Sen. Knotts' ugly 'humor'

State Sen. Jake Knotts used the racist term "raghead" Thursday to describe both a fellow South Carolina Republican lawmaker and the Democratic president of the United States. He later offered a weak apology, citing an "intended humorous context." Too bad the utterly unamusing joke in this ugly case is on all South Carolinians.

Sen. Knotts, on the Internet talk show "Pub Politics," said of state Rep. Nikki Haley's gubernatorial bid: "We already got one raghead in the White House. We don't need another in the governor's mansion."

And South Carolina's reputation doesn't need any more self-inflicted damage from any of its apparently endless supply of ill-mannered political hacks. Our state's image has lately suffered anew due to unsubstantiated allegations about Rep. Haley's personal life as Tuesday's primary election draws near.

Sen. Knotts' asinine "raghead" branding is an ethnic slur usually aimed at Arabs, Muslims and Indian Sikhs.

Rep. Haley was born in Lexington. Though the daughter of Indian immigrants, she is an American.

President Barack Obama was born in Hawaii. He is the son of a Kenyan man and an American woman.

So much for Sen. Knotts' offensive "raghead" appellation -- and his pitiful sense of humor, if anyone would dignify his comments as such.

In this appalling instance, Sen. Knotts comes across as a mean-spirited blockhead.