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Rex Rammell was already a fringe candidate for governor - before he began pandering to the lunatic fringe.
But on Tuesday, when a woman at a Republican meeting in Twin Falls remarked about buying a hunting permit and shooting a president, Rammell had the bad taste and horrific judgment to play along.
"The Obama tags?" said Rammell. "We'd buy some of those."
This deplorable rabble-rousing has no place in civil public discourse. And if that seems to state the obvious, consider this. On Thursday, Rammell told the Associated Press that he was only being sarcastic and sees no need to apologize.
He might be alone on that count.
Idaho voters got a taste of Rammell in 2008, when he ran an independent protest campaign for Senate. Now, he is running on the GOP ticket, which leaves Idaho Republicans a choice. Will they renounce Rammell's comments - or will their silence be deafening?
"Our View" is the editorial position of the Idaho Statesman. It is an unsigned opinion expressing the consensus of the Statesman's editorial board.
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