Conflict resolution, GOP style

Shades of Sumner and Brooks in Alabama, as a Republican state senator defends his honor:

A Republican state senator who punched a Democratic lawmaker in the head expressed regret, saying "that's not the way grown men solve their problems," but he said he won't immediately apologize.

Republican Sen. Charles Bishop claimed that Democratic Sen. Lowell Barron called him a "son of a (expletive)" in the Senate chamber on Thursday.

[...]

"I was raised in the woods of Arkansas and people don't say that about your mom," Bishop said.

Barron denied saying that to Bishop. He said the Jasper senator used an expletive to him and he was trying to get away when he was hit by Bishop on the side of the head near an ear. He said he had not decided if he would file charges.

Of course Bishop won't apologize, for that would be an admission of guilt, and Republics never admit guilt.

I do think one of Bishop's GOP colleagues might want to rethink his choice of words, however:

Members of the Alabama House said the incident makes the entire Legislature look bad.

"It's certainly a black eye on the Legislature and the Senate in particular," Republican Rep. Jay Love said.

Heh, indeed.