A political strategist for Governor Scott Walker’s potential White House campaign has resigned, one day after it was announced she was hired.
Liz Mair stepped down late Tuesday following an outcry concerning earlier tweets critizing Iowa. The veteran Republican strategist was hired Monday to run Scott Walker’s social media efforts in his potential White House bid. Mair told the Associated Press she would leave the team because of the distraction created by a series of comments she posted to Twitter regarding Iowa’s early role in the presidential nominating process.
Iowa’s GOP chairman, Jeff Kauffmann, said Mair’s tweets were “very offensive” and, he said, “quite frankly, rather ignorant on the part of an advisor.”
In a statement announcing her withdrawal from the Walker camp, Mair said the “tone” of her tweets was at odds with that which Governor Walker has always encouraged in political discourse.
Walker’s political organization, Our American Revival, confirmed Wednesday morning that Mair had resigned.
“We accept those who have a variety of viewpoints on issues but what we ultimately must have is absolute respect for people across the country.” Rick Wiley, the organization’s executive director, said in a written statement. “Our American Revival is an organization formed to promote bold reforms across the country and we’re going to continue advocating for those ideals.”
Mair had some key defenders, including Erick Erickson, the editor-in-chief of RedState.com — an influential conservative website. Erickson said Mair was a friend who was “very good” at her job, and Erickson said Walker had “botched” the whole episode by failing to stand up to Mair’s critics in the same way he stood up to union activists in Wisconsin.
Mair said this morning — in a tweet — that she’ll try to “rein in the snark.” She adds, “I think the country needs to have a debate about things like the RFS and farm subsidy reform.” As for the job, she’ll be fine:
As for me and what’s next, my firm has other clients, including a new one I expect to be starting today. But thank you for the concern.
— Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 18, 2015
