — at our expense, of course.”

The Lawrence (Kan.) Journal-World was the first to report on the email controversy, and on O’Neal’s subsequent apology.

A spokeswoman for O’Neal confirmed the email message to the Star, saying it was sent from his personal email account to a “select few” members of the House. Initially, his office defended the email, saying that “[p]olitical cartoons are a part of American culture.”

David is The Daily Caller’s executive editor. Follow him on Twitter.