WRNN Personality Says She Was Looking For An Image Of The President In Drag, Didn't Think About Racial Imagery She Found And Used

Update: Barry Brown of NextMedia Radio said this is a "Tara issue more than a WRNN issue," that her work away from the radio program is her business and he will leave it up to invididuals to decide how they feel about it.

"Her political views away from work, that’s her business," Brown said. "Regrettably it offended some people." 

Earlier: Hot Talk WRNN co-host Tara Servatius has responded to the controversy about why she included an image built upon racial stereotypes about President Obama in a blog post she penned for the John Locke Foundation. 

Here is her response, which is followed by another question I asked and hope she answers:

(Update: She did answer my other question, below.)

"Issac,
 
Here is the response I have been sending to the media. The blog is a publication of the John Locke Foundation in North Carolina and has no association with WRNN. Here is the statement:
I am genuinely sorry my inclusion of the photo along with my blog post has caused controversy for the John Locke Foundation. 
If it has offended anyone, I sincerely regret that. That was certainly not my intention. It was meant to illustrate Obama's southern political strategy, nothing more. An honest reading of the piece itself shows there is nothing offensive in it.
If you read the piece that goes with it, you will see that I actually think that holding the marriage ban vote this year is a bad political move in North Carolina because it could distract voters from the economy, which should be the main issue."

I sent her one more question in response and will ask WRNN to give one as well:

Bailey: The blog post itself is talking about a legitimate topic, no matter which side of the aisle you are on. Why include such an offensive image built upon some fairly nasty, long-time racial stereotypes?

Servatius: At the time, I was searching for a picture of the president in drag to illustrate his southern political strategy of courting young voters, 70 percent of whom support gay marriage. It was one of the first photos to come up on Google Images. Regrettably, I didn't think about the racial implications of the picture when I posted it. I simply don't think in those terms. Unfortunately some people do.

"Issac,
 
Here is the response I have been sending to the media. The blog is a publication of the John Locke Foundation in North Carolina and has no association with WRNN. Here is the statement:
I am genuinely sorry my inclusion of the photo along with my blog post has caused controversy for the John Locke Foundation. 
If it has offended anyone, I sincerely regret that. That was certainly not my intention. It was meant to illustrate Obama's southern political strategy, nothing more. An honest reading of the piece itself shows there is nothing offensive in it.
If you read the piece that goes with it, you will see that I actually think that holding the marriage ban vote this year is a bad political move in North Carolina because it could distract voters from the economy, which should be the main issue."

I sent her one more question in response and will ask WRNN to give one as well:

Bailey: The blog post itself is talking about a legitimate topic, no matter which side of the aisle you are on. Why include such an offensive image built upon some fairly nasty, long-time racial stereotypes?

Servatius: At the time, I was searching for a picture of the president in drag to illustrate his southern political strategy of courting young voters, 70 percent of whom support gay marriage. It was one of the first photos to come up on Google Images. Regrettably, I didn't think about the racial implications of the picture when I posted it. I simply don't think in those terms. Unfortunately some people do.