The firestorm over a Minnesota lawmaker’s comments that appeared to compare food stamp recipients to animals raged on Thursday, with advocates for the poor calling for her resignation and fellow Republicans denouncing hate mail and attention she has received.

Last Friday, first-term Rep. Mary Franson of Alexandria released a legislative update video for constituents, talking about the recent state budget forecast and other issues. She also discussed welfare reform and said the following:

“I’ll read you this little funny clip that we got from a friend. It says, ‘Isn’t it ironic that the food stamp program, part of the Department of Agriculture, is pleased to be distributing the greatest amount of food stamps, ever. Meanwhile, the Park Service, also part of the Department of Agriculture, asks us to please not feed the animals, because the animals may grow dependent and not learn to take care of themselves.’ ”

Franson took down the video that same day and apologized on Twitter to anyone she might have offended.

But that hasn’t stopped the flurry of outrage.

On Thursday, members of the Welfare Rights Committee protested outside one of Franson’s committee meetings at the Capitol, calling for her resignation, chanting and holding signs like, “If people are animals, then Mary Franson is a rat.”

“We’ve seen this kind of attitude running through the Capitol year after year after year,” said Deb Konechne, one of the group’s members.

“My children aren’t animals,” shouted Ciccly Marx of St. Anthony, holding up her infant daughter.

About an hour later, the Alliance for a Better Minnesota delivered a petition to Franson’s office with more than 2,500 signatures asking her for a video apology for the “hurtful and insensitive” comments.

Franson, who declined to talk to reporters when she left the committee meeting, escorted by security, said in a statement that intimidation and bullying are hallmarks of the far left.

“The protesters here today exemplify the abusive nature of their political involvement by demanding my resignation and silence,” she said.

“They don’t engage on the tragedy of dependency and poverty because they have no solutions, only threats and theatrics. … These astro turf events only make me more committed to helping the poor out of poverty.

“My constituents support my efforts to change that status quo,” the statement continued.

Franson’s campaign also turned the furor over her comments into a fundraising opportunity.

Her treasurer tweeted Thursday, saying: “Please donate to fransonforstatehouse.com – The War on Women has come to MN.”

The posting linked to a conservative blogger who said liberal groups, politicians and the media were twisting her words to trash her in the same way they attack other Republican women with whom they don’t agree.

Franson has said she’s received malicious calls and emails, some of them threatening violence against her and her three children. The Republican Party of Minnesota denounced the threats this week as vile and irresponsible.

“This might be the kind of Chicago-style politics that has, unfortunately, infected too many corners of public life, but it sure isn’t the Minnesota way,” Republican Party Chair Pat Shortridge and Deputy Chair Kelly Fenton said in a statement.

Carrie Lucking, executive director of the Alliance for a Better Minnesota, said her organization denounces any threats against public officials, but members also take issue with the Republican Party’s definition of “irresponsible.”

“Irresponsible is pre-taping a video in which you compare people experiencing poverty to wild animals – especially when 21 percent of the children you were elected to represent are poor,” Lucking said in a statement.

“It is equally irresponsible for anyone – Republican or Democrat – to advocate turning our backs on those who are going through a rough time.”

Democrats condemned Franson for her comments but stopped short of calling for her resignation.

“Resignation is for her to decide,” said Gov. Mark Dayton. “I thought the comments were very, very inappropriate and crude and really un-Minnesotan.”

Megan Boldt can be reached at 651-228-5495. Follow her at twitter.com/meganboldt.