Michigan Lawmakers Pose For Photo With Fashion Mags To Show They "Understand" Women

An insensitive photo and deleted Tweet sparked a scandal yesterday.

While the beginning of this story might sound like something you'd expect from young and reactionary celebrities, the actors embroiled in this recent embarrassment are a more unlikely (or entirely likely) group: Republican Michigan lawmakers.

Three GOP state representatives sparked controversy on Thursday when they were caught snapping insensitive photos and saying equally ignorant jokes in the State Capitol building.

Roger Victory of Hudsonville, Pete Pettalia of Presque Isle and Ben Glardon of Owosso were photographed holding a number of fashion magazines on the House floor, as Pettalia told a reporter from Michigan Public Radio Network

Don't say we don't understand women.

The Tweet, posted by the reporter, has since been deleted, but not before it spread and angered House Democrats and female lawmakers alike.

@MIHouseGOP members Victory, Pettalia, and Glardon: "Don't say we don't understand women." #mileg pic.twitter.com/zsifsqrZ1N — Jake Neher (@GJNeher) June 5, 2014

The @MIHouseDems account posted a perfect response to the sexist and overly-simplistic comment, Tweeting an image of four female lawmakers hard at work, with the caption: "Real Women read bills not fashion mags..."

Real Women read bills not fashion mags... @GJNeher @RashidaTlaib @RepVickiBarnett @MIHouseGOP #mileg pic.twitter.com/9Tq9fBLm1a — MI House Democrats (@MIHouseDems) June 5, 2014

Pettalia has since tried to clarify his comments, stating that he had been given the magazines by a women's issues activist, and that his "joke" was taken out of context.

But many aren't willing to let the comment slide, and others, like Ingham County Clerk Barb Byrum, are instead using these Republican lawmakers' actions to provide evidence for the "war on women" that has been pinned on the GOP as of late.

The war on women is alive and well in Michigan. Now three Republican lawmakers today – all white men – made an open mockery of women on the House floor by posing with fashion magazines to showcase, in their words, that they understand women's issues.

GOP members have fired back, accusing Democrats of blowing the whole incidence out of proportion.

Perhaps instead of trying to explain away the insensitive comments, Petallia and his coterie should simply just apologize.

Photo Courtesy: Twitter