by Bridgette P. LaVictoire

Martin Harty’s not off to Siberia or even Coventry, but rather he is off back home as he has now resigned from the House and issued an apology saying how sorry he was that his “big mouth causes this furor.” The freshman lawmaker had stated that he thought that the mentally disabled should be shipped to Siberia to die, but later said he was kidding around with the caller who raised concerns about attempts to slash the mental health budget in New Hampshire.

Harty will be replaced via a special election sometime in the near future. Currently, there are two vacancies in the House. Getting a Democrat into either one or both would make for a strong message to the Republicans, but would not shift the balance of power significantly for now.

Harty’s comments came to light last week during testimony on proposed state budget cuts. He said in his handwritten resignation letter “I was just getting the hang of it some, but with the slightly unfavorable publicity I’ve been getting the last few days, I’ll never be an effective lawmaker.”

More damaging than his comments to his continued career in politics was Harty’s apparently inability to function as a lawmaker. He showed signs of dementia and was often confused and had no real understanding of what was going on.

Republicans were quick to laud Harty for resigning with House Speaker William O’Brien saying that Harty had come to talk to him in person and that “We both agreed that this is what is best for the House to move forward.” State GOP Party Chairman Jack Kimball stated that Harty’s comments were inappropriate and that “He failed to represent the sentiments of his constituents and the core values and principles of the Republican Party.”

Core values and principles which do not include sending people to Siberia to die, but cutting their funding so that they accomplish the same thing.

Huffington Post reports:

House Democratic Leader Terie Norelli said Harty’s comments hurt thousands of New Hampshire families. She also criticized Republicans for proposing budget cuts to programs “that will be damaging to the mentally ill, disabled and children.”

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