It sounds like South Carolina State. Sen. Jake Knotts’ “raghead” comments last night are even worse than first reported.
Not only did he refer to Republican gubernatorial candidate Nikki Haley as a “raghead” during an internet political radio show taped in a bar — but Knotts called her a “f—ing raghead” afterward, according to a report from the Free-Times.
“She’s a f—ing raghead,” Knotts reportedly said.
This report comes on the heels of an earlier account from the co-host of the internet political talk show Pub Politics, the forum for Knotts’ comments. Knotts — who supports Haley opponent Lt. Gov. Andre Bauer in the state’s Republican gubernatorial primary — did not immediately return a phone call seeking comment this morning.
The show is co-hosted by Phil Bailey and Wes Donehue. Donehue, a GOP operative, figured into an earlier chapter in the scandal surrounding blogger Will Folks’ claim that he had an affair with Haley. Donehue sent Folks an expletive-laced text message about the story being discussed, and was reportedly trying to shop an affidavit to reporters. For his part, Bailey works with the Senate Democratic Caucus.
The state senator also reportedly seemed to suggest when approached by Free Times reporter Corey Hutchins after the show last night that Haley was some kind of Sikh Manchurian candidate.
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 hide it behind being Methodist for political reasons.”
Haley is of Sikh descent, and is now a Christian.
Knotts also reportedly suggested that Haley’s father is sending letters to India bragging about Haley’s candidacy. Knotts: “We’re at war over there.”
“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.”
Read the whole Free-Times report here.
Knotts has apologized for his comments, explaining them as part of a “freewheeling, anything-goes Internet radio show that is broadcast from a pub.”
If it had been recorded, the public would be able to hear firsthand that my ‘raghead’ comments about Obama and Haley were intended in jest. 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, which is actually where the joke came from.
He continued: “I still believe Ms. Haley is pretending to be someone she is not, much as Obama did, but I do apologize to both for an unintended slur.”
Editor’s Note: This post has been added to since it was originally published.
