Claire McCaskill's Insult of Ben Carson Is a Strong Contender for Most Obnoxious Tweet of the Day

Sen. Claire McCaskill, D-Mo. talks to supporters during a campaign stop Wednesday, Oct. 24, 2018, in Kansas City, Mo. McCaskill is facing challenger, Missouri Attorney General and Republican U.S. Senate candidate Josh Hawley in the upcoming election. (AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

There are still nine months to go until the election, so Heaven only knows what sorts of shenanigans and bad behavior we’ll witness between now and then.

Yesterday, I noted that Missouri’s former-Senator-turned-MSNBC-~~bomb-thrower~~-commentator Claire McCaskill was among those expressing outrage following President Trump’s Kansas-Missouri faux pas:

But not quickly enough to avoid the furor of social media and incur the ire of some Missourians. Take, for instance, (former) Senator Claire McCaskill:

It’s Missouri you stone cold idiot. pic.twitter.com/O1cAAOFsJ6

— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) February 3, 2020

Wow – that escalated quickly. Calm down, Claire.

(READ: Trump Momentarily Mistakes Missouri for Kansas and the Outrage Ensues.)

Honestly, the “stone cold idiot” comment struck me as harsh, even for Claire. Then I saw this today:

One of these things is not like the others. Hint: they made him squat in the aisle so he was visible. pic.twitter.com/aFxrRRjbPi

— Claire McCaskill (@clairecmc) February 4, 2020

She’s commenting on the photo posted by the Trump team earlier this morning celebrating their Iowa success:

Our AMAZING Iowa Caucus team is heading back home!

Thank you ALL for your hard work.

President @realDonaldTrump CRUSHED all incumbent turnout records in Iowa!

How do we know? Well, we can count unlike the Democrats!#IowaCaucuses pic.twitter.com/jFoOhOkkvH

— Team Trump (Text TRUMP to 88022) (@TeamTrump) February 4, 2020

And, who knows? Maybe she’s feeling extra defensive in light of the utterly abysmal performance by the Democrats in contrast, but dang, that’s an extraordinarily cynical point she’s attempting to make there.

First off, Ben Carson is not the only minority featured in the photo. Second, if Carson was intentionally located (rather than simply, oh, you know, pausing mid-conversation with Wilbur Ross or Don, Jr., or Katrina Pearson to pose for the pic) in order to be “visible,” why not have him sit up where Mark Meadows is? I mean, if we’re going to be that crass, why not?

But what’s most offensive in her comment is the assertion that Carson was made to squat in the aisle. (Looks to me like he’s half-sitting on the arm of a seat, not “squatting,” but neither here nor there). It’s as if McCaskill can’t fathom the notion that Carson walks, stands, talks, leans, sits, as he pleases without being so commanded. That’s not the soft bigotry of low expectations. That’s something else altogether.