Arizona Republican official accuses women of 'bitch session'

A spokesperson for the Arizona Republican Party recently lashed out at two women by saying they were having a "bitch session" when they complained about conservative politicians in the state.

In a piece published by The Arizona Republic on Saturday, GOP donor Kathy Petsas told columnist Laurie Roberts that to "dekookify" the state, the effort must start with the Republican Party headquarters, "where the extremists are apparently running amok."

Arizona Republican Party Communication Director Shane Wikfors posted an angry response on blog, calling the column a "bitch session."

"As the spokesman for the Arizona Republican Party, I would have at least expected Ms. Roberts to call and ask a few simple questions about Kathy Petsas’ assertions before going to print, but she didn’t," Wikfors wrote. "And Kathy Petsas never made any attempt to provide any constructive criticism to the State Party."

"Instead, Ms. Petsas ran off to Laurie Roberts and engaged her in a 'bitch session.'"

On Wednesday, Wikfors told KTVK that he stood by his statement.

"It's a colloquialism," he explained. "It's universally used. Go to any corporate boardroom and you'll hear that reference."

For her part, Roberts said she didn't have a problem with the phrase.

"I don’t have any concern about the words," she insisted to Politico. "I’ve been called far worse."

But Petsas wasn't as understanding.

"It's reprehensible, that kind of comment," she remarked to KTVK. "It's inappropriate and unprofessional for someone whose job it is to be a spokesman."

"They want to call me names then come back and ask me for money," she added. "I'm not going to pay for someone to use the language they just used."

"Nobody should think that kind of language ought to be condoned."

Photo: Arizona Public Media (screen grab)