From Staff Reports

A tweet from an official in the Buncombe County Republican Party that — he said — was intended as a joke has upset the head of the League of Women Voters in Asheville.

BCGOP spokesman Nathan West said that the tweet, sent to the party’s nearly 800 Twitter followers referring to a Wednesday meeting of the aforementioned group as the League of Women Vipers, was intended to be humorous and just a “silly comment.”

However, he also said the League of Women Voters has never been friendly with Republicans.

Meanwhile, Karen Oeschlaeger, president of the Asheville-Buncombe League chapter. told local news media outlets that it is unfortunate one of the two major political parties would antagonize the group.

She noted that the league organizes forums on public policy issues and encourages participation in voting and government.

Also, Oeschlaeger said she had reached out to West and BCGOP Chairman Henry Mitchell in the past and, therefore, is disappointed that they view her organization as unfriendly to Republicans.