No need to apologize. We're used to hearing such trash talk from V.P. on U.S. Senate Floor -- S.C. U.S. Senate Race & DeMint worker regrets insult.

The Augusta Chronicle reports:

The director of operations for Jim DeMint's U.S. Senate campaign from South Carolina apologized Tuesday for using derogatory and offensive language to describe the chairwoman of a gay and lesbian rights group.

"I am truly sorry for causing you any harm," Ms. Allen wrote in an e-mail to Lisa Hall, who heads the CSRA Rainbow Alliance. "I stand corrected on all points and will be more polite and considerate in the future."

The flap started Monday, when Ms. Hall e-mailed Ms. Allen and asked if Mr. DeMint planned to attend a Rainbow Alliance meeting in October.
Ms. Allen, who apparently thought she was forwarding the message to a colleague, instead sent it back to Ms. Hall, with "come on, farg, give this dike (sic) a reply" written at the top.

Mr. DeMint, who is a member of the U.S. House of Representatives, also wrote an e-mail apologizing to Ms. Hall.

"Mrs. Allen's remarks do not reflect my beliefs or the character of the campaign that I have conducted," Mr. DeMint wrote. "But because I am the candidate whose name this campaign bears, I feel it is my responsibility to apologize."

Political professionals said that while the comment was clearly disrespectful, it would probably have little effect on Mr. DeMint's race against his Democratic opponent, state Education Superintendent Inez Tenenbaum.

"Given the culture of the area in which we live, there is a lot of intolerance toward gays," said Dr. Bob Botsch, a political science professor at the University of South Carolina Aiken. "I wouldn't be surprised if it gained him some votes.

"That's a sad commentary."

The incident also highlights a modern-day political lesson that Dr. Botsch teaches all his students.

"Never put anything in an e-mail that you wouldn't want your mother to read," he said. "Somebody should have taught her that rule."