Did The White House Force Shirley Sherrod Out?

Shirley Sherrod, a federal agriculture official states that she was forced by the White House to resign her position after video surfaced of a speech she gave to the NAACP stating that she didn't give her full support to a white couple she was assisting to save their farm from forclosure. The initial video, which was heavily edited didn't allow her to tell the entire story that she ultimately helped the couple save their farm. The couple, Eloise and Roger Spooner state that Sherrod kept them out of bankruptcy and is a friend for life according to a story in the Atlanta Journal Constitution.

Obviously there can't be double standards when it comes to race based remarks by public officials. However, if the White House forced the resignation of Ms. Sherrod, it may have been a bit hasty. Sherrod is obviously not going away quietly as she was on CNN aggressively defending herself yesterday. In her defense, the NAACP which initially chastised the remarks, backed off and apologized to Sherrod after viewing the entire speech. Perhaps Sherrod ultimately would've lost her job, but she never had a chance to defend herself, which just doesn't seem fair.