With all of the Kos drama going on, this idiotic comment seems to not have received the sort of attention it deserves:
Republican Senator Jim Bunning of Kentucky, speaking of Dr. Daniel Mongiardo, a dark-haired, dark-skinned second-generation Italian-American running against him this fall:
“I have to tell you he looks like one of Saddam Hussein’s sons… I mean before they were dead, of course…I really mean that he looks like one of Saddam’s sons, and he even dresses like them, too.”
Bunning made the remarks at a Lincoln-Reagan dinner (Abraham Lincoln couldn’t be reached for comment either on pairing his name with Reagan’s or on Bunning’s Know-Nothing comments). After word leaked out, Bunning’s campaign denied that he’d said any such thing.
But then it emerged that the event had been videotaped, and Mongiardo’s people started to demand that the Bunning folks release the tape.
I don’t think, for one minute, that Kos’s remarks are indicative of a wider Democratic position, but I do agree with the Instapundit when he stated that Kos “seems to be infested with a degree of hatred that I previously associated with the Democratic Underground and other fringe sites.”
Similarly, I do not think that all Republicans are racist- nor am I sure that this was necessarily a racist comment- but that is how it will be perceived. However, the fact that ELECTED officials from the party I belong to (more or less- I am a registered Republican and I most likely will continue to support Bush) feel comfortable even thinking this remark is somehow funny or appropriate, let alone uttering it, and worse yet, making it in front of a large crowd, having it videotaped, and then trying to lie about it, is indicative that there is still a good deal of house cleaning to be done on the right side of the aisle. I think comparing even the appearance of a political opponent to that of the Husseins is an inappropriate statement.
*** Update ***
Post edited to add coherence.
*** Update #2 ***
I am not sure what is so hard to understand about this for some people. I am not completely sure that this was indeed a racist remark, whether the racist connotation was made accidentally, intentionally, or not at all. I am pretty damn sure that this is, at the very least, an idiotic thing to say and do, as comparing anyone to those scum is offensive. It pisses me off when I see Hitler mustaches painted on Bush- how is this any different? Even if you don’t think this was racist, you have to be able to agree with me it was offensive and demonstrative of an apalling lack of judgement.
Making things worse is the behavior of Bunning’s staff. When are these people going to learn to just admit a mistake, apologize, take a hit on the airwaves for one news cycle, and then move on?