EDITORIAL: Outrageous outrage

Rep. Cresent Hardy is quick to remind voters that he’s not a verbally gifted politician. In just the past year, the Republican freshman from Nevada’s 4th Congressional District has declared that he isn’t “articulate, well-spoken,” and that he’s not “slick or polished” several times.

Of course, he declares his rhetorical shortcomings so often because he has a knack for sending the Democratic Party’s outrage-powered fundraising machine into full-speed overreaction.

The latest political story created by Rep. Hardy’s mouth started more than two weeks ago. In a May 30 address at the Libertarian Party Expo at the Tropicana, Rep. Hardy brought up his children. “They all work hard. They’re raising their own families. They’re doing their own thing. They will not be a drain on society, the best they can. Hopefully they never have some disability that causes them to have to utilize that.”

Rep. Hardy, who won election last year over incumbent Democrat Steven Horsford in one of the country’s biggest congressional upsets, is the Democrats’ top target in 2016. As such, he is tracked by Democratic operatives, his every word and move recorded. So it wasn’t surprising to see the Democratic Party respond to those remarks by condemning Rep. Hardy for condemning disabled children — sending out fundraising pitches and apology demands with it.

Was Rep. Hardy’s comment inelegant? Yes. Was it as bad as some of his other remarks about welfare recipients? Not even close. Rep. Hardy was clumsy, but Democrats are overreaching for a clear connection here. And their insistence that Rep. Hardy apologize is empty — as if they’d let the comments slide if he’d said “Sorry.” Rep. Hardy certainly lacks polish, but the Democrats’ campaign against him lacks shame.

Brace yourselves, Southern Nevadans. Election Day is almost 17 months away.