Obama Apologized to Kamala Harris For Calling Her the 'Best Looking Attorney General'

Obama has apologized to California attorney general Kamala Harris for praising her looks along with the qualities that actually make her good at her job at a recent fundraiser.

From TPM:

“He called her last night and spoke to her,” White House press secretary Jay Carney told reporters on Friday. “He apologized for the buzz this has created. They are old friends….He believes and fully recognizes that there are challenges women continue to face in the workplace and that they should not be judged on appearance. He apologized for creating this distraction and believes very strongly that attorney general harris is an excellent attorney general and that she has done great work and is dedicated and tough and brilliant.”

Was it wrong of Obama to call Harris “the best looking attorney general” while listing her many other attributes? Yes. Women put up with enough unsolicited attention as it is; the president of our country doesn’t need to legitimize the practice by piling on. Was it a mega fiasco along “legitimate rape” lines? No way, and his apology is legit. But we’re not being “oversensitive” (as Fox’s Gretchen Carlson suggested) by talking about it. Obama wasn’t hanging with Harris in a social context when he complimented her looks; he was listing her skills in an attempt to promote both Harris and himself. Last we checked, you didn’t need to be the best looking attorney general to be good at your job.

[TPM]