New Jersey: Steve Lonegan aide fired after making crass, homophobic comments about Cory Booker

A top aide to New Jersey Republican senate candidate Steve Lonegan has been fired after making comments about Lonegan's opponent, Cory Booker.

Talking Points Memo has published a interview they conducted with the aide, Rick Shaftan, in which he made several crass and homophobic remarks.

In a profanity-filled assessment of the race delivered via phone Thursday, Rick Shaftan, a senior staffer and key strategist on Lonegan's campaign, suggested voters would be turned off by Booker's "odd" behavior including Twitter messages the Democrat sent to a stripper, that Shaftan described as "strange" and "like what a gay guy would say."

"It was just weird. I mean, to me, you know, hey, if he said, 'Hey, you got really hot breasts man, I'd love to suck on them.' Then like, yeah, cool. But like, he didn't say that," Shaftan explained. "It was like kind of like, I don't know, it was like what a gay guy would say to a stripper. It's the way he was talking to her. It's just like like there was no sexual interest at all. I don't know. To me, if I was single and you know like some stripper was tweeting me, I might take advantage of the perks of the office, you know?"

Sounds like a very classy guy, huh?

Shaftan was informed of his termination later that day.

Steve Lonegan issued the following statement soon after: “His comments are distasteful and offensive, and his contract as a vendor for my campaign will be terminated immediately.”

The special election to fill the open US Senate seat will be held this Wednesday.

(via Towleroad)