Jarrett dismisses critics of her White House role

White House senior adviser Valerie Jarrett on Wednesday brushed aside recent criticism of her role in the administration, saying the rebukes were nothing compared to what politically active women had faced in the past.

“When you break glass ceilings, you’re going to get scraped — a minor scrape from a shard or two of the glass,” Jarrett said in an interview with MSNBC.

{mosads}Earlier this week, both The New Republic and Politico published tough profiles of Jarrett, suggesting that the White House might be better served by a senior adviser who is less loyal to the president — and thus more willing to disrupt the status quo. Jarrett is a personal friend of the Obama family, and critics charge she has too much influence in the West Wing.

But the stories drew strong pushback from supporters, including Democratic strategist Donna Brazile and MSNBC host Mika Brzezinski, who suggested the criticisms were sexist.

“After the past week’s political upheavals in Washington and around the country, we are reminded that certain things remain constant in politics,” Brazile wrote in a column for CNN. “Unfortunately, one of those things is the sexism leveled at any woman who rises to power in the White House.”

Jarrett also seemed to believe the criticism was rooted in sexism, saying she was reminded of the sacrifices women made to earn equal pay protections or the right to vote.

“If I take a bump or bruise along the way, that’s nothing compared to the sacrifices that the women whose shoulders I stand upon made along the way,” she said.

But Jarrett said ultimately she wasn’t concerned with the questioning of her role.

“What I really focus on is the hard work we have in the last two years,” she said.