Rand Paul Disease

Thinking before speaking. This is an art which appears to be lost on most folks these days. Sadly, politicos seem to be the worst practitioners of foot in mouth disease.

A South Carolina State Senator and fellow Republican Jake Knotts called South Carolina GOP gubernatorial hopeful Nikki Haley a raghead. She is of Asian Indian descent. He says he meant it as a joke and has apologized.

His explanation that he said so because he was being interviewed on an Internet show which was supposed to be freewheeling is no justification. Anyone ought to know that anything going over the world wide web can and will be picked up and disseminated, especially by those who want to stir up controversy.

Mr. Knotts' stupid comment is precisely what gives the Republican Party and greater conservative movement a black eye. Even if we are supposed to accept it as humor, it is the type reserved for sophomoric films at best. At worst, and being said by a public official in a public atmosphere surely fits the worst case scenario, it begs for the charge of latent racism which right wingers face daily without any help from presumed allies.

Haley has suffered enough with recent allegations of infidelity. She doesn't need this kind of further controversy surrounding her person or campaign. And South Carolina could certainly use a cleaner electoral environment than it has been graced with so far. We do not need any more cases of Rand Paul disease in our commentary.