Last time yours truly turned his attention to Steve King, the Republican congressman from Iowa bragged about having a sixth sense for spotting illegal immigrants and opined how America should sift through its incoming legal immigrant population like shoppers sifting through a scratch-and-dent clearance bin at the local Kmart.
Yesterday, Storm Lake's very own preceded to eat one of his wingtips while expressing concern over federal aid planned for Hurricane Sandy
"I want to get them the resources that are necessary to lift them out of this water and the sand and the ashes and the death that's over there in the East Coast and especially in the Northeast," King said during a Tuesday evening debate in Mason City, Iowa.
"But not one big shot to just open up the checkbook, because they spent it on Gucci bags and massage parlors and everything you can think of in addition to what was necessary," he said later, referring to Hurricane Katrina.
Seven years after the storm opened a Pandora's Box of incompetence and self-service from a variety of state and federal officials along with a helping of racial antagonism, Hurricane Katrina remains a code word and a catch-all for anyone wanting to compare or comment on black America's supposed predilection towards profligate welfarism, helplessness and wanton destruction. In other words, it's a convenient way to avoid stepping over the "Ni-CLANG Event Horizon" while making your point about those ni*CLANG* and anyone looking to act like them.
For general reference, King was also one of 11 congressmen who voted against a $51.8 billion relief package aimed towards Hurricane Katrina relief back in 2005. He still sees it as "a good vote." He also has a penchant for opposing disaster relief and prevention bills:
King has opposed other disaster relief and prevention bills, including twice voting against a bill to authorize funding for the National Flood Insurance Program.
He's also the same gentleman who not only boarded the S.S. Legitimate Rape with Paul Ryan and Todd Akin by supporting the "No Taxpayer Funding for Abortion Act," which would have banned Federal funding of abortions except in cases of forcible rape, but also invoked a certain incredulousness when it came to young victims of incest and statutory rape:
"Well I just haven't heard of that being a circumstance that's been brought to me in any personal way, and I'd be open to discussion about that subject matter," he said.
He might want to take some notes from the Guttmacher Institute on that one, or better still, quietly listen in on an interview with a young victim of incest and rape.
In short, Stevie K is exactly what you'd expect from a staunch conservative - a man who expresses his personal prejudices under the guise of fiscal and moral responsibility. Here's to hoping Christie Vilsack overcomes King's current four-point lead.
