“I cannot believe, in this day & age, that someone as blatantly racist as you is allowed a public forum to make your sweeping generalizations about groups of people,” an East River South Dakota resident wrote. “Your callous disregard for the office of President of the United States, and your disrespect of a people you obviously know nothing about shows the world your true colors.”

The reaction to her “jokes,” which she said were supplied by friendly contributors, was not confined to the online world. Olson, who has represented District 28B in the state House since 2007, said she returned home Monday night to an answering machine filled with voice messages.

“I was a little surprised when I got some anonymous phone calls when I got home last night,” Olson, of Prairie City, said Tuesday afternoon. “Then I saw it on the Democratic Party website. Apparently, the Democrats didn’t like my joke."

Olson said the nastiest phone message was from a woman in Wenatchee, Wash., "who said I shouldn’t be in any position of authority because I’m a dumb clod and an ignorant Republican. Then she slammed down the phone. I think she was upset.”

Olson said she was surprised by reaction to her commentary, which she defended this week.