Shirley Sherrod: There, There, Tom

There’s life.  And then there’s the photo-op.

Manuel Balce Ceneta/AP

Tom got his hug, but that’s where Shirley — quicker to open her eyes — drew the line.

(caption: U.S. Secretary of Agriculture Tom Vilsack embraced ex-USDA official Shirley Sherrod at a news conference in Washington Tuesday. Ms. Sherrod, who was ousted when racial comments she made were taken out of context, declined a new position with the USDA.)

(8/25 10:36 am PST – updated w/ additional photo)