Obama's Grandma: KitchenAid Apologizes for Offensive, Mocking Tweet about Death of President's Grandmother

During the first bout of the 2012 Presidential Debates, the popular appliance-seller KitchenAid sent out a rather offensive, mocking tweet about the death of Obama's grandma. The company has since apologized and taken down the "irresponsible" tweet, but not without first receiving harsh criticism and backlash.

On Wednesday evening, President Barack Obama defended his healthcare plan by discussing how his late grandmother Madelyn Payne Dunham relied on Medicare during her final years of life. Dunham, who helped raise Obama, passed away the same week of the 2008 presidential election.

During the Debate, KitchenAid sent out this distasteful tweet (which has since been taken down):

@KitchenAidUSA: "Obamas gma even knew it was going 2 b bad! 'She died 3 days b4 he became president."

Following the tweet, many fans on Twitter began slamming KitchenAid's social media "expert," insisting that the appliance company should start looking for another Twitter representative, pronto:

@RuthBourdain: "The @KitchenAidUSA tweet about Obama is the most tasteless thing I've seen since this Guy Fieri Custom KitchenAid Mixer."

@shanerhyne: "Always wanted a social media job? @kitchenaidusa seems likely to be hiring later this week."

@fakedansavage: "Apparently you have to fail some sort of personality test to get a job tweeting for KitchenAid."

@nikki_d: "How giving the wrong person control of your twitter account can sink your brand in no time flat."

‏@ravenme: Prediction from tonight's debate: KitchenAid's social media rep will be fired."

Following the inappropriate tweet, KitchenAid promptly took it down and posted this apology:

@KitchenAidUSA: "Deepest apologies for an irresponsible tweet that is in no way a representation of the brand's opinion."

According to company officials, an employee had mistakenly sent out the rather offensive comment on the corporate account rather than his own personal one. An odd (and major) blunder...

Cynthia Soledad, senior marketer of KitchAid, told reporters that the individual guilty of the criticized post "will not be tweeting for us anymore." In an email sent to "Mashable" she states:

"During the debate tonight, a member of our Twitter team mistakenly posted an offensive tweet from the KitchenAid handle instead of a personal handle. The tasteless joke in no way represents our values at KitchenAid, and that person won't be tweeting for us anymore. That said, I lead the KitchenAid brand, and I take responsibility for the whole team. I am deeply sorry to President Obama, his family, and the Twitter community for this careless error. Thanks for hearing me out."