Declining Discourse

One thing the debate over the UAE ports deal has made clear is that politics is becoming pure theater, shedding its former pretense about serious discussion of the issues. More than that, politicians are increasingly putting on R-rated theater.

The other day, I noted that North Carolina Congresswoman Sue Myrick had sent President Bush a letter saying "hell no" to the port sale. Now we have Doug Mays, speaker of the Kansas House, telling the Topeka Capital-Journal that an attorney for school districts can "shove it up his ass."

Mays stood by his statement in an interview today with the Lawrence Journal-World. "I don't apologize one bit," Mays said, although he did say, "I'm sorry I used what some may consider a cuss word."

Do you consider "ass" a cuss word in this context?