Sykes to Batchelder: Time to apologize

REP. BILL BATCHELDER has become so full of himself since he became the Ohio House Speaker that he simply cannot restrain himself from saying questionable things to friendly audiences - even when he might argue that it was all in fun. Republican fun, that is, at the expense of President Obama. (If, indeed, it was intended to be a side-splitter.)

According to the Washington Post, Batchelder told last week's Summit County GOP Lincoln Day Dinner crowd that Obama ought to be jailed. Ha!.Ha! Here are the words of his stand-up routine:

"The liberals are asking us to give Obama more time. And I think 25-to-life would be a good start."

Among those who didn't think the veteran Speaker's remarks were funny was Rep. Vernon Sykes, Akron Democrat, who called them " absolutely deplorable. I call on the Speaker to apologize for such distasteful remarks immediately".

Sorry, Vern, but that's not at all likely. The current gang of Republicans often finds ways to show disrespect to the generic presidency with vitriol ranging from calling Obama a liar as he addressed Congress to the in-your-face finger-pointing outburst from Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. Or slamming him as a threat to American security. (How quickly they forgot Osama.)

You can expect a lot more of this sort of political porn in the months leading to the election from the party's hood ornaments operating in a distant universe. Unfortunately, gravitas is not one of the GOP's strong points.