Because Everybody's a Racist After a Few Cocktails ...

As we've learned from American legends such as Mel Gibson and Mark Foley, everybody in this country is basically one drink away from doing something insane like ranting about the Evil Jews or trying to fuck kids.

Demon booze claimed another victim today. State Rep. Ralph Arza -- a Florida Republican, natch -- has resigned from the legislature after leaving crazy drunken messages on Rep. Gus Barreiro's phone. One of them went like this:

Hey, bitch. You ain't nothing but a bitch. You ain't nothing but a bitch, brother, my nigger.

Barreiro isn't black, as far as we can tell, but he got the bizarre mall-gangsta-esque message because he complained about Arza calling other local politicians the N-word. Or something. Oh, and then Arza had his cousin make another call, basically threatening to have Barreiro fed to the fishes.

Arza admitted making his dirty calls and said he has "difficulty controlling my emotions and anger." Especially when he's drunk. So he's off to "immediate counseling," but has bravely refused to pretend he's going to stop drinking.

Florida prosecutors are charging both Arza and his thug cousin with "witness interference."

 Arza resigns House in wake of phone message scandal [Tampa Bay's 10]

The words from lawmaker that ignited firestorm [Miami Herald]