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Contempt for Elizabeth Lauten Spreads Far and Wide

It seems that no one, or anything, is immune from the seething rage Elizabeth Lauten fomented by launching a personal attack against Sasha and Malia Obama.

The one-time spokeswoman for Rep. Stephen Fincher, R-Tenn., had to fall on her sword Monday after her widely publicized rant about teenage behavior sparked a rhetorical war that cut across racial, political and gender divides.

The presumably seasoned public relations professional — Lauten handled press for one-term tea party favorite Rep. Joe Walsh of Illinois during the 112th Congress, spent a few years as “social and earned media manager” at Purple Strategies prior to that, and earlier this year launched her own shop — inspired not one (#ElizabethLauten) but two (#FireElizabethLauten) vitriol-laden threads on Twitter.

About that firm? Perhaps Lauten tapped her classics major at East Carolina University, naming it Audeamus Communications. Audeamus means “may we dare” or “may we risk” in Latin. Do with that information what you will.

In addition to exposing herself to ridicule (it didn’t take long for the hypocrisy bashing to kick in) and scorn (The Smoking Gun unearthed a decade-old shoplifting charge), Lauten’s antics suddenly made Fincher fair game.

And he wasn’t the only one caught in the mounting crossfire.

Anti-Lauten sentiments quickly ensnared just about everything imaginable, including:

Her fledgling business.

Her alma mater.

Her house of worship.

Speaker John A. Boehner.

Republican National Committee Communications Director Sean Spicer.

Former George W. Bush administration aide Karl Rove.

Conservative talk show host Rush Limbaugh.

And right-leaning network Fox News.

Those inclined to argue that this was an isolated incident that’s been blown completely out of proportion should know Lauten has a history of oversharing around the holidays.

Like that time in 2012 when she mused about popping sleeping pills.

Then again, perhaps she just couldn’t help herself.

“The reality hit me this past year that, as a party, we’re not going to go anywhere unless people who think outside of the box are willing to share their insights with other people,” Lauten told Roll Call in 2013 as part of our ongoing Hill Climbers feature.

Perhaps not every insight or opinion needs to be broadcast to the entire world.

To wit, Patti Davis, a former first daughter who spent her fair share of time beneath the microscope while her father, President Ronald Reagan, occupied the White House, assured the Obama girls that the Lautens of the world are not worthy of their attention.

“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,” Davis counseled the Obama girls in an open letter posted on her website. “And if you ever see Elizabeth Lauten sitting at 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.”

Related:

Stephen Fincher Catches Shrapnel From Aide’s Attack on Obama Girls

GOP Spokeswoman Resigns After Criticizing Obama’s Daughters

Lauten Makes Decisions Based on Fincher’s District | Hill Climber

Roll Call Results Map: Results and District Profiles for Every Seat

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