Political decorum should be a "big f***in' deal"

Whether you believe curse words are offensive or just a silly taboo, I think we can all agree there is a time and place to use them. That said, how is the Vice President of the United States uncognizant enough to drop "the f-bomb" within range of a microphone he just spoke into?

I personally am not offended by the VP's choice of words; in fact, I'd say they are a pretty accurate assessment of the health care bill's impact. The point is - there are people offended by foul language. Thus public figures need to have the decency to not use such language in situations where those people may hear or see it.

But who am I to give etiquette lessons to the country's second-in-command? While it appears to be an unintentional faux pas, it's possible he knew gosh/golly dang/darn well what he was doing. Was he not thinking, or just not caring? Either way, it amounts to a celebration of the legislation's triumph; emphasizing its importance in what could be its lasting legacy. "That health care bill? That was a big f***in' deal."

Sadly, Biden's blasphemy may be revered by many of his supporters. We've seen the political realm support those who use impetuous declarations as a means to "make a statement." When Rep. Joe Wilson famously shouted "You lie!" during President Obama's address to a joint session of Congress, the South Carolina Republican reportedly raked in over $1 million in donations following the incident. The House voted to rebuke Rep. Wilson, but the publicity and support he received far outweighed the House's slap on the wrist.

Last Sunday, Rep. Randy Neugebauer, R-Tex., appeared to imitate Rep. Wilson's strategy by blurting out "it's a baby killer!" from the House floor as Rep. Bart Stupak, D-Mich., defended his his change of position on health care legislation. Rep. Neugebauer has not been admonished for his breach of decorum (there were bigger issues at stake), yet he is immediately capitalizing on the publicity. Today he released a new campaign ad vowing to "continue to speak with the same passion that I spoke last night" on behalf of the unborn.

This approach was strikingly similar to Rep. Wilson's campaign strategy that worked so well: Use the new publicity to poise yourself as a strong voice who will never quit speaking out. Make sure to announce this in a campaign ad featuring your wife (I'm sorry, but I hate the Neugebauers' posturing. It doesn't relate to his message - she's just standing there with wandering eyes).

As long as the positive benefits of these public utterances exceed the negative reaction, politicians will continue to use them to champion their causes. Formal sanctions such as rebukes, censures, reprimands and fines should be issued in every lapse of decorum, but voting on such issues is a waste of time. It's up to politicians to maintain their decency out of respect for themselves and the people they represent. It's up to voters and donors to not support those who boorishly do not.