Quote of the Day: Haley Barbour on Richard Mourdock's rape remarks

By Michael J.W. Stickings

Said the former Mississippi governor, and one of the most quintessential Republicans (a very nearly perfect Republican, in fact), yesterday:

I don't agree with what he said. I thought that what he said was kinda crazy.

Of course, good surrogate that he is, he tried to put some daylight between Romney and Mourdock by saying that the latter's remarks have nothing to do with the presidential race and pivoting to the usual pro-Romney talking points about the economy.

To which I make two points:

1. Far from distancing himself from Mourdock, Romney continues to embrace him. There was a terse statement of discontent from the Romney campaign shortly after the remarks were made, but Romney still enthusiastically supports him in Indiana's Senate race. (And, of course, Paul Ryan's views on such matters are pretty much the same as Mourdock's.) So, yes, it's an issue, and a bad one for Romney, however much Barbour may protest otherwise.

2. Even Haley "Boss Hogg" Barbour thinks what Mourdock was said was crazy. That says something. Just as it says something that Romney, shameless panderer with an unprincipled core that he is, won't take a stand against Mourdock and say enough is enough. (He needs the crazy Republican vote, which is to say, he needs Republicans to vote for him.)

Which is to say, the loathsome Barbour is making Romney look even worse than usual. And that's saying a lot.