A New Hampshire state lawmaker is refusing to apologize for posting a sexually explicit image on Facebook about "battered women," saying it was never meant to be a joke and is being misconstrued.
The exchange happened on the Facebook page of the Greater Nashua Tea Party on Monday. State Rep. Kyle Tasker (R) went into a discussion thread about the New Hampshire GOP's refusal to stand by state Rep. Mark Warden (R), who came under scrutiny in recent days for saying, "Some people could make the argument that a lot of people like being in abusive relationships."
Tasker posted a graphic with a joke about "battered women":
On Thursday, Tasker said he wasn't going to apologize for the post because his "intent was pure."
"I didn't mean that as a joke, it was a t-shirt print I thought was pretty ridiculous that someone would wear that around," Tasker said, according to WMUR.
Tasker came under bipartisan criticism for his post, which was deleted by Tuesday.
"Every time we think a Republican member of the legislature has set a new low, another one does something worse," said state Democratic Party Chair Ray Buckley.
Jennifer Horn, chairwoman of the state GOP, also called on Tasker to apologize.
"Representative Tasker’s post was grossly offensive and has no place in public discourse. He should apologize immediately," she said in a statement.
Tasker has been quite open with his opinions on Facebook in the past. In early February, he expressed regret for backing a bill to expand the use of mental health courts, lamenting that his "name is attached to this turd." He also once accidentally dropped his gun on the floor during a committee meeting.
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