No one's ever accused Pete Stark of having any class, or of serving as an example for civil discourse in Congress. He's lived up to his reputation today. During debate this morning, he accused Republicans of funding the war for the fun of seeing innocents die:

"But you're going to spend it to blow up innocent people if we can get enough kids to grow old enough for you to send to Iraq to get their heads blown off for the President's amusement."

Seeing is believing:

This sort of vulgar personal attack is nothing new for Stark. In 2003, during a hearing of the Ways and Means Committee, Representative Scott McInnis (R-CO)--a former state trooper--asked Stark to be quiet during a reading of the bill. Stark responded:

"Oh, you think you are big enough to make me, you little wimp? Come on. Come over here and make me. I dare you. You little fruitcake."

In 1999, Stark said that California's state welfare director Eloise Anderson would "kill children if she had her way."

In 1995, he insulted Representative Nancy Johnson (R-CT), calling her a "whore" for the insurance industry, and saying "the gentle lady got her medical degree through pillow talk." Stark later apologized.

In 1990, Stark said of Health and Human Services Secretary Dr. Louis Sullivan--who's black--that he was "a disgrace to his race and profession.'" Stark later apologized.

I suppose we ought to be gratified that Stark has at least moved beyond just women and minorities, to occasionally attack white men. Still, that seems small consolation.

Pete Stark is the walking, talking embodiment of the coarsening of political discourse in this country. His willingness to slander colleagues and leaders in vulgar and personal terms degrades the House of Representatives. And even by the standards of his Bay Area district, the man is a disgrace to the people he represents.