GOP clears field for Steve King's Senate run. Good luck with that.

Rep. Steve King (R-sociopath) With the news that Iowa Republicans have essentially cleared the field against prospective Senate candidate and current House crazimentarian Rep. Steve King, it looks like the nomination is his if he wants it. And indications are that he wants it. The good news for Democrats and other lovers of basic intellectual competence is that King would start off trailing the likely Democratic candidate by a healthy margin. The good news for connoisseurs of true political idiocy is that when it comes to being a very public idiot and all-around louse, Steve King never fails to bring his "A" game.

In honor of Steve King's elevation to presumptive Senate nominee, and as a way to welcome him into that race, let's revisit a very, very small slice of King's choicest moments in the House. As always, I will note that some of these probably constitute clinical evidence of sociopathy, but I'll leave that to Bill Frist and cable television personalities to decide.

• Backed Todd Akin, telling a reporter he "just hasn't heard of" any child getting pregnant from rape or incest.
• Was wary of federal aid in the wake of Hurricane Sandy, saying aid given in the wake of Hurricane Katrina was spent by victims on "Gucci bags and massage parlors and everything you can think of."
• In promoting his "English Only" bill, noted that "the argument that diversity is our strength has never really been backed up by logic."
• Bragged that his new amendment banning states from passing state laws on animal cruelty in the food industry "wipes out everything [animal rights advocates] have done with pork and veal."
• Has repeatedly lambasted anti-dogfighting legislation on the grounds that such things "start elevating animals up to, to above that of humans."
• Argued that universal health insurance is an infringement because some people live their whole lives without needing "a dollar worth" of health care.
• Flirted with birtherism, thinks everything is socialism, is avidly pro-government shutdown over a variety of things, advocated for a new McCarthyism, and said that ACORN was "thousands of times bigger than Watergate because Watergate was only a little break-in by a couple of guys."

Another bit of good news is that Karl Rove's group has tagged Steve King as one of the Republicans that are not crazy enough to stop supporting, so we can expect them to spend a small fortune propping this guy up as a poster child of legitimate Republicanism. And good luck with that.