We’re used to out-of-touch politicians making offensive remarks about women. But it’s a little more shocking when the offensive remark about women comes from, well, a woman.

Renee Ellmers is the second-term Congresswoman running against Clay Aiken in November. She’s got a tough fight to keep her seat, and it just got a lot tougher with the insensitive remarks she made while participating in a conservative women’s panel last week.

“Men do tend to talk about things on a much higher level,” Ellmers said. “…We need our male colleagues to understand that if you can bring it down to a woman’s level and what everything that she is balancing in her life – that’s the way to go.”

I agree that women do a lot of balancing in their lives. And we could all use more hours in the day. I wish I had more hours in my day when I juggled ambassadorships to 7 countries and co-founded 2 banks. But what does Congresswoman Ellmers think women need more time for?

Women want “more time in the morning to get ready,” she said.

Unbelievable. Even by Washington standards.

And when Ellmers was called out for these insensitive comments, she decided it best to attack the character and motives of someone she described as a “liberal woman reporter.” A reporter who previously worked at the conservative Heritage Foundation and the Burlington County Republican Committee.

We get enough name calling and finger pointing in the halls of Congress. Hearing excuses from our political leaders is exhausting. And Renee Ellmers is proving to be the ringleader for excuses and finger pointing.

I hope you’ll join me in supporting Clay Aiken by contributing $50 today.

Representatives like Renee Ellmers are failing our country, our state, and women. We can do better.

Yours,

Jeanette Hyde

Former U.S. Ambassador to Barbados

Founder, North State Bank

Founder, Triangle Bank

P.S. You can read Ellmers’s full remarks and listen to the audio by clicking here.