SC Sen. Jake Knotts Calls Nikki Haley A “F**king Raghead,” SC Dems Call For His Removal

South Carolina Senator Jake Knotts has just drummed up more sympathy for SC gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley than a million Palin robocalls could. Appearing on the internet talk show Pub Politics, Knotts called Haley a “f**king raghead,” comments he claims were in jest. Elected officials are supposed to represent their constituents and, since I know quite a few people in or from South Carolina, I really don’t think this is the best way for Knotts to do his job.

Get ready for quite a few block quotes in this article because nearly everything Knotts said during the broadcast last night was absolute gold. Of course, when I say “gold” read it as “truly offensive bigoted garbage.”

First, Knotts called Haley (a Christian who is of Sikh descent) a “f**king raghead.” When the stunned hosts of the show, Senate Republican Caucus political director Wesley Donehue and Senate Democratic Caucus political director Phil Bailey, asked him to clarify, he apologized…for using the F word. It just gets better from there.

From the Free Times:

“Knotts says he believed Haley has been set up by a network of Sikhs and was programmed to run for governor of South Carolina by outside influences in foreign countries. He claims she is hiding her religion and he wants the voters to know about it.

‘We got a raghead in Washington; we don’t need one in South Carolina,’ Knotts said more than once. ‘She’s a raghead that’s ashamed of her religion trying to hid it behind being Methodist for political reasons.'”

After the broadcast, which Knotts wasn’t even scheduled to be on (he just showed up at the bar where it was being recorded), Knotts, unsurprisingly, was forced to defend his comments. He stood firm.

“’This isn’t the first time I’ve said it,’ Knotts said. ‘I’m not on a crusade to downgrade her, but if someone asks me I’ll tell ‘em. And look here, someone wants to vote for her knowing the truth, vote for her.’

Knotts said that South Carolina is a religious community.

‘We need a good Christian to be our governor,’ he said. ‘She’s hiding her religion. She ought to be proud of it. I’m proud of my god.’

Knotts says he believes Haley’s father has been sending letters to India saying that Haley is the first Sikh running for high office in America. He says her father walks around Lexington wearing a turban.

‘We’re at war over there,’ Knotts said.

Asked to clarify, he said he did not mean the United States was at war with India, but was at war with ‘foreign countries.’”

Knotts told the hosts that he believes he represents his constituents well. Isn’t that great, South Carolina? One of your senators is just as racist as you! Wait, what’s that? You’re not racist? Well, you better tell Jake Knotts that because he thinks he’s representing you well by calling a gubernatorial candidate and our president “ragheads”!

Did Knotts ever apologize? Yes. He made a fantastic statement where he claimed to just be making a harmless little joke.

“‘My ‘raghead’ comments about Obama and Haley were intended in jest,’ Knotts said in a statement. ‘Bear in mind that this is a freewheeling, anything-goes Internet radio show that is broadcast from a pub. It’s like local political version of Saturday Night Live.'”

Well, I suppose that makes sense. I mean, in the 70s, SNL did say “nigger” in a sketch. The only difference is that Jake Knotts is a state senator, not Richard Pryor!

Unsurprisingly, there are already calls for Knotts’ removal. While GOP leaders in the state try to distance themselves and condemn the man, the Democrats in South Carolina are going on the offensive.

From Live 5 News in Charleston:

“State Democratic chair Karen Fowler said Thursday night in a release that the Republican party has repeatedly embarrassed South Carolina with scandal and poorly-timed statements. ‘The language Sen. Knotts used, and his lame excuse for an apology, are completely unacceptable,” she said. “If he has any shame at all, he will resign from the Senate.’

She added: ‘There should be no room in government for hate speech.'”

I don’t know what’s worse. That a STATE SENATOR is unapologetically calling someone a racial slur, or that we still live in a country where being a “raghead” is somehow evidence that you’re unfit for office.

Video of the comments should go live on the Pub Politics site sometime today.