Washington Post Publishes, Then Deletes, Cartoon Portraying Cruz Daughters as Monkeys Being Walked By Santa

File this under: Imagine what would have happened if the same was done to Obama's daughters?

The Washington Post, now America's largest newspaper, published a cartoon Tuesday afternoon by Ann Telnaes portraying the young daughters of GOP presidential candidate Ted Cruz as monkeys being walked or controlled by Santa Claus. Here it is: 

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Classy. @washingtonpost makes fun of my girls. Stick w/ attacking me--Caroline & Catherine are out of your league. https://t.co/N61ys6z8w1

— Ted Cruz (@tedcruz) December 22, 2015

Wash Post cartoon featuring @tedcruz’s children is disgusting. The Post saying the kids are “fair game” is even worse.

— Marco Rubio (@marcorubio) December 23, 2015

Here is the WaPo link because I bet they take it down pretty damn quick https://t.co/JlAJ7dItzH

— Amanda Carpenter (@amandacarpenter) December 22, 2015

WAPO Editor Fred Hiatt says he didn't see the cartoon before it was published and it has since been taken down along with a justification provided by Telnaes about why she targeted Cruz' children. Twitchy grabbed a screenshot. 

The update from Hiatt:

Editor’s note from Fred Hiatt: It’s generally been the policy of our editorial section to leave children out of it. I failed to look at this cartoon before it was published. I understand why Ann thought an exception to the policy was warranted in this case, but I do not agree.

This type of depiction and justification would have never come close to acceptable for the Obama girls and it shouldn't be. Leave the kids alone media, no matter how much you hate their parents.