Standing ovation for Rand Paul: Ted Nugent should apologize to Obama

Ted Nugent calling President Obama a subhuman mongrel is racist, bigoted, demented, sick, vile and unworthy of any major political party. With attitudes such as this, Nugent might look for remnants of the American Nazi Party, if they are still around, and sign up.

Nugent’s apology today was not enough. He made bigoted comments against the president of the United States and he should personally apologize to the president, which he did not do.

{mosads}Every Republican and conservative should disown Nugent. Texas Republicans should be ashamed for inviting him to the state to campaign for Gregg Abbott’s race for governor. The campaign of Abbot’s opponent, Democrat Wendy Davis, has been given a major boost by the Republican’s embrace of Nugent.

It is noteworthy that most in the GOP have refused to aggressively condemn Nugent’s neo-Nazi-like comments about the president. The most dangerous place to be in America is standing between Sen. Ted Cruz (R-Texas) and a television camera, but Cruz on Nugent has been wimpy, vacillating and pathetic.

One would think a Hispanic such as Cruz would show some decency, dignity and spine by calling out the bigotry of Nugent. But not Cruz, who has been incoherent on the subject of condemning Nugent’s hateful speech.

On the other hand, I am not in the habit of offering high praise to Sen. Rand Paul (R-Ky.). But for the same reasons I occasionally praised former Rep. Ron Paul (R-Texas), I now propose a standing ovation for Rand Paul for standing up against Nugent and calling for him to apologize to Obama.

Rand Paul is right, and all Republicans would do well to follow his example. One can be conservative without being indecent. Paul is the former, Nugent is the latter, and Cruz cannot make up his mind, which is why someday Paul may be a serious candidate for president while Cruz merely speaks for the freak show wing of the lunatic far right. 

Budowsky was an aide to former Sen. Lloyd Bentsen and Bill Alexander, then chief deputy majority whip of the House. He holds an LL.M. degree in international financial law from the London School of Economics. Contact him at brentbbi@webtv.net.