Weird 91-year-old Republican state representative Martin Harty's short career in New Hampshire politics is now over, because he said Hitler must have done "something right" and also that crazy people should be sent to Siberia for some reason. If Harty had only been about 45 years younger and maybe wore glasses to "look smart," he could have a reality show about Siberia now. Instead, he resigned. Not because his ideas are wrong, mind you, but because of the "slightly unfavorable publicity" surrounding his comments. Because if Hitler was terrible, then why is he still so famous, right?

The Union Leader reports:

Harty, who turns 92 this month, came into spotlight last week after telling a voter during a phone call that he thought the best treatment for the mentally ill would be a one-way trip to Siberia. He also said population growth and mental illness could be controlled with eugenics, a form of genetic engineering commonly associated with Hitler's Germany.

In his letter to Speaker of the House William O'Brien, Harty apologized not for what he said, but for the disruption he caused.

But this 91-years-young legislator could've had a bright career, if only he kept quiet. Much like President Barack Obama, ex-Rep. Harty had no idea what he was voting for and couldn't even figure out if he had voted in favor or against things ("present"). Harty admitted this to a newspaper, saying he just did whatever the people around him were doing -- which is, actually, the way all Republican legislators vote!

Good-bye, sir! And congratulations for somehow avoiding the death panels required by eugenics. [Slate/Union-Leader]