Walker digital strategist quits after tweets critical of Iowa

Only a day after being announced as an aide to Gov. Scott Walker’s political operation, Liz Mair told The Associated Press on Tuesday that she was resigning. Mair took considerable heat for her frank Twitter criticism of Iowa’s early role in the presidential nomination process.

“The tone of some of my tweets concerning Iowa was at odds with that which Gov. Walker has always encouraged in political discourse,” Mair said in a statement to the AP in which she announced her immediate resignation. “I wish Gov. Walker and his team all the best.”

“Morons across America are astounded to learn that people from *IOWA* grow up rather government-dependent. #agsubsidies #ethanol #brainless,” she tweeted on Jan. 22.

Two days later, she fired another missive against the Hawkeye State’s political status.

“The sooner we remove Iowa’s frontrunning status, the better off American politics and policy will be,” Mair tweeted on Jan. 24.

Iowa news outlets picked up the story, and conservatives blasted her hiring, with Breitbart News reporting on her advocacy for “amnesty” during the 2013 immigration debate.

The state’s Republican chairman called for firing on Tuesday.



“It’s obvious she doesn’t have a clue what Iowa’s all about,” Iowa GOP chairman Jeff Kaufmann told The New York Times. “I find her to be shallow and ignorant,” he added, “and I’ll tell you, if I was Governor Walker, I’d send her her walking papers.”

Mair followed news of her resignation with a string of tweets early Wednesday defending her statements on Iowa and on Rep. Steve King.

Now that I'm off payroll, there are a couple things I'd like to say. — Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 18, 2015

1. The "morons" I was referring to in that 1 tweet were Ds who were feigning surprise at an Iowa family having benefited from farm subsidies — Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 18, 2015

2. Obviously, I know when official "ethanol subsidies" ended. But it's a sad commentary on the policy savvy of people covering Iowa... — Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 18, 2015

...that they don't understand that regulation and mandates, e.g., the RFS, are also subsidies. Regulatory subsidies. — Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 18, 2015

I also think the fact that King is held out as the only real force in Iowa and representative of what Iowans think is embarassing for Iowa. — Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 18, 2015

The GOP strategist did express some contrition for her tweets on King and on the perception that she dislikes Iowa.

I was however wrong to implicitly buy into that notion with a couple of quick-fire, snarky tweets. — Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 18, 2015

Final thought: People have mischaracterized my views as "hating" Iowans. That saddens me and is wrong and inaccurate. — Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 18, 2015

Mair also credited the Democrats who found the tweets:

One thing I forgot to mention— credit to Democrats (DNC or Iowa Dem Party?). They're the ones that dug up my tweets & pitched story. — Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 18, 2015

I may not like the result, but as someone who deals with a lot of opposition research, kudos for being quick on the fly... — Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 18, 2015

... and handling it in such a way that it wasn't obvious who originated the story. — Liz Mair (@LizMair) March 18, 2015