Former Montana Gov. Brian Schweitzer reacted to the shocking news of Majority Leader Eric Cantor's electoral defeat with an equally unexpected commentary on Southern men, saying: "Men in the South, they are a little effeminate."
The 58-year-old Democrat added that he sensed that the Virginia Republican, a married father of three, was a homosexual,
National Journal reports.
"They just have effeminate mannerisms. If you were just a regular person, you turned on the TV, and you saw Eric Cantor talking, I would say—and I'm fine with gay people, that's all right – but my gaydar is 60-70 percent."
He added, "But he's not, I think, so I don't know. Again, I couldn't care less. I'm accepting."
In the lengthy profile with the National Journal, Schweitzer also sailed close to the wind in the way he criticized Democratic Sen. Dianne Feinstein, head of the Senate Intelligence Committee, for her handling of the NSA spying revelations.
"She was the woman who was standing under the streetlight with her dress pulled all the way up over her knees, and now she says, 'I'm a nun,' when it comes to this spying!" he said. "I mean, maybe that's the wrong metaphor—but she was all in!"
Schweitzer has a reputation for shooting from the hip, a populist streak that some believe is refreshing contrast to the guardedness of modern politicians, and a trait some say could make him a strong candidate for the presidency.
In July, he disappointed his party when he announced he would not run to succeed retiring Sen. Max Baucus, but he flirted with the idea of making a White House bid against presumed Democratic nominee Hillary Clinton.
In a December interview he said that
he is "interested" in running for president and believes he would be the only standard-bearer for "progressives."