Republican lawmakers aren’t known for their civility towards President Obama, but North Carolina GOP State Rep. Michael Speciale sunk to new depths by posting a meme that referred to Obama as an “Islamic son of a b*tch.” The offensive meme shows a mock conversation between Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and President Obama. In the apocryphal exchange Netanyahu unloads on Obama, stating:
Look you Islamic son of a bitch, unless you give all your land back to the native indians (sic), don’t pretend to lecture Israeli’s about our borders when you can’t control your own. Do you know why ISIS doesn’t f*ck with Israel. Mr. President? It’s because they know we don’t have a problem calling them Islamic Terrorist’s (sic) and killing every one of them. Now are you going to do something about them or should Israel show you how it’s done because you are too much of a coward and the most piss poor excuse for an American President in your Great Nations (sic) history.
The GOP lawmaker, who represents North Carolina’s 3rd House District, shared the meme, which plays into a lot of right-wing false narratives about Obama being a Muslim, being a weak leader, and the United States being inundated by illegal immigration. None of those narratives are backed by evidence. However, in the right wing bubble, ideology trumps evidence as evidenced by Donald Trump’s popularity, despite running a campaign built on a foundation of insults and lies.
Taking a page from the Donald Trump play book, after a news article pointed out Speciale’s Facebook post, the GOP Rep. doubled down on attacking President Obama. Rather than apologizing for spreading the offensive meme Rep. Speciale defended it, by whining:
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I find it interesting how many liberals pretend that they are offended by this post, yet they have no problem with Obama destroying the very fabric of this nation. These same folks didn’t appear fazed when some of the most vitriolic garbage was being spewed by their fellow liberals at President Bush! It must also be a slow news day at wnct and the news and observer, since they think this is a story today. Obama will end up as the worst President in history, and it will be a result of his performance, and none of my Facebook posts can be blamed!
Politicians have every right to criticize the president’s policies if they disagree with them. In a functioning representative democracy, contentious debates over policy are sometimes necessary, and an exchange of competing ideas can be healthy. However, the modern Republican Party isn’t interested in debating policy differences. They are merely engaging in the politics of division and derision, because they hate the president. Rep. Speciale, like so many other present day Republicans, is a sorry excuse for a representative of the people. His constituents should demand better, and vote him out in 2016.
Keith Brekhus is a progressive American who currently resides in Red Lodge, Montana. He is co-host for the Liberal Fix radio show. He holds a Master’s Degree in Sociology from the University of Missouri. In 2002, he ran for Congress as a Green Party candidate in the state of Missouri. In 2014, he worked as a field organizer for Democrat Ann Kirkpatrick’s successful re-election bid in Arizona’s 1st Congressional District. He can be followed on Twitter @keithbrekhus or on Facebook.
