Representative Steve King (R-IA-5) has made quite a name for himself over the years for many reasons, such as his violent case of anti-science syndrome. This author remains particularly stunned, months later, with King’s gleeful bragging about wasting taxpayer money.
Many Americans had their eyes open with what some term as the “King foot-in-mouth disease” in the past week as Representative King made what easily ranks as one of the most heartless statements by a major politicians as millions of his fellow citizens suffered amid the devastation post Hurricane Sandy. Some nickname Steve King “The Emperor of all Morons” with comments like the one that he made about aid to Hurricane Sandy victims:
“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.”
It is hard to believe that any Iowan (whether farmer, manufacturer, teacher, retiree, or otherwise) is proud of or thrilled with the attention that King brought to the state like the following:
King’s comments got under my skin — as they did many Americans — and a thought came to me:
What would Iowans have thought if Steve King were a Congressman from Long Island and made some comment about farm disaster aid?
Just imagine Iowan farmers looking at brown fields amid a devastating heat wave and drought (like 2012) and turning on their TV to hear thoughtful Representative Steven King (R-NY) pontificate with thoughts along the lines of “Well, I’m all for providing aid to these farmers but we better have someone following up on every check to assure that they’re not buying alligator-skin boots or an air-conditioned tractor …” Have to believe that this would ring pretty sour to Iowans’ ears.
The Golden Rule provides a pretty good rule of thumb:
Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.
Iowans have put Steve King into a position where his voice is listened to, even when he so insults fellow Americans facing desperate situations. We should all hope that no members of Congress are so disdainful of Iowans’ needs in times of disaster as King has been of citizens of New York, New Jersey, and other Sandy victims, but Iowans should keep in mind what they “do unto others” by electing Steve King to his soapbox.
The option remains to take King off his throne and send thoughtful Christie Vilsack to Washington instead.
If that occurs, American commentators and comedians will have to look elsewhere than Iowa’s Fourth District for outrageous statements that provide reason for outrage and comedy.