Rucks Russell's 5 p.m. update

Kelly Siegler, who is seeking the GOP nomination for Harris County District Attorney, is quickly learning that politics can be ugly.

She called a news conference Friday to apologize for once calling Lakewood Church, “screwballs and nuts,” in an effort to bounce a potential juror from a criminal trial.

Siegler, who is an assistant district attorney, made the comment last year after being challenged that her effort to strike the potential juror was based on his skin color.

The potential juror in question was black. It is illegal to strike a juror based on skin color.

“When I said that comment, you have to understand it was in the context of picking a jury on a death penalty case, and I was doing my job," explained Siegler. "In my mind, he was too forgiving. It’s not my job as a prosecutor to put forgiving people in the jury box.”

“Lakewood’s members are very forgiving,” church spokesman Donald Iloff said Thursday. “I rather doubt they’ll vote for Ms. Siegler, but they will forgive her."

Lakewood Church, the internationally known mega-church headed by Pastor Joel Osteen, boasts one of the largest congregations in the nation.

Siegler is one of four Republicans seeking to replace embattled District Attorney Chuck Rosenthal. Rosenthal withdrew from seeking re-election after a series of salacious e-mails he sent to his executive assistant became public.

11 News also uncovered e-mails that were racially offensive and others that indicated Rosenthal used county employees and equipment for past campaigns.

When asked whether Rosenthal should resign, Siegler said "Chuck needs to do what is right for the office."

Siegler said morale at the DA's office is at an all-time low. "We can't get any work done, all we hear is criticism."

She plans to begin a leave of absence on Monday to focus on the March primary.

Siegler admitted her first week in politics has been tough.

"I started this campaign a week ago. It feels like a year," Siegler told 11 News. "In the space of a week, my morality has been called into question, my vocabulary's been criticized, I've been told 'you're acting too mean, you're acting too nice, you're not dressing right, your hair's wrong."

"I still want to think that eventually we're going to get around to talking about how I've done my job for the past 21 years, can we please?" she said.

Siegler admitted she's "not a politician," but said she's trying to learn after a rather rude welcome to the world of politics.