Bottom line here, a GOP candidate refuses to touch a Muslim than gives an excuse only teabagger would be dumb enough to believe.

Jim Galloway at the Atlanta Journal Constitution offers a roundup of the drama surrounding a congressional debate this week between Democratic Rep. John Barrow of Georgia and his Republican challenger Rick Allen, which included a last-minute venue change because Allen refused to debate at the “suspect venue” of an Augusta-area Islamic community center.

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So, Galloway explains, the debate was moved to a smaller location (to the annoyance of some would-be attendees who were turned away), but the drama didn’t end there, as Allen “made every attempt to avoid” the 73-year-old Egyptian-American doctor who had arranged the debate and refused to shake his hand. This, Allen later explained, was not because of the doctor’s religion but because he specializes in high-risk pregnancies, which can sometimes end in abortion.

Of course, the whole point of this doctor’s practice is to prevent high-risk pregnancies from ending in abortion. The local GOP chairman did later apologize, but really, how many levels of bigotry and stupidity (not to mention, lack of civility) is this?

More: GOP Congressional Candidate Refuses to Debate at ‘Suspect Venue’ of Islamic Community Center