The hot mic has struck again -- this time capturing Sen. Mark Kirk (R-IL) joking that bachelor Republican presidential candidate Sen. Lindsey Graham (SC) is "a bro with no ho."
The Huffington Post reported that the Illinois senator had a laugh about Graham's unmarried status and plans to have a "rotating first lady" during a Senate Appropriations Committee markup today. Kirk was caught whispering during to an unidentified senator during a vote that he had been "joking with Lindsey" asking, "Did you see that? He’s going to have a rotating first lady. He’s a bro with no ho."
Dumb bro jokes using derogatory and distasteful language probably isn't the brightest idea for any senator, but especially for Kirk, as the senator is facing one of the country's toughest reelection battles in 2016 -- likely against female combat veteran Rep. Tammy Duckworth (D-IL). Rep. Robin Kelly has said she also may enter the race.
So far, Kirk's office hasn't done much in terms of damage control. A spokesperson told HuffPo that Kirk was simply “joking around with his colleagues.”
This isn't Kirk's first hiccup ahead of his re-election bid. During a meeting with newspaper editors this spring, the senator referred to black neighborhoods as places "we drive faster through." Kirk subsequently vowed to avoid discussing race entirely, to head off any similar gaffes.
Take a listen to how apparently some senators "joke" about women and their friends and see if you can tell the difference between Congress and a college frat:
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