Wow. Just... wow.

Yikes. Via Politico:

The Republicans’ only announced candidate running against Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) doesn’t look at all ready for prime time.

Arkansas state senator Kim Hendren is drawing fire for referring to New York Sen. Chuck Schumer as “that Jew” during a speech with Pulaski County Republican party activists.

And after he drew criticism over the comment, his explanation to a popular Arkansas Republican blog sounded even more macaca.

“At the meeting I was attempting to explain that unlike Sen. Schumer, I believe in traditional values, like we used to see on The Andy Griffith Show,” Hendren told the Tolbert Report.

“I made the mistake of referring to Sen. Schumer as ‘that Jew’ and I should not have put it that way as this took away from what I was trying to say."

Got that, children of Israel? Apparently, referring to your ethnicity/religion is shorthand for referring to your disbelief in traditional values in general.

I would write something else, but my irony circuits were totally fried by this. While I recover, someone please inform Marty Peretz.

Update: Hold the phone!! Hendren's veered even further into "hilariously awful apology" territory. From the AP (via TPM):

"I ought not to have referred to it at all," Hendren told the AP. "When I referred to him as Jewish, it wasn't because I don't like Jewish people."

Hendren said he made the reference as he talked about comments the senior senator made criticizing some elements of the Republican Party.

"I shouldn't have gotten into this Jewish business because it distracts from the issue," Hendren said.

No. No, in fact, Sen. Hendren, you probably shouldn't have gotten into "this Jewish business." Whoops-a-daisy!