Republican threatens to slap man in wheelchair

Maybe it's the prospect of losing, but the Republicans are starting to come across as unhinged.

The Republican senator for Wyoming, Barbara Cubin, has reportedly told a wheelchair bound opponent, Thomas Rankin - the Libertarian running for Wyoming's lone U.S. House seat - that, "If you weren't sitting in that chair, I'd slap you across the face."

Nor does Cubin even bother to deny that the exchange took place:

When contacted by The Associated Press, Cubin campaign spokesman Eric Cullen acknowledged that Rankin and Cubin exchanged strong words, but said he didn't hear the exchange.

Cullen said Cubin would not talk about the incident, but read the following statement:

"Mr. Rankin misrepresented Mrs. Cubin's positions and insulted her integrity during the debate. When she approached him after the debate, he said something not very complimentary. She responded. It was a private conversation. She's over it.

She may very well "be over it", but I doubt that the voting public will be.

The point being debated was whether Cubin had taken $22,000 in improper campaign donations.

When Rankin brought it up the first time, Cubin looked sternly at him, shook her head and mouthed an inaudible denial. On the second occasion, she looked out at the audience flabbergasted and lifted her arms up. Because of the structure of the debate, Cubin resorted to quick denials at the beginning of other topics.

In her closing remarks at the end of the debate, Cubin began, "One thing I've learned tonight is that when you have a record for people to misrepresent, they do."

During her tenure, Cubin received $22,520 in campaign contributions from Delay's Americans for a Republican Majority PAC. She has said she would not return the money unless DeLay was convicted of a crime.

Taking money from DeLay was always going to raise eyebrows in the current climate. Threatening to slap people in wheelchairs is hardly going to lessen the spotlight upon you.

She's at the moment ahead in the polls by 44 percent to a Democrat 37 percent, and the wheelchair bound opponent she threatened to slap is currently predicted to take 4% of the vote.

Like I say, they are losing it big time.

tag: Wyoming, Thomas Rankin, Barbara Cubin, televised debate, slap, wheelchair, Tom DeLay,