A kingsized problem

Though he’d surely tell you otherwise, Iowa Congressman Steve King is no stranger to political misstep. His imbecilic legislative proposals are often tarnished by sentiments of racial and religious bigotry and, as his recent comments show, he’s not very good at hiding them.

Bigoted arguments are often marked by a small allotment of evidence and a suspiciously high level of convenience. King is no stranger to this process. His recent attacks on Barack Obama were backed, not by any prevailing evidence, but rather by his own unsupported (and largely nonsensical) impressions of the Islamic people. Citing, among few other things, Obama’s middle name—Hussein—King asserted that an Obama victory would incite “dancing in the streets” among radical Islamists (or, as he eloquently calls them, “is-luh-mists”). King finalized his argument by claiming such a win would allow terrorists to declare their own victory in America’s war on terror.

King’s comments were harshly criticized on national news networks but, true to form, he stands by them. Apparently unfazed by the repudiations being cast at him from all directions, the Iowa Republican seems to be perfectly comfortable in his traditional state of blissful ignorance. Unfortunately, he’s also in the State of Iowa…voting on its behalf.

There will be no dancing in these streets.