Freshman U.S. Senator David Perdue of Georgia raised some eyebrows on Friday at the Faith & Freedom Coalition conference in Washington DC. He says he was making a joke when he referred to Psalm 109 and encouraged the participants to pray that President Obama’s “days would be few.” Some, however, looked up the Psalm and noticed that it’s a bit more expansive:
Set thou a wicked man over him: and let Satan stand at his right hand. When he shall be judged, let him be condemned: and let his prayer become sin. Let his days be few; and let another take his office. Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow. Let his children be continually vagabonds, and beg: let them seek their bread also out of their desolate places. Let the extortioner catch all that he hath; and let the strangers spoil his labour.
It’s not a very nice prayer, and certainly not a nice future to wish on the president, the First Lady, and their two daughters.
Harry Reid was incensed, which he let be known through his staff:
“If Republicans are still wondering why Donald Trump is their nominee, look no further than today’s Faith and Freedom conference where a sitting Republican Senator left the impression he was praying for the death of President Obama and then the Republican Leader followed him on stage and did not condemn him,” said Kristen Orthman, a Reid spokeswoman.
At the White House, press secretary Josh Earnest was asked about it. In particular, the press wanted to know if Sen. Perdue is still welcome at Wednesday’s congressional picnic. Earnest said that he was but noted that there are “a number of other scriptures he might consult.”
I guess the White House is so used to these kinds of slights that they hardly notice them anymore.