And it won’t come out.
Senator Conrad Burns, (R-Mont.) has found himself under fire for making a series of off-the-cuff remarks about Hispanics, Middle Easterners, Asians and fire fighters.
Yes, fire fighters.
A 143-square mile wildfire raged on in Montana, when a “Hotshot” crew traveled over 2000 miles from Virginia to assist in the firefighting efforts. The crew spent a week digging fire lines and helping out, only to hear that they were doing a “piss-poor job,” according to Burns. This, as reported by CNN. The New York Times reported Burns also said the fire fighters had not done a “goddamn thing” to stop the raging wildfires.
Burns later apologized for his words, but he has not apologized for an ethnic slur against Middle Easterners and Asians, saying America was fighting a faceless enemy of terrorists who, “drive taxi cabs in the daytime and kill at night.”
Wonkette fired back yesterday in satirical defense of cab drivers, quoting a story where a taxicab driver in Costa Rica shot a man who was wearing an Osama bin Laden mask.
Burns’ staff was quick to respond to this situation. Spokesman Jason Klindt told CNN: “The point is there are terrorists that live amongst us. Not only here, but in Britain and the entire world. Whether they are taxi drivers or investment bankers, the fact remains that this is a new type of enemy.”
According to the CNN article, Burns came under fire recently for a third remark, calling his house painter a “nice little Guatemalan man.” The senator also suggested the painter might be an illegal immigrant.
Burns’ campaign is pushing for tighter immigration control, and the staff later denied the painter was in the country illegally.
Burns is locked in a losing campaign against Democrat Jon Tester. The 16-year incumbent trails his challenger by seven percentage points according to a recent poll.
As far as insensitive and downright bad-for-your-image comments go, the Senator from Montana has been the dimmest bulb in the political lighting rig lately, but he merely capped off a month of retractions, apologies and take-backs from across the political spectrum.
The New York Times’ Mark Leibovich pointed out several other political missteps recently.
Notably, New Orleans Mayor Ray Nagin apologized for his previously reported references to the 9/11 terrorist attacks. Nagin said he was “very sorry” for his remarks.