Johnny got a spanking

Johnny Isakson, it seems, is the latest Georgia Republican to learn that you don’t mess with your most rabid supporters by trying to do something foolish like talk common sense or acknowledge the obvious.

Georgia’s junior senator found himself immersed in the controversy this week over “death panels” and the “euthanization” of senior citizens that is consuming so many of the shouters and screamers at town halls on health insurance reform.

These crazies, who include former Alaska governor Sarah Palin, falsely charge that a provision in the health reform bill will empower President Barack Obama to create “death panels” that will kill elderly patients. The provision actually would extend Medicare coverage to end-of-life care counseling sessions between doctors and their patients, a cause that Isakson has long supported.

Isakson gave an extensive interview to the Washington Post on Monday in which he described as “nuts” the statements by Palin about these so-called “death panels.”

“I understand — and you have to check this out — I just had a phone call where someone said Sarah Palin’s web site had talked about the House bill having death panels on it where people would be euthanized,” Isakson told the Post. “How someone could take an end of life directive or a living will as that is nuts. You’re putting the authority in the individual rather than the government. I don’t know how that got so mixed up.”

In a town hall meeting on Tuesday, Obama noted Isakson’s comments on the bogus euthanasia allegations.

Those kind words from a Democratic president — and a black one at that — obviously caused a lot of political problems for Isakson, whose Republican base includes a large percentage of people who don’t even believe Obama is an American-born citizen.

It’s obvious what happened next: Isakson was bombarded with complaints from constituents outraged that he would actually agree on something with a Muslim Kenyan terrorist like Obama. Isakson’s office issued an angry statement Tuesday afternoon that tried to put some distance between him and Obama, even though the senator and the president hold virtually identical positions on the issue of living wills and end-of-life counseling.

“The White House and others are merely attempting to deflect attention from the intense negativity caused by their unpopular policies,” Isakson said. “I never consulted with the White House in this process and had no role whatsoever in the House Democrats’ bill. I categorically oppose the House bill and find it incredulous that the White House and others would use my amendment as a scapegoat for their misguided policies.”

Isakson is a conservative who will, on occasion, attempt to deal rationally with the issue at hand. But common sense doesn’t count for much these days in some quarters. Just ask Phil Gingrey, the Marietta congressman who earlier this year said something mildly critical about right-wing commentator Rush Limbaugh. Gingrey got such a fierce backlash from his base that within 24 hours he was on his hands and knees apologizing to Limbaugh and begging forgiveness. He hasn’t gotten out of line since.