NY State Sen. Kevin Parker: Republican colleagues are “white supremacists”

The fun never stops when it comes to NY politics. Via the NY Daily News (h/t: ST reader Leslie):

ALBANY – In his latest off-the-wall behavior, hothead Sen. Kevin Parker Wednesday morning accused Senate Republicans – and even some Democrats – of being white supremacists.

Parker updated his Facebook status, saying he was “in Albany fighting the evil of White Supremacy!”

And Parker, who exploded in a fury during a public committee meeting Tuesday, defended his outburst during a radio interview as “par for the course of what we have to do up in Albany fighting the forces of evil.”

Asked by Daily News columnist and WWRL host Errol Louis what the forces of evil were, Parker said, “these long-term white supremacist Republican senators.”

He accused the GOP of not being able to handle losing the Senate majority and now having blacks, Latinos, women and gays running the chamber as part of the Democratic majority.

“They have a real problem with that and because of that they do things that are very very inappropriate,” Parker said.

Republicans immediately hit back, saying the Democrats need to reign in their out-of-control colleague – and threatened to launch a formal censure.

“It’s an outrageous statement and the entire Democratic conference should condemn that type of statement,” said Senate GOP boss Dean Skelos. “It has no place in government. We’ve moved beyond this.”

Sen. John DeFrancisco (R-Syracuse) initially set Parker off on Tuesday with his formal questioning of Mark O’Luck, the first black nominee to the New York Power Authority.

In discussing an affirmative action program, DeFrancisco told O’Luck someone doesn’t have to be black to walk in someone’s shoes.

Parker called the line of questioning racist, even though three of his Democratic colleagues – Ruben Diaz, committee chairman Carl Kruger, and David Valesky – said they didn’t believe DeFrancisco was out of line.

Read more on Parker’s racist rants here.

Parker, as it turns out, has a history of – shall we say “anger management” issues:

Committee Chair Carl Kruger tried in vain to get Parker to calm down.

“You’re out of order – why don’t you step outside,” he told Parker. “You’re disrespecting me as chairman. One more outburst like that and I’ll ask you to be removed.”

Parker didn’t like that one bit.

“Okay, then get somebody to remove me. Bring people though,” Parker said.

There have been other temper tantrums involving the senator. Last year he was accused of felony assault after doing $1,000 in damage to the car of New York Post photographer William Lopez and smashing his camera after he snapped Parker’s picture.

Two years ago, an aide filed charges against Parker, claiming he pushed her during an argument and smashed her glasses [more on that here – ST]. In 2005, Parker was accused of punching a traffic agent in the face. The charges were dropped after Parker agreed to take anger management classes.

Senator Parker is due in court next month on the assault case. Sources tell CBS 2 his attorney is trying to cut a no-jail deal, but the district attorney isn’t buying it.

The Brooklyn district attorney would like to try the assault case this summer, before Parker has to stand for reelection in a September primary.

Sounds like an upstanding guy. Not. And this guy was re-elected as a State Senator why exactly?

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