Don't Let Kathy Barnette Cost GOP A Senate Seat

The Republican in each case — Richard Mourdock in Indiana and Todd Akin in Missouri — were coasting to likely victories against Democratic incumbent Claire McCaskill in Missouri and nominee Joe Donnelly in Indiana when they shot themselves in the head with unforced errors that cost them — and us — the seats.

Now, we look prepared to give away yet another Senate seat to the Democrats by nominating Kathy Barnette in the Pennsylvania Republican Senate Primary.

Akin, you'll recall, single-handedly re-elected McCaskill when he said that women who were victims of "legitimate rape" rarely get pregnant and by implication, did not need abortions. Mourdock lost his seat when he said that when a woman was raped, it was because "G od intended it to happen" and, therefore, opposed abortion.

RIP. But let's not allow a crazy primary result to saddle us with another unelectable candidate who shoots herself in the foot every time she speaks.

If Kathy Barnette beats Dr. Oz, Trump's candidate, in Tuesday's Republican primary for Senate, we will have to spend the entire campaign explaining away her self-inflicted verbal wounds like:

• She said it was "OK" to discriminate against Muslims and compared the religion's world view to those of Hitler and Stalin.

• She argued that accepting homosexuality would lead to acceptance of incest and pedophilia and called pedophilia the "Cornerstone of Islam."

• Barnette said Muslims should not be allowed into the U.S.

Who needs to drag this record around when we are trying to capture the Senate? We have serious business here and don't have time to defend nutty comments.

So, let's get on with it and give Donald Trump the Senate he needs to govern, not one controlled by Majority Leader Mitch McConnell or filled with nut cases.

(COMMENT, BELOW)

Dick Morris, who served as adviser to former Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and former President Clinton, is the author of 16 books, including his latest, Screwed and Here Come the Black Helicopters.