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Last week, former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour (R), despite a deeply controversial background on racial issues, felt comfortable complaining that Democrats are playing the "race card."
A few days later, Barbour managed to be even more provocative speaking at a fundraiser organized by Karl Rove.
Barbour offered a brief assessment of the Republican National Convention. "While I would love for [Chris] Christie to put a hot poker to Obama's butt," said Barbour of the RNC keynote speaker, "I thought he did what he was supposed to do."
I don't know who's writing Barbour's talking points for him, but when you're joking about branding the first African-American president, it's time for some new material.
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Playing to the crowd seems to require heavy drugs on the republican side of the universe.
Maybe that would explain some of or most of the trolls. Naaah...they are all just bad to the bone.
I'm not sure whether the slave-branding imagery interpretation, or the homo-erotic imagery interpretation, is more offensive.
Yes, Governor. Barbour, by all means, remind us again of George Bush, branding pledges at Yale with a red hot coat hanger!
(Because that image goes hand in hand with Mitt cutting the hair of another prep school "sissy".)
Or the regicide imagery a' la Edward II. Whatever images come to mind it crossed the line period.
Well Shheeeeittt that's the way they taught us in the George Wallace Finishing school
hmmmm...when i first heard this comment i was thinking more along the lines of el rushbo's famous "bend over and grab your ankles" fixation...
after all, what's a little rape joke between republicans, eh sports fans?
Haley Barbour has had a lifetime of racist thinking, just as Romney has had a lifetime of upper class thinking. Neither one can hold a conversation about the average American without insulting someone.
Coming from the Governor of a state. That has yet to fully embrace the fact that, the Civil War as fought, and they lost. None of this is surprising to me. I mean this is a state, where you had to have the public support of the KKK. In order to be elected to office. And that really wasn't all that long ago.
Segregation has been reimplemented, in the back room and Country Clubs. And Jim Crow laws have just been renamed to "The Good Ole Boy System". As you have to be a Good Ole Boy to succeed. Or have a pretty damn hard time trying to. There is a reason why MS is considered by most. The Worst State in the Union. It's not about their finances or education. It's because they openly embrace, the worst parts of this country's past. And wear it like a badge of Honor.
The GOP is so rife with repressed homosexuals, but not just ordinary, run of the mill self-loathing repressed homosexuals, but ones driven by the most extreme sadistic fantasies.
The comment would have been more offensive (and less ironic) if Obama, unlike Christie and Barbour looked like a corn-fed grunter.
Maybe I've been enjoying too much gay sex lately, but I totally didn't interpret this as a racial statement.
What is it with the Republican Party and their fixation not only on sex, but gay sex? Are we going to be seeing Barbour in a blue state bathroom foot tapping for some fun? God help us!!!
this is who they are. plain and simple.
And yet the Republicans complained about Joe Biden's "put y'all back in chains" text. Utterly tone deaf.
It's not a racial statement. That would be a branding iron - not a poker.
He's talking about rape with a foreign object.
I think Barbour is a racist buffoon but this statement isn't about race - it's about rape... with a little torture thrown in for good measure.
Considering the long history of the connection between racism and sex, and also the long history of implying that black men are just animals instead of real men, you shouldn't be so fast to declare that this has nothing to do with race.
I have considered it.
The statement is not about race - it's rape and torture.
I think it is counter productive to label any insult to a person of color as race based.
Yeah, because rape and torture of black people by white people has absolutely nothing to do with the history of American racism.
Oh, wait, yes it does.
Also, expressing the desire for someone to be raped and/or tortured, even only figuratively, goes well beyond merely an insult.
Rape and torture is equal opportunity. You must know that. If you don't then do a little reading.
And "expressing the desire for someone to be raped and/or tortured, even only figuratively" is not "beyond an insult". It's no different than saying "Up yours!".
You're reacting in a way that communicates a lack of understanding about what was said. That's called ignorance.
Boss Hawg probably roots for the hillbillies in the "Deliverance" rape scene.
The existence of Boss Hawg and the rest of these southern-friend morons is proof we let them off too easy for their treason 150 years ago.
How these Republicans, extremists of hatred, and extreme wealthy have deceived women about the truths of Jesus is outrageous. Women should know that Jesus really was for the rights, freedoms, equality, choices, freewill, etc of all women. And in reality how these hypocrites have been deceiving women all these years with outright lies for the purposes of power, control, and greed. In addition to the consequences of this has really deceived everybody, except a select few who took everything. This is no different than the hypocrites of years ago and we are just repeating this senseless scenario again. But the real question is when do we finally learn these lessons.
I look at this comment as lack of respect not only to President Obama, but lack of respect for the office as well. Our last two Democratic presidents have had to deal with displays of disrespect from the Repubs. Had it been otherwise, conservative pundits would have talked about it endlessly. This lack of respect diminishes the office.
suuuuweeee!!! Says the PIG Bourber.
I immediately thought of the sad end (so to speak) of English King Edward II: he was popularly supposed to have died of a red hot poker thrust into his anus (as a sort of 'just dessert' for his alleged homosexuality...) Apparently historians doubt this but there is a Christopher Marlowe play...
And this is the sort of nastiness I expect from Barbour and his ilk.
Barbour needs to have his mouth washed out with soap, unfortunateey that will do nothing for his backward thinking. Why are the Republicans not offended by this ?? The American politcal system has reached a new low yet again. Somebody has to call them out on this stuff,I know it is tiresome but the alternative is they win...
Hey, I think Haley Barbour is kind of ho. ho.. Oh Jebus, I can't say it!
Just kidding, he's a pig!
"While I would love for [Chris] Christie to put a hot poker to Obama's butt..."
Yes Governor, you must long for the good old days when you could deal with those runaways legally.
http://archderm.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1105486
http://encyclopediavirginia.org/Runaway_Slaves_and_Servants_in_Colonial_Virginia