ST. PAUL, Minn. (AP) — Republican Minnesota Senate hopeful Karin Housley's campaign says a 2009 Facebook post in which she compares Michelle Obama's posture to that of a chimpanzee is being taken out of context.

Housley is running against Democratic Sen. Tina Smith. She made the comment long before running for statewide office or the state Senate seat she's held since 2013.

In a string of comments, Housley wrote that then-first lady Obama should "at least stand up straight." Housley continued that a chimpanzee in a Ronald Reagan movie "stood up straighter than Michelle." The Huffington Post first reported her remarks.

Housley campaign spokesman Jake Schneider accused Smith's campaign of "using an out-of-context Facebook post from 10 years ago to manufacture outrage."

Smith's campaign didn't immediately respond to a message.

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